Suma Nair PhD, MS, RD is the Associate Administrator for the Health Systems Bureau in the Health Resources and Services Administration.
As the Associate Administrator, Dr. Nair leads a portfolio of unique programs that improve access to care and strengthen public health and health care systems by increasing access to organ and blood stem cell donation and transplantation, including leading efforts to modernize the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network; facilitating vaccine and countermeasure injury compensation; ensuring access to free or low cost health care at Hill-Burton obligated facilities; and providing health care to individuals with Hansen’s disease (leprosy), as well as educating health care professionals and conducting research on Hansen’s disease diagnosis and treatment.
Previously, Dr. Nair led the Office of Quality Improvement in HRSA’s Bureau of Primary Health Care, which supports more than 1,400 health centers operating more than 13,000 service delivery sites, including community health centers, migrant health centers, health care for the homeless centers, and public housing primary care centers. In this role, Dr. Nair led programs related to clinical and operational quality improvement, patient safety and risk management, primary care innovation, data reporting, and program evaluation. Dr. Nair led national health center clinical quality and performance improvement strategies/initiatives, including risk management and patient safety activities, ambulatory care accreditation, patient centered medical home recognition, and integration of behavioral health and oral health care within primary care. Dr. Nair led the development and implementation of the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine, Testing Supply, Therapeutics and Mask Programs directly allocating these critical resources to health centers to advance health equity in medically underserved communities. Dr. Nair was recognized as a finalist for the Service to America Medal by the Partnership for Public Service in 2022.
Prior to joining the Bureau of Primary Health Care, Dr. Nair worked on program evaluation and performance improvement programs impacting more than 80 different grant programs across HRSA. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Nutrition and a Master of Science degree in Public Health Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Maryland, College Park.
