UNMC_Acronym_Vert_sm_4c
University of Nebraska Medical Center

Wael ElRayes, MD, PhD, MS, FACHE

Assistant Professor, UNMC Department of Health Services Research and Administration
Co-Director, Center for Global Health and Development, Department

402-559-3664

Professional headshot of Wael ElRayes.

Wael ElRayes, MD, PhD, MS, FACHE, is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Services Research & Administration of the UNMC College of Public Health. He also is director of the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center.

Since joining UNMC in 2016, Dr. ElRayes also served as director of the Middle East and North Africa Region of the UNMC Global Center for Health Security, and program manager of the UNMC Training, Simulation & Quarantine Center.

He also has been an instructor in the UNMC departmets of Health Services Research and Administration, Epidemiology and Environmental, Agricultural & Occupational Health.

Previously, Dr. ElRayes was a projects manager of Al-Mowasat Egypt for Healthcarem and was deputy manager and technical assistant for the World Bank's National Health Insurance Project for Egypt.

In Egypt, he also was central coordinator for the Family Health Fund of the Ministry of Health and Population in  Egypt, an assistant undersecretary of specialized medical centers for the Ministry of Health and Population, a radiology physician for Nile Diagnostic Center, and an officer physician in the Ministry of Interior. 

Education
  • 2020, MS, Emergency Preparedness, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center
  • 2017, PhD Health Services Research, Administration and Policy, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center
  • 2009, Global Health Hygiene Strategy Diploma, Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, France
  • 2008, Human Resources Management Diploma, American University in Cairo, Egypt
  • 2001, Healthcare and Hospital Management Diploma, American University in Cairo, Egypt
  • 1996, Bachelor of Surgery and Medicine (MBBCh), Cairo University, Egypt
Research Interests
  • Health systems administration and project management.
  • Advancing health security across the Middle East and North Africar egion.
  • Critical programmatic and public health issues within refugee communities.
Selected Publications
  • Lukowski J., Vasa A., Arguinchona C., ElRayes W., Frank M.G., Galdys A.L., Garcia M., Garland J.A., Kline S., Persson C., Ruby D., Sauer L., Carrasco S.V., Vasistha S., Herstein J.J. A Narrative Review of High-Level Isolation Unit Operational and Infrastructure Features. BMJ Global Health 2023;8:e012037. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2023-012037
  • Maha Farid, Rania Talaat, Valerie Pacino, Hyo Jung Tak, Wael ElRayes. Household disinfection practices by women living in Egypt during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown and the association of information sources and suspected bleach toxicity. BMC Public Health. 2022
  • Alshehri, K., Palm, D., Wehbi, N. K., Jung Tak, H., & ElRayes, W. (2023). The difficulty of using prescription drug monitoring program among office-based physicians in the USA: a challenge to mitigate controlled substance prescriptions. Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, rmad016.
  • Alnaji, N. A., Tippens, J. A., & ElRayes, W. (2023). Syrian Refugee Women’s Maternal Mental Health Perceptions, Coping Strategies, and Help-Seeking Practices in Lebanon. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 10436596231163876
  • Angela Vasa, Valerie Pacino, Sami Vasistha, Wael ElRayes, John-Martin J. Lowe. COVID-19 Response Among U.S. Hospitals with Emerging Special Pathogen Programs. Journal of Health Security. 2022
Professional Affiliations
  • Fulbright Association, USA
  • American College of Healthcare Executives, USA
  • American Public Health Association, USA
  • Society of Infection Control Practitioners, Egypt
  • Project Management Institute, USA