Marie Elena Gioiella, MA, MSW, LICSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Director of the Social Service Department at Massachusetts General Hospital. As director, Marie Elena ensures that 100 social workers collaborate with Mass General providers and staff as well as community programs in the delivery of comprehensive patient/family centered care. She engages with multi-disciplinary colleagues in many strategic initiatives to enhance patient care. 

Marie Elena began her career at Mass General in 1994, working for 12 years counseling people living with cancer and their families. She then served as the Clinical Director of the Mass General Oncology Social Work program before being appointed Director of the Social Service Department in 2011.

Marie Elena has received a number of honors over the course of her tenure at Mass General, including the Domestic Violence Unsung Hero Award, the Arthur and Susan Durante Award for Exemplary Care and Service with Cancer Patients, and the Stephanie Macaluso Expertise in Clinical Practice Award. Marie Elena was recognized as a Clinical Scholar by the Mass General Clinical Recognition Review Board and has subsequently served on this inter-professional Board for over 12 years.

Marie Elena received her BA in psychology from the College of the Holy Cross. She then served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps: South (New Orleans, LA). Marie Elena’s experience working with people living with HIV and AIDS as a Jesuit volunteer led her to pursue and earn dual Master of Social Work and Master of Arts in pastoral ministry degrees from Boston College. During her years of clinical practice with patients and families, Marie Elena completed an American Cancer Society Post Master’s Fellowship in psychosocial oncology.