SALEM, Ore. — Gov. Tina Kotek has appointed a new permanent director of the Oregon Health Authority: Dr. Sejal Hathi, who currently serves as the deputy health commissioner and state health officer for New Jersey. Hathi will step into the OHA role on Jan. 16, according to a news release from Kotek's office.
Oregon's state health agency has been operating under interim directors for about 10 months following the departure of former director Patrick Allen in early January. Kotek initially named former Health Share of Oregon CEO James Schroeder as interim OHA director, but he resigned in March. She then appointed Dave Baden, previously the OHA's chief financial officer, who has remained in the top job since then.
"Dr. Hathi brings a rare combination of extraordinary qualifications to this role — from frontline experience as a physician, to shaping policy in the White House, to founding two nonprofits focused on women and girls leadership. I am grateful she is bringing her experience and talent to serve Oregonians," Kotek said in a statement.
The governor touted Hathi's experience in health care, public policy and nonprofit development, including serving as the White House’s Senior Policy Advisor for Public Health, treating COVID-19 patients as a resident physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, working an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the Bloomberg School of Public Health and founding social initiatives to advance women’s and girls’ leadership globally.
"I'm both excited and humbled to be a part of the ground-breaking advances in health care access that are happening in Oregon," Hathi said in a statement. "At the national level, all eyes are on Oregon and the steps this state is taking to expand health coverage and tackle root cause issues, such as the social determinants of health. I look forward to continuing this proud tradition and working with the team to make every community in the state a healthier place to live."
Baden will continue to work at OHA as a deputy director overseeing programs and policy initiatives, according to the news release, alongside existing deputy director Kristine Kautz, who will continue overseeing agency operations.
