Kara Odom Walker

Kara Odom Walker currently holds the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Population Health Officer at Nemours Children's Hospitals. In this role, Walker oversees all aspects of population health strategy, research, innovation, and implementation. This is not her first high-profile position, however. Prior to joining Nemours, she served as Cabinet Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services under Governor John Carney's first elected term. This role allowed her to shape health policy at a state level, an experience that has undoubtedly informed her current work.

Walker's medical career is distinguished by a commitment to research and patient-centered outcomes. Before her tenure in Delaware, she worked as the Deputy Chief Science Officer at the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute. In this role, she was responsible for crafting research initiatives that prioritized the patient's perspective and experience. As a board-certified family physician, Walker is uniquely positioned to understand the needs of patients and to incorporate this understanding into her work.

Walker's extensive education further solidifies her authority in the healthcare field. She holds a medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University, a Master of Science in Health Services Research from UCLA, and a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. Additionally, she is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. These achievements highlight her dedication to the field of medicine and her commitment to improving patient outcomes through population health strategies.