Cheryl Stults, Ph.D., is Assistant Scientist at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute. Her research focuses on patient-provider communication and the evaluation of primary care redesign initiatives, particularly shared medical appointments. She is a co-investigator for a study funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to help create a more patient-centered tool to assist Medicare beneficiaries in selecting a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.  She is currently working on several studies including how to create a zone of openness for patients to foster more open communication with their primary care providers and an-activity based costing of primary care transformations including shared medical appointments. 

Dr. Stults earned her PhD in Sociology from Brandeis University and a MA in Sociology from Boston College.  She completed her undergraduate work with University Honors in Sociology from Brigham Young University.