Accepting new patients

Alex Ortega Loayza, M.D., M.C.R.

Accepting new patients

  • Professor of Dermatology, School of Medicine

Specialty

  • Dermatology

Clinical focus

  • Complex Medical Dermatology
  • General Dermatology
  • Psoriasis
  • Pyoderma Gangrenosum
  • Skin Cancers

Locations and contact

I see patients at
Orenco Station
Read clinic details
Tall building with the ariel tram to its left
Center for Health & Healing, Building 1
503-494-8311
Read clinic details

About me

Dr. Alex Ortega Loayza is a board-certified dermatologist specializing in both general and complex dermatology. He is also board-certified in internal medicine, and has completed his Master of Clinical Research. Dr. Ortega is particularly interested in the treatment of psoriasis, sarcoidosis, and pyoderma gangrenosum (PG). Dr. Ortega is the Interim Chair of the OHSU Department of Dermatology.

Dr. Ortega's research focuses on advancing diagnostic tools and treatment for the rare and often misdiagnosed condition of pyoderma gangrenosum. At OHSU, he has assembled a team of basic scientists, biostatisticians, and clinicians to form the pyoderma gangrenosum study team (PYGAS). He is also the co-leader of the Pyoderma Gangrenosum Group for the International Dermatology Outcome Measures and has been sponsored by the Medical Dermatology Society and American Academy of Dermatology to develop consensus guidelines to treat PG patients. Dr. Ortega enjoys working with medical students and residents in clinic as well as in scholarly activities and research projects. He has published several peer-reviewed papers, is a reviewer for several dermatology journals and has spoken at numerous medical conferences.

Dr. Ortega, a native of Lima, Peru, obtained his medical degree from Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, the oldest medical school in Latin America. After working as a general practitioner in the Navy of Peru, he completed further research training at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill), and then completed his clinical training in internal medicine and dermatology at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Following his medical training, Dr. Ortega joined the faculty of VCU for a couple of years before coming to OHSU in May 2016.

In his spare time, Dr. Ortega enjoys spending time with his wife and children; when he gets time for himself he likes running, soccer, watching sports and reading biographies.

Read More: Bridging the gap between immunology, wound care, dermatology to tackle rare diseases

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • M.D., 2004, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
    • M.C.R., 2020, Oregon Health & Science University

  • Residency

    • Dermatology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013
    • Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010

  • Fellowship

    • Research Fellowship, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 2005-2008

  • Certifications

    • American Board of Dermatology, 2013
    • American Board of Internal Medicine, 2014

Memberships and associations:

  • American Academy of Dermatology, Society for Investigative Dermatology, Medical Dermatology Society, Rheumatologic Dermatology Society, American College of Physicians, Peruvian-American Medical Society, Alpha Omega Alpha
Read faculty profile

Insurance

Before scheduling an appointment

  1. Check your network. If you have health insurance,  call your company to find out if the OHSU Health location or provider you plan to visit is part of your network.
  2. Ask what you will pay. Your insurance company can tell you what your costs are likely to be.

If you schedule an appointment and your health insurance does not include OHSU Health, you may have to pay more than if you go to a provider in your insurance network. 

Visit our billing and insurance page for more information.

Ratings and reviews

Overall: 4.9 out of 5 (186 Ratings, 88 Reviews)

The patient ratings score is an average of all responses to the question "How likely would you be to recommend this provider to your family and friends (on a scale of 0 to 10)" on our nationally-recognized NRC patient surveys.

  1. Dr. Ortega is very good he treated me regarding my peritoneal pyoderma gangrene . I feel very lucky to have him for my problem

  2. I have been seeing Dr. Ortega for quite a few years. I have always found everything about dealing with him - his apparent knowledge, concern, approachability, ease of communication, general goodness all I could ask for.

  3. Professional and kind

  4. Very professional

  5. Very knowledgeable, caring, and a good communicator.

  6. Very well treatment. Made sure that I wasn't in pain and very professional

  7. Very interested

  8. Thay where very helpful and caring about my problem and worked together as a team and with me

  9. Dr. Ortega has been an excellent partner in treating and managing an extremely rare and "tricky" disease.I believe he is doing everything possible to help me enjoy a decent quality of life. Also, high marks for ALL his support staff... Having an entire team helping makes all the difference. Good Job!

  10. He is the best of many dermatologists I have encountered with my lifelong psoriasis

  11. Very conscientious about looking at my chart and putting things together.

  12. Knowledgeable, caringthe very best!

  13. I have been to several dermatologists about my condition. Dr. Ortega was the first to want to pursue the cause of my problem and not just advise that I continue with topical treatment indefinitely. He engaged his residents and the OHSU dermatology grand round to continue analysis. I appreciate his unwillingness to give up,

  14. Dr Ortega, Savannah, and all the staff from front to back are SO caring and so informative. The time they take with my care is sincere and patient-focused, they have empowered and educated me and give me genuine hope for my health prognosis.

  15. I love dr Ortega and his staff. They always treat meWith dignity and respect

  16. He listens, is very kind and friendly, is solutions oriented. The entire team that cared for me other than Dr Ortega included a resident a nurse, and a MA who were all very kind thorough, knowledgeable, and responsive to all of my questions.

  17. Dr. Ortega is thorough and careful in doing skin checks. The resident working with him was equally thorough.

  18. Dr. Ortega is excellent. He is knowledgeable and kind talking to him is like talking to a beloved uncle. He listens communication is clear and in both directions. He is a wonderful doctor and human being.

  19. Appointment felt very rushed. Most of the conversation between Dr. Ortega and his student took place out in the hall so I could not hear or participate in the conversation about MY medical condition. When Dr. Ortega came in to briefly speak to me, he was already thinking there was nothing to be done to help with my scarring / inflammation. He finally agreed to at least prescribe some topical cream that he thought might help. The effectiveness of the cream remains to be seen. I appreciate his time, but it seems like the whole healthcare industry is just not in a good place now.

  20. Professional, knowledgeable and caring.

  21. Dr. O is awesome

  22. Prompt, courteous,very competent and a listener as well,!

  23. My doctor was involved in recommending a beneficial change in medication.

  24. He is amazing!!

  25. They help very quickly with answers and explaining things

  26. Simply the finest human being I know. It was truly serendipitous that I met him when I needed him most and he is truly a hero to me.

  27. On point and focused.

  28. Careful, kind, caring. A good listener. Asks good questions a deep care for the patient.

  29. It was a derm study

  30. I just want to say it's hard to believe that the dr.or the staff are actually caring about me just because I live in chronic pain does not mean Iam a bad person I don't think they understand how much I deal with every day