Page 23 - Healthcare News Sep/Oct 2022

Helen Caulton-Harris has tackled many different public-health issues over the years, from teen pregnancy and infant mortality to violence, drugs, and HIV/AIDS.
2022 HEALTHCARE HEROES
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HEALTHCARE HEROES OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
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Department of Health and Human Services. Recalling that conversation she had with the mayor about this opportunity that doubled as
a stern challenge, she said it focused on why
the departments should be merged and how
that should be undertaken, but also how such a merger could help address the emerging health issues of that day.
And there were many of them, she recalled, citing a sky-high teen-pregnancy rate, an equally alarming infant-mortality rate, HIV/AIDS, violence, and drugs, among others.
And it was that conversation that prompted her to leave what was a good position and step into one that would be challenging on many levels but also one that would enable her to impact lives and make a difference in the community.
“I was not quite clear on the politics of the position,” she admitted. “For me, I filtered it with the fact that I really can make a difference in the city by putting policies in place that would stay as a foundation moving forward.”
And that is exactly what she has done.
Learning Experiences
While tackling the many challenges that impact health, Caulton-Harris and other city leaders were confronted by the pandemic, which in some ways defines her career, but also sums up her straight- on approach to issues affecting the public.
“The pandemic was something that I was not prepared for and could not have foreseen as something that I would have to deal with,” she
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