Our Leadership

David R. Scrase, MD, is a Professor of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. He is Board Certified Internist and Geriatrician, and previously served as the Interim Division Chief for General Internal Medicine and the Chief of Geriatrics at UNM. He has held a variety of administrative positions through the years, including nine years in medical education, as well as numerous healthcare executive positions in Michigan and New Mexico. He has worked closely with the New Mexico Medicaid program for the past three years, leading a successful effort to enhance the treatment of Hepatitis C for Medicaid members. He currently leads an effort to improve quality and reduce hospital readmissions in all New Mexico nursing facilities. Despite his long administrative career, his first love and understood calling is as a primary care physician, and he has continuously cared for patients for over 30 years, despite concurrent service in administrative roles. He will continue to see patients in his new role as Secretary of the Human Services Department. Dr. Scrase completed his undergraduate and medical training at the University of Michigan, and his Internal Medicine Residency training at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He received his Master’s of Health Services Administration degree from the University of Michigan School of Public Health.​