My name is Tracey Dechert. I am one of the trauma surgeons at Boston Medical Center. I have been at Boston Medical Center for almost 10 years and I love working there. I have wonderful partners, colleagues and patients. It is an amazing and special place to work. I love the strong social mission of BMC.

I have participated in the Winter Walk event for a few years. I walk because I believe that surgeons should be involved in advocating for our patients. If we just treat illness or injury without addressing the root causes of these problems, we are often only helping our patients in a temporary fashion. If a person has a roof over their heads, they won’t need to come to the hospital as often and will do better after an operation. Surgeons can expand our service to patients beyond providing surgical care and help create a positive change within our communities beyond hospital walls.

I hope that walks like this help increase empathy. People don’t grow up hoping to be homeless someday. Things happen and people find themselves in unfortunate circumstances. More understanding about this complex issue is a good thing.