We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Grace Hunter, MD, MBA, MSc, as Sana’s new Chief Medical Officer (CMO). A board-certified Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine physician and passionate advocate for health equity, Dr. Hunter brings deep clinical experience, innovative thinking, and a strong commitment to improving care access for all.

With a career rooted in making healthcare more personal and human-centered, Dr. Hunter is a perfect match for Sana’s mission: simplifying benefits, humanizing care.

About Dr. Grace Hunter

Dr. Hunter holds dual degrees in medicine and business from Stanford University, a Master of Science in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and she completed her Internal Medicine residency at UCSF’s Primary Care Track. Her career spans both hands-on clinical care and large-scale system innovation—most recently serving as Chief Medical Officer and founding medical director at Miga, a virtual clinic focused on heart and metabolic health.

Dr. Hunter has led population health initiatives in California, spearheaded holistic care models under California’s CalAIM initiative, and continues to care for uninsured and low-income patients as a primary care physician at the Teton Free Clinic in Wyoming.

Why Sana? A Conversation with Dr. Grace Hunter

We sat down with Dr. Hunter to hear why she joined Sana and what excites her about Sana Care— our member-centric, physician-led virtual care service.

Q: What made you want to join Sana?

Dr. Hunter: I joined Sana because I believe we can take much better care of people when the payor and the provider are aligned, and when we proactively guide members through the healthcare system. Too often, patients are left to navigate a fragmented, opaque system alone. But at Sana, we’re linking benefits, virtual primary care, and care navigation in one seamless experience. That means we’re not just saying we care; rather, we’re showing it, across the full spectrum of someone’s health journey. It’s a rare and exciting opportunity to help reshape healthcare around people, not processes.

Q: How is Sana Care different from other virtual care models?

Dr. Hunter: In most healthcare settings, patients are lucky if they get 15 minutes with a doctor once a year, and follow-up is minimal. As a physician, that always felt deeply inadequate. At Sana Care, we’ve reimagined primary care to be continuous, responsive, and team-based.

We offer both synchronous visits (live phone and video appointments) and asynchronous messaging, so patients can reach out on their own schedule and hear back from us, often within the hour. That kind of timely connection makes a huge difference in building trust and managing ongoing care.

Because we’re physician-led, we’ve custom built our tools and workflows around how clinicians actually want to deliver care. We’re not rushed. We can check back in, manage chronic conditions, review labs, and guide patients to trusted in-person partners, all while staying deeply connected to their journey.

We also have a fantastic multidisciplinary team, including care navigators who help patients access high-quality, in-network specialists, schedule appointments, and make sure nothing falls through the cracks. Our patients see us as their home base, and we see every question, message, and referral as a chance to show that we care, not just about outcomes, but about people.

Q: What does offering Sana Care mean for Sana members?

Dr. Hunter: It means our members have real support—not just when they’re sick, but anytime they need guidance, have a question, or want to feel heard. There’s no cost to use Sana Care and no limit to how often you can reach out. You get a dedicated care team that sees you as a person, not just a patient.

We’ve had members send thousands of messages over a few years—sometimes just to double-check something small, like, “Hey, I noticed this rash—should I be worried?” or “You mentioned white rice might spike my glucose. What about brown rice?” It’s truly like having a doctor in the family you can just text when you think of something without feeling like it has to be “big enough” to warrant a full appointment.

At the same time, we’ve also been by our patients’ sides through major life events like helping navigate cancer diagnostics, coordinating treatment plans, or working with specialists to diagnose something as serious as a brain tumor and get them into expert hands quickly for emergency neurosurgery. We’re here for all of it, both the little questions and the life-changing ones.

A Patient Story from Dr. Hunter

When Marcus, a 42-year-old father of two, woke up with a lingering cough and fatigue, he didn’t want to sit in a waiting room or spend half his day navigating urgent care. So he messaged Sana Care before his first meeting of the day.

Within 30 minutes, a Sana Care physician had responded. By lunchtime, Marcus felt reassured about his symptoms and picked up a prescription.

But the story didn’t end there.

After a few days, Marcus had more questions so he sent another message to his provider. He mentioned rising blood pressure and feeling unusually stressed. His provider suggested a full wellness check. Over the next few weeks, Marcus:

• Started blood pressure treatment with remote monitoring
• Began therapy with a trusted, in-network mental health provider
• Got help from his Sana Care medical assistant and care navigator to schedule recommended cancer screenings and coordinate lab work

Three months later, his blood pressure is under control, he’s sleeping better, and for the first time in years, he feels caught up on his health.

“I messaged about a cough—and ended up with a team that really sees the whole me.”

At Sana Care, we meet you where you are and then stay with you every step of the way. Whether it’s an acute concern, a chronic condition, or preventive care, our integrated team is here to make healthcare feel human again.

What This Means for Sana’s Future

Dr. Hunter’s leadership marks an exciting new chapter for Sana. As we continue to expand Sana Care into more states and enhance our virtual and in-person care offerings, her experience will be invaluable in helping us design care that puts people first.

“We’ve accepted broken healthcare for too long. Sana is rewriting that story—one relationship, one member, and one moment of care at a time.” — Dr. Grace Hunter

About Sana Care

Sana Care is a virtual primary care service available to adult members on a Sana health plan, at no extra cost to them. Sana Care includes:

• Unlimited virtual communication and visits with licensed providers
• Prescription management
• Chronic care support
• Guidance on specialist care and in-person visits
• Help from expert care navigators to coordinate next steps
  

Want to learn more? Learn more here.

Welcome, Dr. Hunter!

We’re proud to welcome Dr. Grace Hunter to the Sana team. Her leadership will help us continue to deliver healthcare that’s simpler, more supportive, and more human.