The Charles L. Donahue annual lecture addresses the quality of patient care, measurement of healthcare outcomes and, creating better health systems and policy in the United States.

This year's speaker is Marcela del Carmen, MD, President of the Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts General Physicians Organization (MGPO).

Dr. del Carmen will be speaking on improving patient outcomes at Mass General Brigham through systems integration.

Abstract: In an era of increasingly complex and fragmented healthcare, achieving truly superior patient outcomes requires more than siloed excellence - it demands strategic system integration. Mass General Brigham's vision is to build the integrated academic healthcare system of the future with patients at the center, transforming care, improving outcomes, and expanding its impact locally, nationally, and globally. This includes becoming the nation’s leading health system for quality, informed by data and focused on safety and equity. The multi-year implementation of an integrated quality strategy - For Every Patient - has yielded impressive results at Mass General Brigham, improving health outcomes and experiences across the system. Dr. del Carmen, President of Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, will detail the challenges and successes of this integration effort, specifically outlining the steps that have led to demonstrable improvements in core metrics like mortality and length of stay.

Marcela del Carmen, MD
Marcela G. del Carmen Amaya, MD, MPH is president of the Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts General Physicians Organization (MGPO), the largest of Harvard Medical School’s faculty physician groups, and executive vice president, Mass General Brigham. In this role, Dr. del Carmen leads over 3,200 MGPO physician members. She has also served as chief medical officer for the MGPO and for Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
Dr. del Carmen is professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School and holds a dual appointment in the Department of Surgery at the MGH. Dr. del Carmen is the first woman and Latino to ascend to the academic rank of professor in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology and in Gynecologic Oncology at Harvard Medical School. She graduated from medical school and completed her residency training in Gynecology and Obstetrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Hospital and fellowship training in Gynecologic Oncology at the MGH. Dr. del Carmen holds a Masters in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. She has served on the Ovarian Cancer Committee for the Gynecologic Oncology Group, is a member of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology PROLOG task force, is a member of several committees in the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, and serves as oral examiner for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology for both general Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology. Dr. del Carmen is a member of the Promotions Committee, the Admissions Committee, and Faculty Council at Harvard Medical School. She has authored over 250 papers in the peer-reviewed literature and has authored a textbook. Dr. del Carmen’s research focuses on disparities in gynecologic cancer outcomes in underserved minorities and rare gynecologic malignancies. She serves as an examiner for the oral board at the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, both in General Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology and is also a member of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s Gynecologic Oncology Division Committee. Dr. del Carmen is the recipient of numerous teaching and service awards including the National Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG) Award, the Howard Ulfelder Teaching Award, the CINE Golden Eagle Award, CBS Cares, and the Brian A. McGovern, MD Award for Clinical Excellence.