Welcome
Healthcare Quality Professional Health Systems Scientist Nurse Leader
"The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that's wrong with the world" - Dr. Paul Farmer
About K.M.J. Azar PhD RN MSN/MPH FAHA
Personal Statement
I am a healthcare services scientist and health equity advocate with over 15 years of experience driving research, quality improvement, and operations to advance health outcomes for historically marginalized populations. With a proven track record of securing federal and non-federal funding and publishing 56+ peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, I am deeply committed to dismantling barriers to equitable healthcare through data-driven innovation and advocacy. As the inaugural Scientific Director and current Executive Director of the Sutter Health Institute for Advancing Health Equity, I lead a multidisciplinary team to develop actionable insights and transformative methodologies that improve patient outcomes nationwide. My passion lies in bridging evidence-based practices and real-world application to eliminate disparities and create sustainable solutions for equitable healthcare delivery.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Universities Attended
University of California San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
Ph.D. (Epidemiology and Translational Science)
Johns Hopkins University, School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD
Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
M.S.N./M.P.H. (Nursing and Public Health)
Johns Hopkins University, School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD
B.S.N. (Nursing), Research Honors Program
University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
B.A. (English), Dean’s Honor List
Pre-medical requirements completed
Additional Training
2017.
Open School Basic Certificate Quality Improvement
Institute for Healthcare Improvement
2011
37th Ten-Day Seminar on the Epidemiology and Prevention of
Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship,
American Heart Association
2010
Group Lifestyle Balance Facilitator Training
University of Pittsburgh, Diabetes Prevention Support Center
2010
Lipid Management Training Course and Comprehensive
Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction Program,
National Lipid Association
2009
Gladstone Institute Lipid Disorders Mini Fellowship,
University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
2009
Intramural Research Training Award,
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD
Other Leadership Training
2022-2023
Sutter Health Leadership Academy Executive Training Program
Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA
2021
Sutter Health Accelerated Change Excellence (ACE) Program
Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA
2013
Palo Alto Medical Foundation Leadership Excellence Program
Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Palo Alto, CA
K.M.J. Azar PhD RN MSN/MPH FAHA
Honors and Awards
2021
Recipient, Nurse Leader Award in Health Equity
Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL)
Sac Sierra Chapter
2018
Elected Fellow: American Heart Association
Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health
2014
Invited Presenter “Top 10% Best of Specialty Conferences”
American Heart Association Scientific Sessions
2009
Graduate Leadership Award
Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
2009
Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society, Alpha Chapter
2007
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing
2007
Edna Schoen Memorial Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice
Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
2000-2004
Member, Biology Scholars Program
University of California, Berkeley
