Kelley Carter Kaiser ’93, ‘99: Public Health alum named Corvallis’ Junior First Citizen

Growing up I knew I wanted to be in the health care field and I also knew I did not want to be a clinician. I started my time at OSU in the Business School and then switched to Public Health my junior year. I chose to focus on health care administration – a perfect area for me as I got to use both my business skills and public health skills.

I started my health care career in physician practice management with a provider office in Eugene, allowing me to learn the ropes of the practice and give all the Duck fans a hard time! I decided to go back and get my Masters in Public Health at OSU in Health Policy and Management. I went to school and worked full time at the same time.

I am very proud to have received both of my degrees at OSU (1993 and 1999) I continue to speak/teach in classes through the Public Health Department and work with Dean Kleinsorge on her WE2 project, mentoring women in business.

I have had the privilege of working for Samaritan Health Services for the last 14 years, currently serving as the CEO of Samaritan Health Plans. I run the insurance companies owned by our Integrated Health System. This allows me to work in all areas of health care, from birth to death, and to stay involved in the health policy aspect of my industry throughout the entire spectrum of the delivery of care. As health care reform is underway at a state level and a national level I spend a significant amount of time keeping up on current events and analyzing how they may impact our community.

The main focus of my career at SHS has been related to health policy and how we as a system take care of the vulnerable members of our community. I have been involved with Medicaid and Medicare since 1995 and sit on a variety of committees at the state level, and was appointed by the Governor to sit on the Medicaid Advisory Committee and serve as its chair.

I served on the Corvallis Chamber for six years and was the President of the Board in 2006/2007. I was also involved in helping to set up the Benton Community Health Center a Federally Qualified Health Center here in Corvallis. In November of 2008, I was nominated by my Rotary Club as the Junior First Citizen for Celebrate Corvallis, much to my great surprise I was chosen the winner at a gala evening event in January. Really the true honor was in being nominated and to be chosen as the winner made me speechless (if you ask anybody who knows me that does not happen very often).

My husband Eric and I live in Corvallis with our two daughters, Alexandra and Megan. We love living in Corvallis and being part of the OSU community. As a family we spend lots of time water skiing, boating, snow skiing and attending as many Beaver sporting events as we can.