Tread Strong: Support BIDMC’s 2019 Boston Marathon Team
BIDMC Communications
MARCH 18, 2019
When Chris Awtrey, MD, joined the BIDMC medical staff in 2005, he says he found a second home. Fresh out of fellowship training, the gynecologic oncologist spent his days caring for patients while gaining leadership skills that prepared him for the department vice chair role he holds today.
“There’s been a lot of change in the past 14 years, all for the better,” he says. “I’m still seeing patients and I love being in the operating room, but I also love working with residents and helping them grow their careers.”
Part of Awtrey’s role at BIDMC is within its physician organization, Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians (HMFP). As Vice President of Network Operations and Provider Experience, he oversees efforts to ensure physician satisfaction and take advantage of network opportunities.
And if that doesn’t keep him busy enough, he’s an avid hiker, husband and father.
“I’ve done an extreme hike—30 miles in one day—for the past eight years in support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation,” Awtrey says. “I like training for the big event and have always wanted to run a marathon.”
Awtrey is a member of Team BIDMC’s 2019 Boston Marathon team, raising funds for the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology. “My mom was recently a BIDMC patient, and I gained a new appreciation for the amazing care that’s provided here as a family member,” he says. “From diagnosis and throughout her illness, she received state-of-the-art, compassionate care and I wanted to somehow give back.”
Awtrey says his 16-year-old daughter Schuyler keeps him company on his long runs. “She’s not running the marathon but she’s very self-motivated and is helping me train,” he says. “I’m looking forward to April and conquering this race.”
Read more about Dr. Awtrey’s journey and support Team BIDMC.
About Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a leading academic medical center, where extraordinary care is supported by high-quality education and research. BIDMC is a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and consistently ranks as a national leader among independent hospitals in National Institutes of Health funding. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, a health care system that brings together academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, more than 4,700 physicians and 39,000 employees in a shared mission to expand access to great care and advance the science and practice of medicine through groundbreaking research and education.