3 minute read
Courage, Confidence, and COVID
An Interview with Dr. Helen Whamond Boucher ’82
As a student at Sacred Heart Greenwich, Dr. Helen Boucher was already interested in the medical field and spent time roaming the halls of Greenwich Hospital as a candy striper. After graduating pre-med from Holy Cross, she became the Director of Students and taught science classes at Duchesne Academy, a Sacred Heart school in Texas, before going on to The University of Texas Medical School. Boucher completed her residency and training in Boston, and one of her daughters continued the Sacred Heart tradition, graduating from sister school Newton Country Day.
Dr. Boucher, who is currently Chief of the Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Tufts Medical Center, sat down with Alumnae Director Meghan Mara Ryan ’01 to talk about how St. Madeleine Sophie Barat’s war-cry of “courage and confidence” prepared her to face this COVID moment.
What did your role look like before COVID and how has that shifted during the pandemic?
Pre-COVID, our division worked on a variety of infectious diseases. We also have a large transplant center and conduct research in different areas with Tufts Medical Students, Residents, and Fellows. With the pandemic, we became the leaders across the institution and our healthcare system. We have been involved in the Tufts response, and we work with several local colleges, private schools, and public schools, advising them on how to open and reopen during the pandemic. We are also educating our colleagues about COVID, including how to manage the surge with a lot of outreach and education.
Today, we are also largely focused on vaccine education and conquering vaccine hesitancy. We have an interdisciplinary group focusing on the needs of people most at risk for COVID and those in neighborhoods without access to healthcare. How did your Sacred Heart education influence and shape your career path?
My Sacred Heart education certainly prepared me for my whole career, especially for my current leadership role. Everything from communicating, addressing complex problems, dealing with tremendous uncertainty, and helping people work through problems has been rooted in my Sacred Heart education.
When I began my career, medicine was very much a man’s field, and it still largely is. I am one of the only women chiefs in the US. A willingness to serve as the only woman on committees and work-related projects opened a number of doors. The courage and confidence gained during my Sacred Heart education really has prepared me for these leadership roles.
How has your faith played a role in your response to the pandemic?
Having faith has been important for me as I navigate the pandemic. It has been hard not to go to church and continue the rituals that I am used to, but having a prayer life and faith has helped me get through this. It has helped me to know that we will get through to the other side. That, and the incredible support of my family and friends, gives me the resilience I need to get back to work every day and deal with the crisis of the day.
What advice do you have for current Sacred Heart students?
Not only during the pandemic, but my whole career has been successful because of my willingness to not be afraid of saying yes to new responsibility and opportunities. This is something that started for me at Sacred Heart. My advice to current students is to just say yes as opportunities come along, because you never know what is going to be the thing that captures you and becomes your passion. For me, this started through the dedication to service at Sacred Heart.
