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Cara James

Grantmakers in Health

Dr. Cara James is the president and CEO of Grantmakers in Health (GIH), a nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to helping foundations and corporate giving programs improve the health of all people. Dr. James is a nationally recognized expert and thought leader in health equity and improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations. In her previous role as Director of the Office of Minority Health at CMS, she provided leadership, vision, and direction to advance U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and CMS goals related to improving minority health and eliminating health disparities. Prior to joining CMS, Dr. James served as Director of the Disparities Policy Project and Director of the Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars Program at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, and she worked at Harvard University and The Picker Institute. Dr. James is a past member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s (NASEM) (formerly the Institute of Medicine or IOM) Health and Medicine Division’s Roundtable on the Promotion of Health Equity and the Elimination of Health Disparities.