WALTHAM – Dr. Charles A. Welch, of Cambridge, has been honored by the Massachusetts Medical Society as the 2024 recipient of its Lifetime Achievement Award, given to a member of the Society who has made lasting contributions to the practice of medicine
over a lifetime in health care delivery, patient care, education, and administration and who has made significant contributions to the goals of the Society.
Welch, a board-certified psychiatrist who is considered a pioneer in the use of electroconvulsive therapy, served as president of the Massachusetts Medical Society from 2002-2003 and for 15 years, was president of the Massachusetts Medical Benevolent
Society, which supports physicians and their families who fall upon tough times.
Welch served the Commonwealth as a trusted leader on the Massachusetts Governor's Commission on Child Abuse and, with the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, co-authored the nation’s first medical privacy rule (HIPAA).
A graduate of Harvard College and Boston University School of Medicine, Welch worked many years at Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital.
The Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) is the statewide professional association for physicians and medical students, supporting 25,000 members. We are dedicated to educating and advocating for the physicians of Massachusetts and patients locally and nationally. A leadership voice in health care, the MMS contributes physician and patient perspectives to influence health-related legislation at the state and federal levels, works in support of public health, provides expert advice on physician practice management, and addresses issues of physician well-being. Under the auspices of the NEJM Group, the MMS extends our mission globally by advancing medical knowledge from research to patient care through the New England Journal of Medicine, NEJM Catalyst, and the NEJM Journal Watch family of specialty publications, and through our education products for health care professionals: NEJM Knowledge+, NEJM Resident 360, and our accredited and comprehensive continuing medical education programs.
