In her role as chief administrative officer, Suzanne Simmons oversees the administrative operations of the OHSU Practice Plan. The OPP – a 1,800-member group of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other licensed independent providers who are integral to all aspects of clinical care at OHSU – is the largest organized clinical practice in Oregon. Working with the OPP CEO, Simmons provides senior administrative leadership to develop and realize OHSU Practice Plan goals, standardize operations, coordinate policies with affiliated organizations and support all OPP business-related strategies. The CAO also staffs several OPP Board committees, including the Compensation Committee and Physician Advisory Committee, and supports OPP leadership team meetings. The position collaborates with OHSU Healthcare and School of Medicine executives to continually improve the operational and financial performance of the OPP.

Simmons is part of the OPP senior leadership team comprised of the School of Medicine dean, chief executive officer, chief medical officer, senior associate dean for finance/chief financial officer, vice president for ambulatory operations, director of practice analytics and other key leaders. Simmons has been at OHSU since 2010, when she became director of practice analytics for the then-Faculty Practice Plan. In 2013, she joined the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, where she served as department administrator and vice chair of administration until her appointment to CAO in May 2018.

Simmons earned her Master of Business Administration from Columbia University's Columbia Business School and University of California, Berkeley.