Work-Life Balance

The hospitalist group gathers at least twice a year at one of our homes to share food, family, and stories. These are usually family friendly events with plenty of fun activities and a lot of relaxation. We all enjoy getting to see each other without masks (outside of course) and getting to unwind with the ones we love the most.

A group of hospitalists and interested friends (colleagues in other specialties, spouses etc.) meet monthly to discuss a book they have chosen together in a fun and relaxed environment. The conversation is always thought provoking, a lot of laughs are shared, and there is usually a sampling of wine to imbibe. Recent books have included Intimacies by Katie Kitamura, Hell of a Book by Jason Mott, and Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen.

This year several hospitalists and their families teamed up to volunteer time and resources to support a refugee family. Through the IRC HOME Program, the team volunteers to sponsor a refugee family and set up their apartment with necessities, welcome them to our community, and help them navigate Charlottesville so that they can thrive. This has been a fun and rewarding way to give back to the community.

There are quite a few skilled gardeners hiding in the group: from veggies to flowers to shrubs and trees. There has been talk of plant and seed exchanges, still in the works. If gardening is your thing, let us know and we can direct you to the best local places to get your hobby up and running. The International Rescue Committee also has a community garden that accepts volunteers.

For the last two years, Melissa Kehl has organized a group Secret Santa. Anyone who is interested is randomly assigned another member of the group and delivers a secret gift just before the holidays. This has been a fun way to celebrate and spoil each other or get a good laugh.

The hospitalists have a GroupMe thread to keep us all connected. We share work related announcements but also invites for volunteer opportunities, social events, group shout outs, and of course notification when free food is available!