Inspiring a Team in Uncertain Times

A Conversation with Don Theophilus, Chief Advancement Officer, UW Medicine, Vice President for Medical Affairs, UW Medicine Advancement

What We’ve Learned and What’s Next

“2020 has been a challenging year for everyone. The first case of coronavirus in the U.S. was diagnosed here in Washington State. UW Medicine was right in the middle of the early detection and response nationally. UW Medicine Advancement immediately pivoted to working remotely (including hosting events virtually), and we began raising a large amount of money for our UW Medicine Emergency Response Fund and coordinating in-kind donations for our four hospitals. Everyone worked at a very intense pace for many months, while dealing with great ambiguity both at work and at home. The team pulled together to work collaboratively with campus partners in research, the health system, marketing and communications, emergency management and more. Our resiliency allowed us to respond quickly and significantly to all the changes and demands that were encountered. As we move forward and plan for what an eventual return to the office looks like as well as doing our work in a post-COVID environment, we want to maintain the same level of collaboration, inventiveness and resilience that has helped us through this crisis.”

— Don Theophilus

Listen to the conversation, and let us know if you have questions or comments.