{"id":240584,"date":"2024-05-03T12:44:58","date_gmt":"2024-05-03T16:44:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=240584"},"modified":"2024-05-03T15:16:44","modified_gmt":"2024-05-03T19:16:44","slug":"kate-walsh-named-2024-sph-convocation-speaker","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2024\/kate-walsh-named-2024-sph-convocation-speaker\/","title":{"rendered":"Kate Walsh Named 2024 SPH Convocation Speaker"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin sphnews-block-editorial-leadin has-media-focus-center-middle\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Featured<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKate Walsh Named 2024 SPH Convocation Speaker\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">The former president and CEO of Boston Medical Center joined Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey&#8217;s administration as secretary of Health and Human Services in 2023.<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar js-block-editorial-metabar sphnews-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">May 3, 2024<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/Kate-Walsh-original-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-240590\" width=\"329\" height=\"439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/Kate-Walsh-original-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/Kate-Walsh-original-477x636.jpeg 477w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/Kate-Walsh-original-1153x1536.jpeg 1153w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/Kate-Walsh-original-1537x2048.jpeg 1537w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/Kate-Walsh-original-500x667.jpeg 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/Kate-Walsh-original-1000x1334.jpeg 1000w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/Kate-Walsh-original-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/Kate-Walsh-original-755x1006.jpeg 755w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/Kate-Walsh-original-750x1000.jpeg 750w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/Kate-Walsh-original-600x800.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/Kate-Walsh-original-675x900.jpeg 675w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/Kate-Walsh-original-1920x2558.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/Kate-Walsh-original-1200x1599.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/Kate-Walsh-original-scaled.jpeg 1921w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 329px) 100vw, 329px\" \/><figcaption>Kate Walsh<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/person\/kate-walsh-secretary-of-health-and-human-services\">Kate Walsh<\/a>, secretary of Health and Human Services for Massachusetts and a veteran healthcare executive, will deliver the 2024 Boston University School of Public Health <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/events\/sph-commencement\/\">Convocation Address<\/a> on Saturday, May 18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the former president and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/articles\/2023\/kate-walsh-to-lead-massachusetts-health-and-human-services-department\/\">chief executive officer<\/a> of Boston Medical Center health system from 2010 to 2023, Walsh is no stranger to the BU community. She stepped down from her BMC role in January 2023 when Governor Maura Healey <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/news\/governor-healey-and-lt-governor-driscoll-appoint-kate-walsh-as-secretary-of-health-and-human-services\">tapped<\/a> Walsh to join her administration as health secretary, succeeding Governor Charlie Baker\u2019s HHS secretary, Marylou Sudders (CAS\u201976, SSW\u201978, Hon.\u201922).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the chief health officer for the commonwealth, Walsh oversees a team of more than 21,000 staff members across 11 agencies and the MassHealth system, who provide services and programs to nearly one in every three Massachusetts residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eliminating health disparities and achieving health equity are goals that Walsh has prioritized throughout her career. As head of HHS, she leads an agency that provides Bay State residents with access to medical and behavioral health care, long-term services and supports, and important nutritional and financial benefits.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTogether, we will&nbsp;work&nbsp;to advance racial&nbsp;health&nbsp;equity, address&nbsp;affordability, spur innovative solutions to our health care challenges, and ensure that&nbsp;people&nbsp;live healthy lives,\u201d&nbsp;she said in a Mass.gov press release last year announcing her new position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At BMC, Walsh oversaw the 514-bed medical center that is the primary teaching affiliate of Boston University Chobanian &amp; Avedisian School of Medicine and the region\u2019s largest safety-net hospital, as well as WellSense Health Plan, a Medicaid Managed Care Organization, and Boston HealthNet, an affiliated network of 14 community health centers. She&nbsp;managed the system through&nbsp;multiple&nbsp;COVID-19 surges and recoveries by expanding telehealth capabilities,&nbsp;bolstering&nbsp;regional resource management, establishing a COVID Recuperation Unit,&nbsp;and coordinating with state and local government.&nbsp;During Walsh\u2019s tenure, the hospital system won several accolades, including being named one of the 100 Great Hospitals by Becker\u2019s Hospital Review and the 4th Most Socially Responsible Hospitals in the Nation by the Lown Group in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before joining BMC, Walsh served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital, chief operating officer for Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, and in multiple position at Massachusetts General Hospital, including senior vice president of medical services and the MGH Cancer Center.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prior to MGH, Walsh held positions at New York City hospitals, including Montefiore, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, Saint Luke\u2019s-Roosevelt Hospital Center and the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Walsh received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Public Health degrees from Yale University. She has served on several boards, including the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Boston Public Health Commission, the Massachusetts Hospital Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, Pine Street Inn, and Yale University.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The SPH Convocation will begin at 9:30 am on May 18 at the BU Track &amp; Tennis Center. Those unable to attend in person can watch a live broadcast (with CART transcription), starting at 9:30 am ET via livestream <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/events\/sph-live\/\">here<\/a>. CART (Speech to Text) is also available via personal phone\/tablet during the ceremony at the following link:&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/go.bu.edu\/ttc\">go.bu.edu\/ttc<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kate Walsh, secretary of Health and Human Services for Massachusetts and a veteran healthcare executive, will deliver the 2024 Boston University School of Public Health Convocation Address on Saturday, May 18. As the former president and chief executive officer of Boston Medical Center health system from 2010 to 2023, Walsh is no stranger to the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15205,"featured_media":240590,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[1272],"bu-publication":[3516],"sphnews-article-category":[3519,3531],"sphnews-topic":[],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"profile_tax":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/240584"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15205"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=240584"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/240584\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":240674,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/240584\/revisions\/240674"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/240590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=240584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=240584"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=240584"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-article-category?post=240584"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-topic?post=240584"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=240584"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=240584"},{"taxonomy":"profile_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile_tax?post=240584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}