Press Release

Healthcare Leader Dr. Gary Gottlieb Keynotes Commencement

Friday, May 15, 2009

Dr. Gary L. Gottlieb, President of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, will be the keynote speaker at Bunker Hill Community College’s 35th commencement exercises, on Saturday, May 30, at 11:00 a.m. Dr. Gottlieb, a strong proponent of alleviating health care disparities, will receive the President’s Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his outstanding commitment and service to the College.

“Dr. Gottlieb is a visionary  leader  with a lifelong commitment to healthcare based on equity and affordability,” said Mary L. Fifield, Ph.D., President of the College. “His  dedication to our College has been shown time and again. He was instrumental in the design of our College’s strategic goals. Further, he has spearheaded partnerships between BHCC and Brigham and Women’s Hospital to help hospital employees upgrade job skills and to enable our students to obtain clinical experience.”

Gottlieb became president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 2002.  In January of 2010, he will become president of Partners HealthCare, the largest healthcare provider in Massachusetts.

In 2005, Boston’s Mayor Thomas Menino appointed Dr. Gottlieb chair of the Private Industry Council, the city’s workforce development board.  The Council works with education, labor, government and the community to oversee public and private workforce development programs. 

From 1998-2002, Dr. Gottlieb served as Chairman of Partners Psychiatry and Mental Health System in Boston. Prior to his arrival in Boston, he served as Director and Chief Executive Officer of Friends Hospital in Philadelphia, the nation’s oldest, independent, psychiatric hospital. He was appointed to that position in 1994.

Gottlieb received his M.D. from Albany Medical College of Union University, in New York State. He received a master’s degree in Business Administration at the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.S. cum laude from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York State.

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About Bunker Hill Community College
With more than 50 years of academic excellence, Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) is Massachusetts' largest community college, annually welcoming a diverse community of around 16,000 students. With campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, BHCC extends its reach across several locations in Greater Boston. The College offers associate degrees and certificates, early college and dual enrollment, community education, corporate training, and industry-specific training programs. BHCC is celebrated for its diversity, boasting a student body where 65% identify as people of color and more than half are women. The College also embraces a global perspective, with over 600 international students representing 90 countries and conversing in more than 65 languages. Our commitment to diversity is further reflected in BHCC's designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).