This month’s Hawkeye High-Fives highlight employees who are leading innovation, improving processes, and making a difference by supporting others when it matters most.

The Hawkeye High-Five program makes it easy for the university community to recognize others for their hard work, teamwork, and positive impact. Each month, these messages highlight colleagues who go the extra mile to support patients, students, and one another.

Here are a few of the recognitions submitted in March:

Kathy Seaba, revenue cycle representative – claim submission services, Physician/Hospital Accounts Receivable Management, Patient Financial Services, was recognized by Jennifer Briscoe

I just want to give a huge shout out to Kathy for all the help she’s been giving me lately. She’s been jumping in to help design the workflow for faxing claims for our new Mission Cancer and Blood location, and her creative ideas have honestly made this whole thing so much easier. Kathy doesn’t just brainstorm, she’s willing to roll up her sleeves and test things out to make sure the process actually works. That kind of “jump in wherever you’re needed” attitude is what makes her such an awesome team player. Kathy, thank you for being so helpful, positive, and ready to tackle anything. We’re lucky to have you. 

Alexander Hernandez, enterprise reporting architect, Health Care Information Systems, was recognized by Claire Ronnebaum

Thank you, Alex, for the significant time, expertise, and effort you dedicated to developing the comprehensive children’s surgery verification Epic report. Your work has been instrumental in capturing accurate, meaningful data that allows our team to clearly identify opportunities for improvement, develop targeted action plans, and ultimately enhance the care we provide to our patients. This is essential for verification. The structure and clarity of the report have made data collection far more efficient, while also making the information more accessible and actionable for managers, surgeons, and nursing leadership. This has elevated the value of the data from simple reporting to a tool that truly drives improvement. Your support of the children’s surgery verification process has had a meaningful impact for the Stead Family Children’s Hospital. This work is critical to our success, and I appreciate your commitment! Thank you again for your dedication and support. 

Elizabeth O’Neal, assistant professor, Department of Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health, was recognized by Ebonee Johnson

Elizabeth, thank you for your thoughtful consultation on youth recruitment. When our team experienced a lag in participant enrollment, you generously shared innovative strategies drawn from your own work. You checked in regularly to see how each approach was working and, when needed, suggested alternatives without hesitation. Because of your collegiality, expertise, and willingness to problem solve with us, our recruitment has picked up. We are truly grateful for your support.

Anna Sullivan, graduate intern, First Gen Hawks, recognized by Alicia Hein

Anna did a fantastic job of reaching out to peer mentors and our instructors to create engaging content for One Day for Iowa. She had a lot of fun and creative ideas that she was able to implement, and her posts received some of our highest social media metrics of the entire campaign. We would not have had such a successful One Day for Iowa campaign without all her hard work and dedication! I also want to give her a huge shoutout and thank you for managing the application and interview scheduling process for new peer mentors while I was out of office for over a week. It was no small task to balance that along with her One Day for Iowa projects, but she flawlessly executed both and I appreciate her so much!

Bethany Tvedt-Campbell, senior sponsored research specialist, Division of Sponsored Programs, Office of the Vice President for Research

I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation for everything you bring to our team. Your kindness and patience do not go unnoticed, especially in moments when things feel challenging or uncertain. You consistently create a supportive environment, and your willingness to teach and share your knowledge makes a meaningful difference. I am truly grateful to work alongside someone who is not only skilled, but also so generous with their time and encouragement. Thank you for being such a positive and reliable presence.

Recognizing a colleague is quick and meaningful. Submit a Hawkeye High-Five to show appreciation for the people who make a difference every day at Iowa.

In addition to a Hawkeye High-Five, consider other ways to celebrate your colleagues:

• Employee recognition notecards: Send a handwritten thank you note using Iowa-branded cards.
• Supervisor guide to recognition: This guide provides practical tools for recognizing employees, including recognition types, tiers, policies, ideas, and resources, as well as guidance on using AI as a recognition partner.