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July 6, 2021
Contact: Philip Schmidt, PHILIP.SCHMIDT@dhsoha.state.or.us
Dr. Kaz Rafia to lead oral health policy and strategy beginning July 6.
The Oregon Health Authority’s Health Policy and Analytics Division has a new dental director who joined the agency on July 6.
Dr. Kaz Rafia has a combined 25 years of dental experience spanning international non-profit work at Partnership for International Medical Access-Northwest, academics at OHSU, private practice, and leadership at Permanente Dental Associates.
“I am pleased to have Dr. Rafia join our team and know that he will serve an important role as we work towards eliminating health inequities in Oregon,” said Dana Hargunani, MD, MPH, OHA’s Chief Medical Officer. “Further integrating oral health into our health care system is a high priority, and we believe he will bring great knowledge and passion to that work.”
Dr. Rafia echoed the enthusiasm for further integration of oral health into Oregon’s health care system.
“I am honored to be joining the OHA policy team and very much look forward to applying all that I’ve learned over my career towards advancing oral health policy on behalf of all people in Oregon,” he said. “We know that good oral health care is largely synonymous with good overall health care, and the inequities that we see in this area must also be tackled with diligence and passion.”
As OHA Dental Director, Dr. Rafia will be responsible for:
- Leading the cross-agency OHA Oral Health Team and setting the strategic direction for the OHA Oral Health Roadmap with consideration of OHA’s 10-year goal to eliminate health inequities;
- Providing oral health consultation and expertise to OHA, including programmatic oversight, administration, policy, planning and execution of oral and health prevention-based activities;
- Serving as the OHA Medicaid oral health expert;
- Facilitating coordination of oral health services with local and statewide oral health organizations;
- Informing quality metrics to measure oral health care, ensuring they are focused on achieving health equity;
- Planning and determining strategies for meeting current and projected statewide oral health service needs; and
- Acting as a liaison between OHA and Oregon’s dental community.
Dr. Rafia is a graduate of the Ohio State University College of Dentistry, OHSU hospital dental residency, and the MBA program at University of Illinois. He will earn his MPH from Johns Hopkins University in early 2022.
OHA’s focus on oral health will continue to span divisions and programs, with a particular focus on quantifying and addressing the root causes of health inequities in oral health. Dr. Rafia will lead all coordination and strategic planning in service of this mission and will also work with the Legislature as it further develops Oregon’s oral health priorities.
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