TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma State Department of Health commissioner Lance Frye resigned his position on Friday.
“It has been an honor to serve Oklahoma and advance public health for all Oklahomans,” Lance Frye, M.D. said. “I admire the dedication, resilience and tenacity of the OSDH team. They have worked tirelessly over the last two years to ensure Oklahomans had access to not only COVID-19 testing, vaccinations and critical information, but to other life-saving services.”
Frye held that role since May 2020 and handled much of the state’s COVID-19 pandemic response. In his letter of resignation he addressed the shift from a pandemic response to an endemic response as "time for me to move forward as well."
“Dr. Frye provided steady leadership during Oklahoma’s COVID response from his role in surge planning on the Governor’s Solution Task Force to guiding our vaccine rollout that was Top Ten in the nation as Commissioner of Health,” said Governor Kevin Stitt. “With cases and hospitalizations down 60% in recent weeks, Dr. Frye has positioned the Oklahoma State Department of Health well to continue managing COVID effectively and I am grateful for his service to our state during an unprecedented time.”
Deputy commissioner Keith Reed is now Interim Commissioner of Health.
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