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Tracey A. Dechert, MD, is the Chief of Acute Care and Trauma Surgery at Boston Medical Center (BMC). She is also an associate professor of Surgery at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Appointed Chief in 2022, Dr. Dechert is the first woman to be named Surgical Trauma Chief at a Level 1 adult trauma center in Massachusetts. She is a graduate of Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, PA and Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Dechert completed her residency in General Surgery at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, VA and her fellowship in the Department of Traumatology and Surgical Critical Care at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA.
Dr. Dechert’s research interests include injury prevention; health services research including social determinants of trauma, surgical equity and advocacy; and surgical education. In 2014, Dr. Dechert’s passions and interests led her to create Socially Responsible Surgery (SRS), an organization which identifies opportunities and fosters engagement in leadership, research and collaboration in the training, development and promotion of surgeons committed to surgical equity. The topic of surgical equity falls under a broader recognition that social responsibility and social accountability need increased attention in medicine. This includes equal access to surgical care, eliminating healthcare disparities and increasing patient advocacy. SRS is committed to its local community as well as advocating for change in underserved communities nationally and internationally. SRS also empowers medical students, residents, and faculty to combine their interests in surgery with this commitment. Since its founding, SRS has expanded to include chapters at institutions across the country.