Kavita K. Patel, MS '05

Dr. Kavita Patel currently serves as a Senior Policy Advisor at Stanford University, an MSNBC on-air contributor, and a practicing physician in Washington, DC. She is a UCLA-trained physician with an outstanding career marked by her pivotal role in shaping health care reform legislation during her service in the Obama administration. Dr. Patel, a Brookings Institution nonresident fellow, also directed clinical transformation at Brookings' Center for Health Policy, specializing in healthcare reform and physician payment. Dr. Patel earned her MS in Health Services from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health in 2005.

Her extensive experience includes working on Capitol Hill as part of the late Senator Edward Kennedy’s staff, where she served as Deputy Staff Director on Health. She played a vital role as a policy analyst, trusted aide to the Senator, and was a key member of the senior staff of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee under Senator Kennedy's leadership. Dr. Patel's influence extends to various boards, including SSM Health, Sigilon, SelectQuote, Radiology Partners, PGDx, Pathfinder, Everside, and Strive. She also serves as a Venture Partner at New Enterprise Associates, providing invaluable advice to health service companies.

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