James "Jim" R. Jacobs

About Jim

Jim is the executive director of the Vaden Health Services portfolio. Oversight includes nonclinical units (Well-Being at Stanford, Office of Substance Use Programs Education & Resources, and the Cardinal Care student health insurance plan) and, in dyadic collaboration with Stanford Health Care, clinical units (Vaden Medical Services, CAPS, Weiland Health Initiative, and Confidential Support Team).  Jim is also a practicing physician and teaches undergraduate IntroSems courses.

Prior to joining Stanford, Jim held leadership positions in college health at four other universities across the country.  In an earlier phase of his career, Jim was on the faculty at Duke University, where he did research in the Department of Anesthesiology and taught in the School of Engineering. His areas of research included clinical pharmacology and mathematical modeling.

Jim has a medical degree from Duke and a doctorate in biomedical engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His undergraduate degree is from Johns Hopkins University. He was also heavily influenced by a year spent as a visiting scholar at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Jim is board certified in emergency medicine and is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Jim’s clinical interests in college health include urgent care, wound care and men's health. His academic interests include emerging young adults, biosecurity and secrecy.