Tisch College Solomont Speaker Series: Dr. Jim O'Connell

On November 29, 2023, Tisch College and the Tufts University School of Medicine hosted a conversation with renowned physician and public health advocate, Dr. Jim O'Connell, on his life's work caring for those experiencing homelessness and the lessons he's learned from a community too-often ignored. A legend in the Greater Boston area, Dr. O’Connell has cared for some of the nation's most vulnerable individuals for 40 years, building a community of care for the city’s unhoused population and those who sleep on the streets - the “rough sleepers.” He is the founding physician and President of Boston Health Care for the Homeless (BHCHP). Dr. O'Connell's work at BHCHP and the countless people he's served over the years are the subject of the 2023 New York Times best-seller "Rough Sleepers" by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder. "Rough Sleepers" was chosen as this year's selection for the Common Book Program, a partnership between Tufts University School of Medicine and Tisch College, for all incoming medical students. The conversation was moderated by Dr. Becky Lee, M17, current physician on BHCHP's street team; Helen Boucher, Dean of the School of Medicine, gave opening remarks. The event was cosponsored by the Political Science Department and Jumbos for Nonprofits.