Dr. Edwin Simpser Named St. Mary New Leader

The Board of Directors of St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children, New York’s largest provider of long-term care for children with medical complexity and NYC’s only pediatric subacute care hospital, is pleased to announce the appointment of Edwin F. Simpser, MD as President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Simpser joined St. Mary’s as Chief Medical Officer in 1999. In the subsequent 15 years he has tirelessly devoted himself to advancing the organization’s mission of caring for children with special needs and their families.

During his tenure at St. Mary’s, Dr. Simpser has shaped the organization’s strategic direction. In recent years, he played a pivotal role leading the construction of a new Children’s Pavilion and transformed campus at St. Mary’s flagship location in Bayside, Queens, as well as developing many pioneering programs for children with special needs, including St. Mary’s Center for Pediatric Feeding Disorders and St. Mary’s Home Care, a special needs Certified Home Health Agency for children and young adults.

Dr. Simpser has long been a strong, effective advocate for children with complex medical conditions among national, state, and local government agencies and professional healthcare organizations. He is Co-Founder and President of the Pediatric Complex Care Association, a national organization of children’s healthcare facilities dedicated to serving children with medically complex conditions.

“Dr. Simpser, a practicing pediatrician and pediatric gastroenterologist, has an expert clinical understanding of the issues our children face every day,” remarked Stephen Brent Wells, St. Mary’s Chairman. “The Board is confident that with the appointment of Dr. Simpser as President and CEO, St. Mary’s is poised to continue its leadership role in advancing bold initiatives as an innovator and thought leader in pediatric healthcare.”

Edwin Simpser, MD, FAAP
Edwin Simpser, MD is the President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children. He is also an attending physician at the Department of Pediatrics at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York; New York Hospital, Queens; and Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York. He joined St. Mary’s as Chief Medical Officer in 1999. Previously, he was chief of the Division of Nutrition in the Pediatrics Department at North Shore University Hospital.

A practicing pediatrician and pediatric gastroenterologist, Dr. Simpser received his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, and completed his residency in pediatrics at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Simpser was both a Research Fellow and Clinical Fellow in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at North Shore University Hospital and Cornell University Medical College. He has taught students, residents, and fellows throughout New York City including Cornell University Medical College, New York University School of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and New York College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYCOM). He currently is on the faculty of the Hofstra NS-LIJ School of Medicine.

Dr. Simpser is Board Certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Gastroenterology. He is an active member of several prestigious medical associations focusing on issues of pediatrics, pediatric nutrition and medical care for children with special health care needs. Currently, he sits on the Medically Fragile Children’s Workgroup, which was convened to advise the New York State Department of Health’s Medicaid Redesign Team. He is the Chair of the Section on Home Care of the American Academy of Pediatrics. In addition, he is the Co-Founder and President of the Pediatric Complex Care Association, which represents pediatric post-acute facilities around the country. A frequent invited lecturer at national and international meetings and academic centers, Dr. Simpser has also published numerous articles, abstracts, monographs, and book chapters.