Kaela Barna is an international development professional with 3 years of experience working in international nonprofits and healthcare. Her focus areas are health policy, health systems strengthening, and social innovation.
As a program associate at Results for Development (R4D), Ms. Barna provides program management and technical support to projects across the health portfolio with focus on health finance and health systems strengthening. She currently works on the strategic health purchasing activity in Indonesia which aims to improve outcomes in maternal child health and tuberculosis. She also works with the Health Systems Strengthening Accelerator’s activity on rehabilitation services in health systems for universal health coverage (UHC).
Prior joining R4D, Ms. Barna worked as a research and knowledge management intern for USAID, researching donor strategies for engaging in locally-led development. She also previously worked as an economic empowerment intern for the International Rescue Committee helping manage the women’s economic empowerment program. She served as a health and benefits advocate for the National Health Corps in Philadelphia and worked in clinical roles for women’s health and in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.
Ms. Barna holds a master’s in public administration (MPA) from New York University Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service and a BS in exercise science from the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health. She is a native speaker of English and speaks conversational Spanish.
