Sara L. McCarthy is a health and human services consultant for the California State Senate's Office of Research, a bipartisan government office that develops and evaluates public-policy initiatives for the California State Senate. She has spent more than 25 years working for the California state government, acquiring extensive knowledge of the state's health and human services programs.
Jean M. Ross is the founding executive director of the California Budget Project, a policy organization working to improve public policies affecting economic and social well-being of low- and middle-income Californians. The CBP presents research findings and policy analyses to state and local policymakers in the form of testimony, written reports, and briefing materials.
Barbara A. Garcia is director of health at the San Francisco Department of Public Health. She previously served as deputy director starting in 1999, when she became responsible for the department's community programs, which are comprised of over 2,000 civil-service employees and 150 community-based organizations delivering primary care, behavioral health, maternal and child health, prevention and health promotion, housing and urban health, indigent health, adolescent health and women's health services.