Robert Otto Valdez, Ph.D., M.H.S.A.
Robert Otto Valdez, Ph.D., M.H.S.A., was appointed Director of AHRQ in February 2022. He was previously the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Professor Emeritus of Family & Community Medicine and Economics at the University of New Mexico (UNM). From 1993 through 1997, Dr. Valdez served at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health (Public Health Service) and simultaneously Director of Interagency Health Policy (Health Care Financing Administration). Before joining DHHS in 1993, he served as a Special Senior Advisor to the Clinton White House on healthcare reform. He previously served in 1979 in the Office of Child Health for the Health Care Financing Administration during the Carter Administration.
In 2008, Dr. Valdez was the Founding Executive Director of the RWJF Center for Health Policy at UNM and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Professor in the Department of Family & Community Medicine and the Department of Economics. He previously served (2000-2003) as the founding dean and professor at the Drexel University School of Public Health and the LeBow College of Business. From 1985 through 1999, he was a Professor of Health Services at the UCLA School of Public Health. He directed the health services doctoral studies program and the MBA/MPH program, collaborating with the UCLA Anderson School of Business.
Dr. Valdez’s influence extends far beyond the borders of the United States. He is internationally recognized as an expert in health services research, the U.S. healthcare system, and health policy analysis. He has led numerous global healthcare initiatives with the Pan American Health Organization and the University of California, demonstrating his leadership and commitment to improving healthcare on a global scale. His health promotion and disease prevention work with Univision Communications Corporation, “Salud es Vida: ¡Enterate!” was impactful and recognized with journalism’s prestigious Peabody Award, further solidifying his reputation as a leader in the field. He started his career as the lead researcher for the historic RAND Health Insurance Experiment. Dr. Valdez is a member of the National Academy of Medicine.
Dr. Valdez's commitment to public service and community health is evident in his extensive involvement in various non-profit organizations. He has served as Chairman of the New Mexico Community Foundation, the American Hospital Association Foster G McGaw Prize Committee, and the Public Health Institute, one of the nation’s largest non-profit public health agencies serving communities across California and internationally. His dedication to these roles and his academic and professional responsibilities are a testament to his ability to balance multiple commitments and his unwavering commitment to the public’s health.
