Dr. Nizar Wehbi is the former North Dakota State Health Officer. He was appointed to this position by then North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum in May 2021.

As North Dakota State Health Officer, Wehbi led the statewide response to COVID-19 pandemic. As such, he oversaw COVID-19 policies and logistics including vaccines, PPE, therapeutics and testing operations across the state in coordination with hospitals and long-term care facilities. He also co-led the integration of the Department of Health with the Department of Human Services to create the Department of Health and Human Services with a biennial budget of $6B and over 2,800 FTE’s. Wehbi was instrumental in articulating and launching a Statewide vision for North Dakota to become the healthiest state in the nation.

Prior to serving as State Health Officer, Wehbi was the Deputy Director of the Center for Health Policy and an Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).

As the Center for Health Policy’s Deputy Director, Dr. Wehbi conducted research and policy analysis to inform policymaking with a focus on improving population health and the efficiency and effectiveness of the U.S. healthcare system. In that role, he led initiatives to address binge drinking and colorectal cancer screening and conducted analysis on the healthcare workforce shortage. As an assistant professor in the College of Public Health at UNMC, Wehbi directed the Master’s in Health Administration (MHA) program, with teaching areas of focus that include health administration, health policy, the U.S. healthcare system and human resources management. He also co-led a university-wide faculty leadership program.

Wehbi previously served as Senior Planner in Strategic Planning and Business Development at Nebraska Medicine. He began his career in clinical medicine, caring for patients and later, as an instructor of surgery at UNMC, joining a research team to identify biomarkers for early detection and risk assessment of bladder and prostate cancers.

In addition to his medical degree, Dr. Wehbi has a Master’s degree in public health and an MBA from the University of Nebraska. He also holds a graduate certificate in quality, patient safety and outcomes research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and has served a three-year term on the Board of Governors of ACHE. Wehbi currently serves on the National Board of Public Health Examiners and on the Board of Directors of Clarkson College in Omaha.

Graduate Courses

• Healthcare Economics