RWJBarnabas names new breast surgery chief at Morris Cancer Center

RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute announced the appointment of 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. The hire, announced January 13, followed a national search and places a nationally recognized breast cancer surgeon and public health leader in a senior systemwide role.

In addition to leading surgical care at the cancer center, Dr. Joseph will serve as associate chief surgical officer for system integration and quality for RWJBarnabas Health and director of breast surgical services for the health system’s southern region. Those combined roles position her to coordinate clinical standards, surgical practice, and quality metrics across multiple hospitals and outpatient sites that serve southern New Jersey communities.

Dr. Joseph joins Rutgers and RWJBarnabas from NYU Langone Medical Center, where she co-directed the Beatrice W. Welters Breast Health Outreach & Navigation Program and served as professor of surgery and population health. She is described as a national leader in reducing health care disparities and improving access to breast cancer screening and care for underserved populations, bringing a background in both surgical oncology and public health.

For Cumberland County residents, the appointment could mean more coordinated surgical care and expanded efforts to reach patients who have faced barriers to screening and timely treatment. Her prior work leading outreach and navigation programs suggests an emphasis on connecting patients to screening, diagnostic follow-up, and multidisciplinary treatment planning. The system integration and quality title also signals a focus on standardizing care pathways and tracking outcomes across facilities that serve the county.

Local hospitals and clinics that partner with RWJBarnabas Health may see increased alignment on referral pathways, preoperative and postoperative protocols, and efforts to reduce delays in diagnosis. Public health-oriented strategies such as targeted screening initiatives, navigation services to guide patients through complex care systems, and community partnerships are among the approaches Dr. Joseph has employed in previous roles.

The appointment brings national experience to regional cancer services during a time when advocates and clinicians continue to work on early detection and equitable access. Patients and providers should expect RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute to announce specific programs and outreach plans as Dr. Joseph settles into her responsibilities.

This leadership change could reshape how breast cancer care is organized and delivered across southern New Jersey - including Cumberland County - with potential benefits in access, quality, and coordination of services for patients in the months and years ahead.