Cara Christ

Cara Christ, MD, MS, currently serves as Chief Medical Officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, where clinical leadership is provided to foster healthcare innovations and enhance public health initiatives. Previously, Cara held numerous roles at the Arizona Department of Health Services from 2008 to 2021, including Director and State Health Official, overseeing strategic planning for Arizona's public health system, and managing a budget of $500 million. Additional roles included Deputy Director and Assistant Director with responsibilities for licensing healthcare facilities and medical leadership for public health programs. Cara also briefly served as Interim Director for the Arizona Department of Economic Security in 2019-2020. An alumna of the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Cara earned both an MD and an MS in Microbiology from Arizona State University.