Vaishu Jawahar joins Waxman Strategies as director in health practice

Indian American policy expert Vaishu Jawahar, former Domestic Policy Coordinator to Vice President Kamala Harris, has joined Waxman Strategies, a public interest focused policy and communications firm, as a director in its health practice team.

“Vaishu Jawahar is a valuable addition to our team as a Director in the Health Practice,” said Claire McAndrew, Senior Vice President in the Health Practice, announcing her appointment with two other new hires — Jen Schultz and Jackson Thein.

Jawahar has experience in the executive and legislative branches, as well as advocacy, said the announcement noting, “Her contributions include work on implementing the White House Maternal Health Blueprint and the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.”

Her commitment to health care advocacy is evident from her work with the Committee to Protect Health Care, the Biden Campaign, and other impactful organizations, it said.

Jawahar brings a range of experience from the executive branch, legislative branch, and advocacy field, it said.

Before Waxman Strategies, Jawahar worked at the White House and helped implement the Biden-Harris Blueprint to Address the Maternal Mortality Crisis and spearheaded equity-focused policy priorities, according to her official profile.

Prior to the Office of the Vice President, Jawahar interned with the White House Domestic Policy Council’s Health and Veterans team, where she monitored the implementation of the National Strategy on Hunger, Health, and Nutrition and drafted memos and talking points for senior officials on subjects ranging from maternal health to FDA regulation.

Previously, Jawahar was a grassroots organizer. She held multiple roles in healthcare advocacy groups and political campaigns, including the Committee to Protect Health Care, the Biden-Harris 2020 campaign, and the Obama 2012 campaign.

At the Committee to Protect Health Care, Jawahar mobilized over 4,000 doctors to speak up for their patients – helping protect reproductive rights in Michigan, expand Medicaid in North Carolina, and secure paid sick leave for 30,000 workers in Virginia.

Her work generated 517 TV hits, 351 written hits, $17.5 million in earned media, and headlines on CNN and Axios.

Jawahar also interned with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and worked with Enroll America to help North Carolinians gain coverage through the ACA.

In addition, Jawahar brings a breadth of experience in health care to Waxman Strategies, from research at the National Institute of Health to shadowing doctors and public health officials in Appalachian Kentucky, according to the profile.

Jawahar received a master’s degree in medical physiology and biophysics from the Georgetown University School of Medicine and graduated cum laude with a BS in biology and minors in political science and public health from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.