Sara Jacobs

Sara Jacobs is an expert in health policy specializing in implementation-science-based evaluations of federally funded programs. She selects and applies relevant frameworks, constructs, and measures , allowing for analysis of both the individual characteristics and organizational factors that predict intervention implementation. She also conducts interviews and helps design, implement, and analyze primary data, including survey data.

Currently, Dr. Jacobs leads evaluations of the National Diabetes Prevention Program for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. For these projects, she conducts mixed-methods evaluations, including primary data collection and secondary data analysis. She also serves as a Primary Investigator for the Recruitment & Engagement in Care to Impact Practice Enhancement (RECIPE) for patients with Sickle Cell Disease, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Jacobs joined RTI in 2014. Previously, she worked at Avalere Health LLC, a health care consulting firm with private-sector clients. Her projects focused on the implementation of innovative payment and care delivery models, such as pay-for-performance programs, accountable care organizations, and patient-centered medical homes. She is a member of Academy Health. Her notable publications include Using a RE-AIM framework to identify promising practices in National Diabetes Prevention Program implementation; Potential Use of Voice-Activated Personal Assistants in Diabetes Prevention and Management; and Weight Loss in Short-Term Interventions for Physical Activity and Nutrition Among Adults With Overweight or Obesity.