Kara Odom Walker

Kara Odom Walker is a board member at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Inc. Kara previously served as the cabinet secretary for the state of Delaware from January 2017 to September 2020. In this role, they oversaw one of the largest departments in Delaware's government with an annual budget of more than $2 billion.

Prior to their role as cabinet secretary, Walker served as the deputy chief science officer at the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) from January 2012 to January 2017. In this role, they were responsible for leading PCORI's scientific agenda and overseeing the institute's portfolio of research projects.

Before joining PCORI, Walker was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at the University of California, Los Angeles from July 2007 to July 2010. In this role, they conducted research on health care delivery and outcomes, with a focus on improving access to care for underserved populations.

Kara Odom Walker has a Medical Degree from Thomas Jefferson University, an MSHS from UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, and an MPH from The Johns Hopkins University. Kara also has a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware. Kara is certified by the Board of Professional Regulation in the State of Delaware and has a Medical License from the state.