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Kavita Patel directed the Health Policy Program at the New America Foundation for most of 2010. Dr. Patel is a board-certified internal medicine physician dedicated to bringing stories and lessons learned from the clinical world to the heart of U.S. health care policymaking.

Dr. Patel applies the breadth of her clinical experience to shaping U.S. health policy and provides clinical teams, medical providers and policymakers with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively respond to the challenges of our health care system. Her expertise spans delivery system reform, access, coverage, quality improvement, patient-centered care and care coordination.

Before joining the New America Foundation, Dr. Patel was Director of Policy for the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, where she played a key role in the design of health care reform legislation. Previously, Dr. Patel was Deputy Staff Director for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee under the leadership of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

Prior to her time in Washington, Dr. Patel was a clinical instructor at UCLA and an Associate Scientist at the RAND Corporation. Dr. Patel completed a prestigious fellowship in the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program at UCLA with a concentration in community based participatory research. She received her medical training at the University of Texas Health Science Center and Oregon Health and Sciences University where she served as a Chief Resident in Internal Medicine. During medical school, Dr. Patel was National President of the American Medical Student Association.