OHA Announces New Equity and Inclusion Leadership in Wasteful Spending

June 21, 2024 Rob Taylor

June 21, 2024

Contact: Robb Cowie, 503-421-7684, robb.cowie@oha.oregon.gov

OHA Announces New Equity and Inclusion Leadership

(SALEM, Ore.) – Leann Johnson, director of Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) Equity and Inclusion Division (E&I), has left her position after more than eight years heading the division. Alfonso Ramirez, who currently serves as Equity and Community Partnerships Manager in OHA’s Behavioral Health Division, will serve as interim director.

Ramirez brings nearly 30 years of experience in the human services field as an educator, mental health clinician, program manager and equity leader with expertise in trauma-informed and culturally responsive practices, systems change and community engagement. He currently represents Oregon in the Center for Health Care Strategies national health equity change-makers leadership program.

OHA Director Sejal Hathi, MD, MBA, said, “The Equity and Inclusion Division is vital to OHA and the communities we serve. It's important for us to ensure that the Equity and Inclusion Division is not alone in the work to change our policies and programs, dismantle systemic racism and meet the needs of the communities most harmed by health inequities. A commitment to health equity lives in every corner of OHA, and the practice of equity is – and must be – everyone’s job.”

OHA’s Equity and Inclusion Division is responsible for working in partnership with priority populations, all OHA divisions — including Medicaid, the Oregon State Hospital, and the Public Health Division — and the statewide health delivery system to advance health equity and achieve OHA’s goal to eliminate health inequities by 2030. E&I staff administer the state’s traditional health worker program, health care interpreter program, Civil Rights complaint reviews, and support nine regional health equity coalitions (RHECs), as well as a range of health equity advisory committees.

The Equity and Inclusion Division has a budget of $52.7 million for the 2023-2025 biennium and 86 staff.

OHA will launch a national search for a permanent director for the Equity and Inclusion Division this summer.

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