Nursing and Patient Care Services Leadership Team
Nursing and Patient Care Services leadership comprises associate chief nurses and directors who lead specific clinical areas or who have department-wide responsibilities.
Leaders partner with staff at all levels to create environments that support healing, develop excellent nursing practice, and support day-to-day operations.
One of the core pillars of the 2025-27 Dana-Farber Nursing and Patient Care Services (NPCS) strategic plan is to “Advance and Transform the Practice of Nursing and Other Patient Services.” To support this goal, Dana-Farber is committed to disseminating the latest advances in care and research to oncology nurses at the Institute and to the greater oncology community.
For more information about Dana-Farber’s leadership in the advancement of oncology nursing science and practice, and improved patient experience, please refer to the 2024 Nursing and Patient Care Services Annual Report.
Anne Gross, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer
Anne Gross, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, became Dana-Farber's Senior Vice President for Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer in 2016. Gross joined Dana-Farber in 2002 and has served as Vice President, Adult Nursing and Clinical Services since 2004. She also holds the inaugural Ning Zhao Chair of Nursing.
Gross is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and serves as co-chair elect of the Academy’s Fellows Selection Committee. Prior to joining Dana-Farber, she was a clinical nurse and leader, most recently at Cambridge Health Alliance. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from St. Louis University, her master’s degree in nursing from Boston College, and her doctoral degree from the University of Massachusetts.
Susan Ayers, DNP, RN, OCN, NEA-BC
Vice President and Associate Chief Nurse for Inpatient Nursing and Clinical Services
Vanessa Battista, DNP, MBA, CPNP-PC, CHPPN, FPCN, FAAN
Senior Director, Palliative Care
Kecia Boyd, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, AOCNS, BMTCN
Director, Inclusion and Engagement
Barbara Cuccovia, PhD, RN, BMTCN, NEA-BC
Deputy Chief Nursing Officer for Nursing and Patient Care Services
Emma Dann, DNP, RN, OCN, NEA-BC
Vice President and Associate Chief Nurse, Network Nursing and Clinical Services
Kara Garfield, MPA
Managing Director, Nursing and Patient Care Services Administration
Marilyn Hammer, PhD, DC, RN, FAAN
Director, Phyllis F. Cantor Center for Research in Nursing and Patient Care Services
Kristen Legor, PhD, JD, MS, RN, OCN
Vice President and Associate Chief Nurse, Clinical Research Nursing Operations
Alexandra McKeever, MBA
Senior Director, Business Administration
Caitlin Murphy, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCNP
Chief Nurse Practitioner
Jeanine Rundquist, DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Vice President and Associate Chief Nurse for the Center for Clinical and Professional Development
Deborah Toffler, MSW, LCSW
Senior Director, Patient Care Services