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Senate panel advances Michael Dunnick nomination to Oklahoma State Board of Health
Summary
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted unanimously to advance the nomination of Dr. Michael Dunnick of Tulsa to the State Board of Health, sending the nine-year appointment to the full Senate after questioning about his background, priorities and how faith and science inform his approach.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee on April 10, 2025 voted 13-0 to advance the nomination of Dr. Michael Dunnick of Tulsa to the Oklahoma State Board of Health, sending the nine-year appointment to the full Senate.
Dr. Michael Dunnick, a family physician and residency director at St. John Hospital in Tulsa, told the committee he has practiced medicine in Oklahoma for about 40 years and has served on more than 20 professional medical boards. "I'm honored to be here. Honored to be nominated to serve in this role," Dunnick said during the committee hearing.
The nomination matters because the appointee will serve a nine-year term on the State Board of Health and help shape public-health oversight and policy for Oklahoma. Committee members questioned Dunnick about his clinical priorities, how he integrates personal faith and scientific evidence, and his goals for improving statewide health outcomes.
Dunnick outlined his background in family medicine, teaching and international relief work and said those experiences shape his approach to care. He told senators he trains family doctors and said primary care access is a pressing state issue: "I'm very concerned about primary care and people having access to health care. We serve the poor. We serve the underserved in the greater Tulsa area."
On questions about faith and science, Dunnick said he sees the two as complementary. Asked by Senator Hicks to "talk to me about being able to serve the state of Oklahoma from a scientific evidence based perspective, for a 9 year term on the state's board of health?" Dunnick replied: "I don't see any discordance between faith and science. For me, they always go together... Good research, good science, good evidence, digging hard into the facts." He added that training programs he directs require academic research while also attending to patients' social and spiritual needs.
Senators pressed him on policy issues that could affect vulnerable populations. When the committee chair raised changes to federal Medicaid matching and a possible shift to a 60/40 split, Dunnick said he had heard about the proposal but did not know the details. He emphasized local programs that serve the uninsured, including Good Samaritan Health Services in the Tulsa area, and reiterated a focus on primary care as a route to better outcomes.
Asked about specific goals for his nine-year term, Dunnick said: "My goal is to be a voice for people that are underserved. To be a voice for primary care... How can we make that better so that we can improve the infant mortality rates? We can improve the maternal mortality rates." He cited maternity-care access and measurable outcomes as priorities.
The committee called the roll after Senator Guthrie closed debate. The clerk recorded 13 ayes and 0 nays from the committee; the chair declared that the nomination passed the committee and will proceed to the full Senate.
The committee thanked Dr. Dunnick and his sponsor, Senator Guthrie, and the nomination now moves to a full Senate confirmation vote.
