OU College of Medicine Names Jay Kaneria Chief Administrative Officer

The OU College of Medicine has named Jay Kaneria as its next Chief Administrative Officer following a national search, effective April 17, 2026, pending approval by the Board of Regents.

The role is intentionally designed as a shared leadership position between the OU College of Medicine and OU Health, reflecting the continued commitment to strengthening alignment across education, research and patient care. Kaneria will retain his current role as Vice President of Clinical Faculty and Financial Services at OU Health while also serving as Chief Administrative Officer for the College of Medicine.

According to Ian F. Dunn, executive dean of the College of Medicine and chief physician executive for OU Health, the structure is designed to create stronger collaboration and operational alignment across the academic health enterprise.

“At a time when partnership across the college, health campus, university and OU Health is more important than ever, this structure creates a vital bridge and a clear point of connection for our departments and centers,” Dunn said. “There is so much overlap and shared work across our missions of education, research and patient care, and I believe this design will create meaningful synergy between our academic and clinical enterprises.”

Kaneria brings extensive experience in academic medicine and health care administration to the role. After earning his undergraduate degree in finance, he completed a Master of Health Administration degree at Tulane University. He went on to serve in administrative roles within Mass General Brigham before gaining additional leadership experience at Emory Healthcare.

Since joining the OU health system, Kaneria has held positions of increasing responsibility, including administrative director of strategic planning, chief administrative officer of OU Health Physicians and, most recently, vice president of clinical faculty and financial services at OU Health. Among his many contributions, he played a key leadership role in helping co-create and implement the physician compensation plan.

Dunn said Kaneria’s leadership style and long-standing commitment to the institution made him a natural fit for the position.

“Jay is a trusted colleague, a thoughtful leader and someone who cares deeply about this institution and the people who make it strong,” Dunn said. “I am truly excited to continue our partnership in this new way and grateful that he will be stepping into this important role for the College of Medicine, Health Campus, University and OU Health.”

As Chief Administrative Officer, Kaneria will help lead strategic and operational initiatives that support the College of Medicine’s mission while also strengthening collaboration across the broader academic health system.