Kari M. Bruffett

Kari M. Bruffett became President and CEO of the Kansas Health Institute (KHI) in May 2022.

A proven leader with extensive experience in national and state health policy, at KHI she has advanced efforts to support effective policymaking through new and enhanced services while continuing to ensure high-quality, objective research, education and engagement.

She was previously KHI’s Vice President for Policy and in that role led the organization’s policy activities, business operations, and strategic planning. Prior to KHI, Kari held executive leadership roles in the health and human services sector of state government. She served as Secretary of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services and as the Director of the Division of Health Care Finance at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. She also served eight years in government affairs at The University of Kansas Hospital, and four years in Washington, D.C., as a congressional staffer.  Kari currently serves on the Guiding Council for the Ensuring an Evidence-Based Approach to [Re]building the Public Health System initiative, coordinated by AcademyHealth and the American Public Health Association in collaboration with Kaiser Permanente. She also serves on the board of directors for Midland Care, and is a member of the Strategic Advisory Board for the Kansas City Quality & Value Innovation Consortium.

A longtime Kansan, Kari received a bachelor’s degree in Communication with a Journalism emphasis from Fort Hays State University.