Dr. Umair Shah

Dr. Umair Shah is a physician, public health leader, and expert in health transformation with more than two decades of experience bridging healthcare and public health.

Dr. Shah has most recently served as Secretary of Health for Washington State, where the agency received national recognition for its work in innovation, strategic partnerships, and public health communications. He is currently the now Founder & CEO of Rickshaw Enterprises.

Previously, Dr. Shah led Harris County Public Health in Texas – the health department for the nation’s third-largest county – where his leadership earned national honors, including recognition as Local Health Department of the Year. He also served as president of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), representing more than 3,000 local health departments across the country. During his time in Texas, he spent two decades as an emergency physician in the VA health system, deepening his expertise in clinical care and crisis response.

Now based in the Seattle area, Dr. Shah holds faculty appointments at the University of Washington, Washington State University, Baylor College of Medicine, and the University of Texas. He is the founder of Rickshaw Health, a consultancy advising health agencies and leaders on strategy, innovation, and systems change. His leadership is grounded in his Asian American heritage, Midwestern upbringing, and Texas roots – values that continue to shape his commitment to resilience, excellence, and meaningful impact in health. He is also a speaker at Beyond Activ Americas in Dallas, USA.