Dr. Kevin Churchwell first started his relationship with Boston in the early 70’s. It’s where he spent the formative years of his medical education and where he started his family

“We’ve raised our kids here and we’ve had great relationships and opportunities and so that’s why Boston has sort of become our second home in that respect,” he explained during MHA’s latest Executive Insights episode. 

Churchwell’s work to promote public health is also a family affair, growing up with brothers who are also physicians and leaders of major healthcare organizations. Promoting public health and health equity runs in the family.  

Now, just months into his tenure as President & CEO of Boston Children’s Hospital, Churchwell is focused on advancing children – and our entire society –  into to a post-COVID reality. 

“We have this incredible opportunity through science, through investment that we’ve created a vaccine in less than a year, which is just phenomenal, and we’ve got to utilize it to get to that new normal.”

During his conversation with MHA’s Steve Walsh, Churchwell also spoke about the importance of creating long-lasting change in healthcare around diversity health equity, and inclusion. He reflected that the healthcare workforce and leadership is an important place to start.  

“How we educate our boards and infuse our boards with diversity, how we continue to create an environment where health equity across the board is important and we’re addressing it,” Churchwell said of MHA and its membership at large. 

Looking to the challenges the pandemic has brought on with children’s mental health, Churchwell believes that more work needs to be done in order to get ahead of the issue. 

“We’re working on catching up and at some point, our work has to be how do we get ahead of this? How do we figure out what is in the best interest of our kids in terms of this piece of work and that involves not just a hospital, but it involves everyone.”

Watch the full episode here.

Stream all Executive Insights Series episodes here.