Bratzler, who has served as OU’s Chief COVID Officer since June 2020, is a professor in both the Hudson College of Public Health and the OU College of Medicine. He also serves as the chief quality officer for OU Health and is a practicing physician.
As interim dean, Bratzler fills the position following the recent appointment of longtime Hudson College of Public Health Dean Gary Raskob as the OU Health Sciences Center’s interim senior vice president and provost.
“Dr. Bratzler is a giant in the field of public health, and we’ve already benefited so greatly from his leadership in this area,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “His experience with the Hudson College of Public Health and the OU College of Medicine will contribute to our work in bringing research from ‘bench to bedside,’ benefiting students, researchers, providers, and most importantly, patients. His appointment to serve in this capacity supports both our academic mission and OU Health’s role as the state’s only comprehensive academic health system.”
At local and national levels, Bratzler is recognized for his expertise in matters of public health, infectious disease prevention and health care quality improvement. His role became increasingly critical throughout the pandemic, monitoring the COVID-19 emergency and its development as a global crisis. In June 2020, Harroz asked Bratzler to take on the role of OU’s Chief COVID Officer to help coordinate the university’s response to the pandemic – a position he continues to hold. He has become an established resource for science-based updates, and has made himself consistently available to multiple media outlets, including CNN, NBC Nightly News, Yahoo News and others.
“I am extremely pleased to recommend Dale Bratzler as the interim dean,” Raskob said. “His institutional and public health knowledge make him a great fit during this transitional time on our campus. During the past two years, he has especially distinguished himself through his public health service to the people of Oklahoma, when reliable information from authoritative sources was critical to build trust.”
Over the course of his career, Bratzler has been appointed to leadership positions on numerous national health organizations. Last fall, he was selected to serve a two-year term as a member of the Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee, which advises the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding specific medical matters and services to determine what is reasonable and necessary under Medicare law.
He has received numerous awards for teaching, service and leadership. Last spring, he was honored with the Regents’ Award for Superior Professional and University Service and Public Outreach, as well as OU’s Distinguished Service Citation – one of the university’s highest honors.
As interim dean, Bratzler will oversee the college’s finances, research, accreditations, and strategic plan implementation and will work with OU Health Sciences Center leadership in collaborations with the other colleges.
“It is a privilege and honor to be asked to carry on the great work that has and is being done at the OU Hudson College of Public Health,” Bratzler said. “Dean Raskob has led the college to national recognition through the efforts of his team to improve the population health in Oklahoma, and to provide excellent education and career development opportunities for public health professionals. We have a shared passion for public health, and I am excited to continue his efforts in this capacity. Interim Provost Raskob has built an amazing team, and I look forward to continued collaboration with my colleagues in the college.”
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information visit www.ou.edu.
About OU’s Hudson College of Public Health
The Hudson College of Public Health at the University of Oklahoma, in partnership with OU Health, is the only accredited college of public health in the state of Oklahoma. Founded in 1967, the Hudson College of Public Health is ranked sixth in Top 10 Colleges for Public Health Degrees nationwide by College Magazine. For more information, visit publichealth.ouhsc.edu.
About the OU Health Sciences Center
One of the nation’s few academic health centers with all health professions colleges – Allied Health, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, Graduate Studies and School of Community Medicine – the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center serves approximately 4,000 students in more than 70 undergraduate and graduate degree programs on campuses in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. As Oklahoma’s flagship comprehensive, academic health system, OU Health is steadfast in its commitment to education, research and patient care. For more information, visit ouhsc.edu.
