We are pleased to announce that Dr. Katherine (Kate) Gentry has accepted the role of interim vice chair for community building and belonging, effective immediately.
A longtime member of the department, Gentry completed a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at Seattle Children’s before joining the faculty in 2011. She is a founding member of the department’s Community Building & Belonging (CBB) Council, where she helped develop residency curriculum and facilitate discussions on ethics, equity and professional culture.
Since 2020, she has served as medical director of the Pre-Anesthesia Surgical Service (PASS) Clinic at Seattle Children’s and practices in multiple clinical areas.
Outside the department, she participates in global health education with the University of Namibia and has served in UW’s Peer-to-Peer program since 2019.
“Kate’s leadership, experience and deep commitment to supporting others make her exceptionally well suited for this role,” said Department Chair Dr. G. Burkhard Mackensen. “I look forward to working with her as we continue to strengthen our department culture.”
The leadership transition was announced as Dr. Marie Angèle Theárd, former CBB vice chair, departed from the University of Washington to teach and practice closer to family. Her contributions to the CBB council were significant, as she led listening sessions across hospital sites and established the site champions program.
“Angèle’s work has had a lasting impact on our department,” Gentry said. “I’m grateful for the foundation she created and excited to build on it with the council and our site champions.”
Gentry hopes to partner with the council to clarify the mission, vision and strategy while defining its next chapter. “Through focusing on building community, we can discover our shared interests and goals,” she said. “By realizing we share important values, we begin to feel like we belong.”
Gentry emphasized the importance of fostering community both at the departmental level and within individual clinical and academic sites. Given the department’s size and geographic reach, she said site-based efforts can play a critical role in strengthening connection and engagement.
“We have an opportunity to learn from the great work already happening across our sites,” Gentry said. “By understanding what helps people feel connected in their local environments, we can identify successful approaches that may be expanded across the entire department.”
She encouraged department members to share ideas for strengthening community, connect with their Community Building & Belonging site champions and participate in upcoming council meetings.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Gentry on her appointment and supporting her as she begins this important role! Her leadership will help guide the department’s continued efforts to strengthen community create a welcoming environment where all members can succeed.