CHA physician receives inaugural Harvard Social Justice Award

  Dr. Gaurab Basu of Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) was recently honored with the inaugural Equity, Social Justice and Advocacy Award at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM). The award recognizes the efforts of individuals at HMS, HSDM and those within the HMS/HSDM-affiliate community who make significant contributions to affirming the Harvard Medical School mission and community values by advancing equity, social justice, and advocacy. Eight award recipients that were selected from more than 100 nominations were honored at a ceremony on November 30.

  As an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and codirector of CHA’s Center for Health Equity Education and Advocacy, Basu provides a leadership voice at HMS and affiliated hospitals on programs to address health equity, environmental racism and global warming. His nomination encompassed several areas of work and dedication to health equity. During the COVID-19 pandemic surge, Basu served as community management clinical lead, helping to redesign CHA’s clinical care models serving a diverse patient population, a majority of whom are Latinx frontline workers and their families.

  “Upon becoming a primary care doctor and physician, I realized that we have to have healthy, healing structures in place in order for people to have health and health equity, and that [physicians] can play a major role in making that structural change,” said Basu.

 “Dr. Basu brings a long-standing commitment to addressing structural racism and climate change to the public health and medicine arena. He has been a dynamic resource in designing and disseminating curricula to teach the skills of advocacy to affect relevant public policies,” said HMS Dean for Diversity and Community Partnership Dr. Joan Reede.

  “Dr. Basu’s reach is local, regional, and national,” said Reede. “He is a recognized thought leader in these emerging areas of public health concern. He is a physician, a researcher, a writer, a mentor and a master teacher. The HMS/HSDM community congratulates Dr. Basu on receiving this award.”