James O’Connell, MD

Dr. O'Connell helped found BHCHP in 1985, after completing his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. O'Connell assists BHCHP's Board of Directors in setting the strategic direction for the program. He also advocates for public policies and programs to address the needs of homeless people.

Dr. O'Connell juggles his active role as president with the demands of a busy clinical practice, spending much of his time caring for Boston's homeless population on the street and in one of the program's hospital-based clinics.

Nationally recognized as one of the preeminent experts on homelessness and healthcare, Dr. O'Connell lectures extensively and publishes widely. He is the editor of the Manual of Communicable Diseases in Shelters – one of the most widely used texts on homeless healthcare.

Dr. O'Connell earned his medical degree at Harvard Medical School and a master's degree in philosophy and theology from Cambridge University in England. He graduated Maxima Cum Laude from the University of Notre Dame.