Biography

Dr. Oliver holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from Case Western Reserve University, where he also obtained a master's degree in medical anthropology. He completed his family medicine residency at University Hospital in Cleveland and practiced in rural Alaska for two years before joining the UVA Department of Family Medicine in 1998. A diplomate of the American Board of Family Practice, Dr. Oliver is recognized with numerous prestigious medical awards and holds memberships in several national and international professional associations, including the International Society for Equity in Health.

In the fall of 2023, Dr. M. Normal Oliver returned to the UVA School Of Medicine’s Department of Public Health Sciences. As a professor, he teaches a course entitled, “PHS 7200 U.S. Healthcare: Policy, Organization, and Administration,” where his vast healthcare experience brings a unique perspective to the course’s content. Currently, he also acts as a Senior Advisor to the McChrystal Group.

Commitment to Health Protection

Prior to returning to academia, Dr. Oliver was the State Health Commissioner at the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) from 2018-2022. During his tenure, he led the Commonwealth of Virginia’s COVID-19 pandemic response, leveraging his previous experience as the Deputy Commissioner for Population Health at VDH from 2017-2018. Throughout each of these leadership roles, Dr. Oliver championed collaborative efforts across state agencies and healthcare systems to advance population health statewide.

Before accepting the VDH appointment, Dr. Oliver was the Walter M. Seward Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at UVA from 2011-2017, overseeing the transformation of clinic sites into patient-centered practices focused on population health. He also served as Associate Dean for Diversity for the School of Medicine from 2003 to 2008.

Throughout his career, Dr. Oliver’s research has focused on investigating the social, economic, and cultural factors leading to racial and ethnic health inequities. As a UVA Health Clinical Leader, Dr. Oliver has applied his expertise in addressing social drivers of health affecting the patients and communities served by UVA.