Rachel E. Start, Ph.D., R.N., NEA-BC, FAAN serves as regional chief nursing officer for City of Hope Southern California and vice president of patient care services. She oversees nursing and patient care services across the region, supporting clinical excellence, patient safety and exceptional patient experiences.
Prior to joining City of Hope, Dr. Start held several senior leadership positions at Rush System for Health in Chicago, including assistant chief nursing officer for the Rush MD Anderson Cancer Service Line and associate vice president of medicine, behavioral health and emergency services. Throughout her career, she has advanced professional governance, evidence-based practice and nursing excellence, helping lead multiple organizations to Magnet® recognition.
Dr. Start is a past president of the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing, founder of the Illinois Ambulatory Nurse Practice Consortium and a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She earned her Ph.D. in Nursing from Loyola University Chicago and her master's and bachelor's degrees in nursing from Rush University.
