In-person
For Alumni
General Audience
The Thomas Gerard Catena Lecture in Medicine, Faith, and Service invites speakers whose work displays innovative scholarship, service, and institution-building at the intersection of theology, medicine, and culture.
Dr. Jim O’Connell, president of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, will share his remarkable journey from serving as Chief Resident in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital to becoming the nation’s first “street doctor” for individuals experiencing homelessness. Drawing on four decades of caring for Boston’s most vulnerable population, Dr. O’Connell will explore the history of homelessness and the profound challenges posed by co-occurring medical, psychiatric, and substance use disorders among chronically homeless persons. He will also reflect on the role of faith and the invaluable lessons learned through a lifetime of service and compassionate care.
Jim O'Connell, MD, is president and founding physician of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.