Aviva Lee-Parritz, MD, to Retire as Chair and Chief of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Aviva Lee-Parritz, MD, after more than 20 years as a part of the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center community, has announced her retirement from her position as chair and chief of obstetrics & gynecology, effective March 1, 2024.

Lee-Parritz began her career as a nurse with a deep passion and commitment to making an impact in the lives of each patient placed in her care. She then pursued another commitment – one that she made to herself – and began training as a physician. Since then, she has committed her life to maternal health and reproductive justice. Through myriad clinical and administrative roles of increasing responsibility, she evolved in her practice and concurrently became a staunch advocate for the right to choose to have a child and the right to raise families in safety – all values that she has carried into her role as chair and chief of the department.

Among Lee-Parritz’s many accomplishments leading the department was her role in supporting faculty to implement programs that focus on mitigating inequities in health outcomes, such as amplification of Project Respect as a national model for the care of pregnant persons with substance use disorder; leading Equity in Pregnancy, the first clinical vertical in the Boston Medical Center Heath System’s (BMCHS) Health Equity Accelerator; and building of a robust research portfolio. She also championed faculty-developed programs that focus on eliminating racial inequities in sexual health, family planning and treatment including for women with fibroids and gynecologic cancers.

In addition to her role as a department chair, Lee-Parritz also created and serves as the inaugural Director of the Office of Equity, Vitality & Inclusion for the Boston University Medical Group. With the intent to integrate and amplify gender equity, racial equity and professional vitality initiatives, the office has implemented foundational tools for culture transformation, which have been recognized with the 2021 Gold Award by the American Medical Association (AMA) Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program.

Lee-Parritz’s leadership style is anchored in a belief that each team member has immeasurable value to deliver. She is a leader who provides a guiding hand that enables clinicians to bring their best selves to their work and deliver excellent care. She is committed to educating students and trainees; developing leaders and helping clinicians contribute to new knowledge. And, as the results have shown, the department has grown significantly and consistently delivers impressive outcomes across clinical care, scholarship and advocacy.

Lee-Parritz will continue to be actively engaged in what she calls – and what we know her as doing – “fighting the good fight”. She will commit her time to initiatives that advance reproductive justice, anti-racism and human rights.

“We thank Dr. Lee-Parritz for her leadership and her many contributions to our hospital, medical school, and broader community over the past 20 years. Concurrently, we are committed to a thoughtful search for a chair and chief who will continue to advance the Obstetrics & Gynecology department,” said Karen Antman, MD, BUMC Provost and Dean, Chobanian & Avedisian SOM, and Alastair Bell, BMCHS President & CEO.