Rachel Elisabeth Harrison, MD

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Get to know Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Rachel Elisabeth Harrison, who serves patients in Tennessee.

Dr. Harrison, a board-certified and fellowship-trained cardiothoracic surgeon, developed a passion for heart surgery at a very young age. Licensed to practice in Texas, Mississippi, and Tennessee, she performed the first FDA-approved Heartmate 3 LVAD implantation in the state of Tennessee. In 2017, she joined the team at Baptist Medical Group.

Baptist Medical Group was started in 2009 for a very simple reason: to provide a full continuum of care for Baptist Health Care, as well as for the community. Today, the initiative has grown into the area’s premier network of primary care and specialty physicians, all of whom are committed to sharing the same ideals, leadership, and commitment to unrivaled patient care.

Professionally, Dr. Harrison is affiliated with several hospitals in the local area, including Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville, Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis, Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton, and Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women. 

Originally from the mid-south region, she completed her Bachelor of Science (BS) degree from Vanderbilt University in 2005. She then went on to earn her medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 2009. As for her training, she completed her internship, residency, and fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in 2010, 2014, and 2016, respectively. 

In order to stay up to date in her field, Dr. Harrison remains a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association, Women in Thoracic Surgery, the Texas Medical Association, and the American College of Surgeons. 

She is board-certified through the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, an American surgical organization devoted to surgery of the chest, as well as through the American Board of Surgery, an independent, non-profit organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded for the purpose of certifying surgeons who have met a defined standard of education, training, and knowledge. She carries expertise in robotic surgical system training, fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery, the Cox-Maze IV procedure, transmyocardial revascularization, and laser lead extraction. 

Cardiothoracic surgery is the field of medicine involved in the surgical treatment of organs inside the thorax. Cardiothoracic surgeons are medical doctors who specialize in surgical procedures inside the thorax, which may involve the heart, lungs, esophagus, and other organs in the chest. Alongside performing surgery, they also diagnose and treat diseases of these organs. 

A proud mother to three kids, Dr. Harrison makes it all happen with an incredibly supportive husband. She gives back to her community by mentoring young girls of all ages, encouraging them to enter the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields.

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