Ahmed Farag, a dental executive for a hospital-and-clinic system in upstate New York, will take over as Oregon's dental director, a position that's been vacant for two years.
The state dental director's job at the Oregon Health Authority is to oversee oral health care provided under the Oregon Health Plan, the state's version of Medicaid that provides free care to low-income people. The office, created in 2015, has been vacant since the resignation of Kaz Rafia after holding the job for a year.
Farag worked as an operations director at a hospital and in 2013 secured a dental degree in Alexandria, Egypt before pursuing advanced dental degrees at the University of Rochester, which he obtained in 2016, according to his LinkedIn page and profile webpage at his current employer. He worked as a dentist for 16 months at the University of Vermont Health System before going to work for Rochester Regional Health, a system of hospitals, low-income health centers and other providers.
There he holds the position of the hospital system's executive medical director for dentistry. He also serves on the board of a dental professional and lobbying group in New York and last year was accepted into the American Dental Association's Institute for Diversity in Leadership. He is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. He holds an MBA in health care management, and is pursuing a remote doctorate degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., according to the Oregon Health Authority.
“Dr. Farag brings a wealth of national and international professional experience and an abiding commitment to providing high quality health services,” said OHA’s Deputy Medicaid Director Vivian Levy, in the state's press release announcing the hire. “We welcome his diverse expertise and look forward to working with him to promote health equity, assure patient well-being, and join Oregon clinicians in their commitment to improving oral health outcomes.”
In the wake of Rafia's resignation in 2022, health systems and dental companies supported legislation to strengthen the position last year, but it did not win approval.
Farag starts in Oregon Sept. 3.
