RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Jersey’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, have appointed Kathie-Ann Joseph, MD, MPH, FACS, as Chief of Breast Surgery and Co-Director of the multidisciplinary breast program at Rutgers Cancer Institute and the Jack & Sheryl Morris Cancer Center. Dr. Joseph will also serve as Associate Chief Surgical Officer for System Integration and Quality at RWJBarnabas Health and Director of Breast Surgical Services for the health system’s Southern Region.
In her new role, Dr. Joseph will co-lead a team of breast cancer specialists and oversee all operational and programmatic aspects of breast surgical oncology, including clinical practice, research, and mentoring of providers and investigators. She will also maintain an academic appointment as Professor in the Department of Surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Dr. Joseph joins Rutgers from NYU Langone Medical Center, where she co-directed the Beatrice W. Welters Breast Health Outreach & Navigation Program at Perlmutter Cancer Center and served as Professor of Surgery and Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
A recognized leader in advanced breast surgery and reducing healthcare disparities, Dr. Joseph has focused her career on improving access to breast cancer screening and care for underserved populations, helping thousands of women receive essential screenings and support services.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Joseph to Rutgers Cancer Institute, the Jack & Sheryl Morris Cancer Center, and RWJBarnabas Health,” said Steven K. Libutti, MD, FACS, Director of Rutgers Cancer Institute and Senior Vice President of Oncology Services at RWJBarnabas Health. “With her expertise in breast surgical oncology and her patient-centered approach, Dr. Joseph embodies our mission to provide the most advanced care to the communities we serve.”
“I am privileged to join such a skilled and passionate team at New Jersey’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center,” said Dr. Joseph. “I look forward to collaborating with colleagues to advance care for a disease that impacts so many lives.”
H. Richard Alexander, Jr., MD, FACS, Chief Surgical Officer at Rutgers Cancer Institute, praised the appointment: “Dr. Joseph is a distinguished leader in breast surgery, with a proven record of addressing healthcare disparities and inequities for women fighting breast cancer.”
Dr. Joseph earned her MD from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and her MPH from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. She completed her residency and internship at NYU Langone Health, Bellevue Hospital, and VA Medical Center, followed by a breast surgical fellowship at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. She has been a co-investigator on multiple NIH studies, published extensively, and presented research at national conferences. She holds leadership roles in several professional organizations, including Vice Chair of the American College of Surgeons Committee to Advance Surgical Excellence and Inclusion, Chair of the Society of Black Academic Surgeons Research and Education Committee, and serves on editorial boards of prominent surgical journals.
About Rutgers Cancer Institute
Rutgers Cancer Institute, together with RWJBarnabas Health, provides patients statewide access to advanced treatments, including clinical trials, and is the only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in New Jersey. The system recently opened the state’s first freestanding cancer hospital, the Jack & Sheryl Morris Cancer Center.
About RWJBarnabas Health
RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s largest academic health system, caring for over five million patients annually across 14 hospitals and 700 care locations. The system emphasizes quality, safety, and community health, addressing social determinants of health through food, housing, and economic support programs. RWJBarnabas Health employs over 45,000 people and contributes more than $7 billion annually to the state economy.
