Elena Olson

Executive Director, Center for Diversity & Inclusion Massachusetts General Hospital

Elena Olson is the Executive Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Massachusetts General Hospital (“CDI”). Under her leadership the CDI has evolved into a full service central resource, which works closely with hospital and Harvard Medical School leadership, as well as clinical and research departments at Mass General. The goal of CDI is to help create a more diverse, inclusive and respectful environment at MGH, by advancing the careers of physicians, researchers, and trainees who are underrepresented in medicine, and enhancing the cultural competency of the hospital workforce. Ms. Olson practiced as a civil and commercial litigator in San Francisco and Boston before joining CDI. She received her BA in International Affairs with a minor in Biology from Goucher College in 1987. After working as a paralegal and legal language interpreter in Washington, DC for two years, she received her JD degree from Santa Clara University School of Law, California in 1992, with an emphasis on Human Rights. In 1991, she also received a Certificate from the International Institute for Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. Her family is originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, where Ms. Olson was born and raised.  Ms. Olson, who is trilingual in English, Spanish, and French, has been involved in numerous initiatives with the underrepresented communities where she has lived. She is interested in topics of social justice and equity, especially in education and healthcare, and has designed curricula and facilitates trainings in cross-cultural teamwork and communication for the health care workforce.

Ms. Olson currently serves on various hospital-wide committees and boards that involve workforce development, diversity and inclusion, and health equity, including: the Advisory Councils for the Center for Faculty Development and Office for Women’s Careers; Executive Committee on Research; Executive Committee on Community Health (ECOCH); and Diversity Committee. She has helped lead MGH hospital-wide strategic planning efforts focused on diversity and inclusion, community health/social determinants of health, as well as workforce recruitment, engagement and education.  She also co-leads the newly formed ECOCH Race Equity subcommittee, and leads the departmental diversity leaders group, which brings diversity leaders from across departments together to share best practices. Additionally, she serves on the Partners Healthcare Steering Committee that plans an annual summit on diversity and inclusion across multiple Partners hospitals.