Dr. Rache Simmons
Rache M. Simmons, MD, MS, MBA, FACS, is passionate about caring for women, both in her role as a breast cancer surgeon and as an executive physician leader interested in promoting women’s equity.
She has been part of the clinical surgical faculty at Weill Cornell Medical Center/New York Presbyterian Hospital (WCM/NYP) in New York City, with a practice in breast cancer surgery for three decades. She served as Chief of Breast Surgery from 2011-2018. Her current positions include Professor of Surgery and Weiskopf Endowed Professor of Surgical Oncology.
Dr. Simmons has also been active in clinical research with over 100 peer reviewed publications. Her clinical research focuses on innovative ways to improve the cosmetic results from breast cancer surgery with minimally invasive techniques such as cryoablation and nipple sparing mastectomy.
Dr. Simmons is a founding member and a Past-President of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, an organization of over 3000 members. She has been a leader in numerous national and regional surgical boards and societies. She also serves on several not-for-profit boards in the community. Dr. Simmons enjoys serving as a clinical advisor for industry in the oncology and surgical space to guide vision, strategy, and product development to improve patient outcomes.
She is also regarded as a pioneer and national leader around women’s equity in academic medicine. Dr. Simmons is the Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion, and the inaugural Director of the Office of Women at Weill Cornell Medicine, as well as the inaugural Co-Director of Women Physicians of NYP. Her work at WCM/NYP has been instrumental in establishing institutional onsite childcare, parental leave policies, parental tenure pause, and pay equity assessments. In March 2020, Crain’s Business recognized Dr. Simmons for her accomplishments for women’s equity in the workplace. Rache Simmons Crain’s Business 2020. She received the 2020 Women in Medicine Summit #SheforShe Honorary Award for her efforts as an ally to other women in medicine.
She enjoys presenting information to women about state-of-the-art breast cancer treatments through the media and is frequently featured on Good Morning America, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox TV, Lifetime/Oxygen TV, and the Oprah Winfrey Show. Dr. Simmons is also regularly interviewed for her innovative breast cancer treatment in Vogue, Ladies Home Journal, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Self, Bazaar, NY Magazine, US World News and World Report, and the Wall Street Journal. She is regularly named on NY Magazine’s Best Doctors list.
She received her bachelor’s degree from Duke University and her medical degree from Duke University Medical School. Dr. Simmons also received her MBA and MS in Healthcare Leadership from Cornell University Johnson School of Business in May 2020.