Stitt nominates Keith Reed as state health commissioner
Gov. Kevin Stitt on Thursday nominated Keith Reed to serve as state health commissioner.
Reed has held the role on an interim basis since Oct. 2021, when the previous commissioner, Dr. Lance Frye, announced his resignation.
“Keith Reed has done an exceptional job as interim commissioner of health and will continue to serve Oklahomans well in this permanent capacity,” Stitt said in a statement. “Keith has a proven track record of success, and he is the right person to lead the Oklahoma State Department of Health into the future.”
In a statement, Reed said he was honored to be nominated for the top job in the Health Department.
“I am proud to work alongside professionals that are truly dedicated to improving the lives of their neighbors. I look forward to the potential to serve in this capacity and continuing the transformation of OSDH, as it strengthens internally to ultimately be more responsive and a better partner for Oklahomans,” he said.
Reed, born and raised in the Le Flore County community of Monroe, has been with the state Health Department for nearly 20 years.
Before serving as interim health commissioner, Reed was deputy commissioner of community health services for the department.
“I often draw on my upbringing in a smaller Oklahoma community when thinking about the needs of Oklahomans that OSDH has the responsibility for meeting,” Reed said in a statement.
He’s played a key role in the Health Department’s COVID-19 pandemic response. As deputy commissioner, he led Oklahoma’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
Today, about 57% of the state is fully vaccinated.
The governor signed legislation this week to change the qualifications required for the state health commissioner, which allowed him to nominate Reed for the job permanently.
Under the previous rules, the state health commissioner had to meet one of the following qualifications to be eligible for the role:
Possess a doctorate in medicine and a license to practice medicine in Oklahoma
Hold a degree in osteopathic medicine and a license to practice medicine in Oklahoma
Possess a doctorate degree in public health or public health administration
Hold a Master of Science degree and have at least five years of supervisory experience in the administration of health services.
The new law waived those requirements if the candidate has a master’s degree in any field and has experience managing a state agency or large projects.
Reed has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Northeastern State University and a master’s degree in public health from the University of Oklahoma. He is also a colonel in the Oklahoma Air National Guard in addition to his public health career.
The state Senate must vote to confirm Reed’s nomination before his new position is official.