Cara James is the Senior Policy Analyst for the Race, Ethnicity and Health Care group, and the Director of the Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars Program at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Cara’s research interests include racial/ethnic minority health, care for the disabled and other underserved populations, and improving doctor-patient communication. Cara came to the Foundation via Harvard University, from which she graduated in June 2006 with a Ph.D. in Health Policy.

As a doctoral student, Cara co-authored one of the background chapters for the Institute of Medicine’s report Unequal Treatment, and was part of a Consumer Assessments of Health Plans (CAHPS) survey team that developed a national survey to measure patient assessments of care at dialysis facilities. Prior to starting the doctoral program at Harvard, Cara worked for the Picker Institute, on projects related to quality of care in hospitals and in managed care organizations. She also worked as a case manager at a group home for women who were mentally retarded. Cara received her B.A. degree in psychology from Harvard University.