This week is National Nurses Week, an annual tribute to the vital role nurses play across all healthcare settings. It also coincides with Florence Nightingale's birthday, whose enduring influence continues to shape modern nursing and patient care.

April is National Occupational Therapy Month, an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the outstanding clinical care, education, and research advanced by our occupational therapy faculty, learners, and providers across Duke. This year’s American Occupational Therapy Association theme—Enriching Lives Through Meaningful Engagement—reflects the profession’s enduring mission and its essential role in advancing health, function, and quality of life.

Today, on Administrative Professionals Day, we are proud to recognize and celebrate the invaluable contributions of our administrative assistants and support professionals. First observed in 1952, this day serves as an important reminder of the essential role these professionals play in the success of organizations everywhere.

DURHAM, N.C. — Osteoarthritis affects more than 32 million Americans, making it one of the leading causes of chronic pain, disability, and loss of mobility in the United States. For many people, treatment options are limited to managing pain with medications or repeated injections, and in severe cases, replacing the joint entirely through surgery.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, which traces its origins to 1926, when historian Carter G. Woodson established a week to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14).

Today, we commemorate the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While Dr. King spoke powerfully for civil rights for all, he also called attention to the quieter, less visible forms of injustice. Dr. King’s words remain relevant today. He reminded us, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” This statement, delivered in his “The Trumpet of Conscience” speech as part of the Massey Lectures, underscores our shared responsibility.

As we come to the close of the year, I want to express my sincere gratitude for the dedication, professionalism, and partnership each of you brings to our shared work. Your commitment to patient care, education, discovery, and supporting one another is the foundation of our progress and the strength of our community. I hope you can take time this holiday season to rest, recharge, and spend meaningful moments with family and friends. Thank you for all that you do every day. I look forward to building on our momentum and continuing our work together in 2026.

This Thanksgiving, I encourage you to join me in taking a moment to reflect on all we have to be thankful for. It is easy to focus on the challenges we face, whether they’re day-to-day frustrations, broader issues within healthcare, or the many uncertainties we face. Yet despite these challenges, there remains so much for which we can be grateful.

I am thrilled to share incredible news from the rankings of the U.S. News and World Report's 2025 healthcare programs. Our Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program is now ranked No. 4 in the nation—an extraordinary milestone! Equally exciting, our Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program, which recently graduated its first class, has earned the No. 20 spot.

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Julia D. Visgauss, MD, has been appointed Division Chief of Orthopaedic Oncology, effective April 1, 2025.