Ralph Alvarado
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Ralph Alvarado | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 15th Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health | |
| In office January 16, 2023 – July 11, 2025 | |
| Governor | Bill Lee |
| Preceded by | Morgan McDonald (acting) |
| Succeeded by | John Dunn (acting) |
| Member of the Kentucky Senate from the 28th district | |
| In office January 1, 2015 – January 6, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | R. J. Palmer |
| Succeeded by | Greg Elkins |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 30, 1970 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Education | Loma Linda University (BS, MD) |
Ralph A. Alvarado (born April 30, 1970) is an American physician and politician who most recently served as the 15th Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health from 2023 until his resignation in 2025.[1] He served as a member of the Kentucky Senate representing the 28th District from 2015 to 2023.[2] Upon taking office, he became the first Hispanic person elected to the Kentucky General Assembly. His father is from Costa Rica and his mother is from Argentina.[3] He assumed office on January 1, 2015, serving until January 6, 2023, when he would resign to accept the role of commissioner.
Alvarado was born April 30, 1970, in San Francisco, California and raised in Pacifica and San Jose, California. He graduated from Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose in 1988.[4][5] In 1990, Alvarado graduated from Loma Linda University in California with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and completed an MD from the same university in 1994.[6] He completed his residency at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center.[7]