Dr. Rusch is the Attending Thoracic Surgeon, Vice Chair of Clinical Research and was Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. She also is a Professor of Surgery at Cornell University Medical College. Dr. Rusch was among the first women in the country to be board certified in this field. She had a longtime friendship with Brigid Scanlan as they both had a deep passion for supporting women in cardiothoracic surgery and remains friends with The Scanlan Family.