OU Appoints Chief COVID Officer To Help With Campus Return Plans

The University of Oklahoma has appointed a chief COVID officer to help with campus return plans.

Dr. Dale Bratzler, a national leading expert in infectious diseases and public health, was appointed as the university chief COVID officer.

“Ever since the university began closely monitoring the rapidly evolving COVID-19 virus early this year, Dr. Bratzler has been heavily involved in our decision-making and safety planning,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “As OU’s Chief COVID Officer, Dr. Bratzler will help to coordinate a consistent approach to our return efforts in light of the best available data about COVID-19 infection trends. His guidance will help ensure we are doing everything we can on our campuses to prevent the spread of the virus, while we carefully and thoughtfully reopen our on-campus educational programs.”

Bratzler, a professor and chair of the Department of Health Administration and Policy in the Hudson College of Public Health at OU, has devoted nearly 25 years toward researching infection prevention and treatment, in addition to advising health care leaders on public health topics. Bratzler also is a faculty member in the Department of Internal Medicine in the OU College of Medicine and serves as enterprise chief quality officer for the three-hospital health system and faculty practice at OU Medicine. 

Bratzler graduated summa cum laude from the University of Central Missouri with a bachelor of science in biology. He earned his doctor of osteopathy from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. After working as an internal medicine physician in private practice for nine years in Tulsa, Bratzler earned his master of public health degree from OU. He continues to practice internal medicine, providing services to patients in clinics for the uninsured.

Bratzler has been seen on News 9 and answered many of our COVID-19 questions.