Gov. Kevin Stitt announced has appointed Gary Cox as Oklahoma Commissioner of Health, a position that requires Senate confirmation.  Cox  began leading the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) on September 13. 

 “Gary Cox is a respected and dedicated public health leader in our state who brings over 40 years of experience to his new role as the Oklahoma Commissioner of Health,” said Stitt. “His guidance at the OSDH will play a critical role in our vision to improve health outcomes for all Oklahomans, and I look forward to accomplishing Top Ten results together as we work to efficiently and effectively deliver services and move the needle in this critical area.”

“I am honored to serve Governor Stitt, Secretary Loughridge and the people of Oklahoma as Commissioner of Health,” said Cox. “Alongside the dedicated professionals at the Oklahoma State Department of Health, I look forward to developing innovative strategies toward improving the quality of life for all Oklahomans, which is key to Oklahoma becoming a top ten state. We have the ingredients in place, and I am committed to strengthening our ability to innovate and leverage cross-sector partnerships toward impacting Oklahoma’s most critical health-related outcomes.”

Cox was the executive director of the Oklahoma City-County Health Department. Cox previously served as an adjunct professor of environmental law at The University of Tulsa College of Law and is serving as a visiting associate professor at The University of Oklahoma, College of Public Health. Before joining the Oklahoma City-County Health Department, Cox worked as an environmentalist for the Tulsa Health Department, where he went on to serve as legal counsel before eventually serving as director for 15 years.

“The appointment of Gary Cox as the State Commissioner of Health is a great win for the people of Oklahoma,” said James O. Goodwin, former chairman, Tulsa-City-County Health Department.”