The Oklahoma secretary of health was a member of the

Oklahoma governor's Cabinet The Cabinet of the governor of Oklahoma is a body of the most senior appointed officials of the executive branch of the government of Oklahoma. Originally an informal meeting between the governor of Oklahoma and various government officials, the ...

. The secretary is appointed by the governor, with the consent of the

Oklahoma Senate The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

issues and needs. The current secretary of health is Kevin Corbett, who was appointed by Governor

Kevin Stitt John Kevin Stitt (born December 28, 1972) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 28th governor of Oklahoma since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected in 2018, defeating Democrat and former state Attorney Ge ...

in 2020, following the departure of Jerome Loughridge.

Overview

The secretary of health was established in 1986 to provide greater oversight and coordination to the public health and mental hygiene activities of the state government. The position was established, along with the

, by the

Executive Branch Reform Act of 1986 The Executive Branch Reform Act of 1986 (74 O.S. Sections 10.1–10.4) is an Oklahoma state law that requires the Governor of Oklahoma to organize the various 500 or more departments, agencies, boards, commissions and other entities of the state ...

. The Secretary advises the governor on public health policy and advises the state's public health agencies on new policy as directed by the governor. The secretary also provides the overarching management structure for the state's public health services in order to deliver improved public services while eliminating redundancies and reducing support costs in order to more effectively and efficiently run the agencies in a unified manner. As the state's chief public health official, the secretary oversees vaccinations, disease prevention, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and emergency health responses. The secretary also is responsible for regulation of the State health delivery system, overseeing state-managed public hospitals, health-related professional licensure, as well as overseeing the state's

Medicaid Medicaid is a government program in the United States that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. The program is partially funded and primarily managed by U.S. state, state governments, which also h ...

program. Oklahoma state law allows for Cabinet secretaries to serve concurrently as the head of a state agency in addition to their duties as a Cabinet secretary. Historically, the Secretary of Health has also served as either the commissioner of the

Oklahoma State Department of Health The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) is a department of the government of Oklahoma under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Health. The department is responsible for protecting the health of all Oklahomans and providing other ...

or the commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services. However, former secretary Loughridge did not share this role with either position. Under the administration of

, the cabinet position is labeled as the Secretary of Health and Mental Health, emphasizing its role in overseeing the

Health Department A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entity, Subnational entities, such as State (administrative division), states, county, counties an ...

and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. In previous administrations, the position is consolidated with the Oklahoma Secretary of Human Services into the position of Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services, as was the case under governors

Frank Keating Francis Anthony Keating II (born February 10, 1944, as David Rowland Keating) is an American attorney, politician and a former FBI special agent who served as the 25th governor of Oklahoma from 1995 to 2003. , Keating is one of only five gover ...

and

Mary Fallin Mary Fallin (; née Copeland; born December 9, 1954) is an American politician who served as the 27th governor of Oklahoma from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, she was elected in 2010 Oklahoma gub ...

. The secretary, unless filling an additional role which carries a greater salary, is entitled to annual pay of $85,000. Loughridge, however, did not take a salary.

Budget

The secretary of health oversees a budget for Fiscal Year 2020 of $6.7 billion. The budget authorization is broken down as follows:

Agencies overseen

The secretary of health oversees the following state entities: *

Department of Health A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their o ...

* Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services * Health Care Authority * Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust

List of secretaries

References

External links

Members of the Governor's Cabinet

{{Oklahoma health agencies *Health *Health, Secretary of