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
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Tall building with the ariel tram to its left
Center for Health & Healing, Building 1
503-494-8311
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About me

Dr. Alex Ortega Loayza is a Professor and Chair of Dermatology at OHSU. He 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'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
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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 (139 Ratings, 53 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 Press Ganey patient surveys.

  1. Dr Ortega and his assistant Savannah are superb. I love coming to visit them. Not only do they make me feel better, they care. Their care of my HS saved my life.

  2. Very good

  3. I love Dr Ortega. His easy mix of teacher, curious student, and professionalism is an amazing experience.

  4. Dr Ortega is special. I trust his expertise and value his ability to communicate effectively. He cares and this makes a difference. Dr Ortega has helped me on a good number of occasions. I will miss him. Additionally, I really appreciated Savannah's wonderful assistance. In particular, her fine expertise and sense of humanity are appreciated. And Blake, the Medical Assistant helped me to become oriented. His fine efforts are also appreciated.

  5. Dr. Ortega has been kind and compassionate in the treatment of my condition, and provided me with all needed information about next steps, options, and treatment methods that may be beneficial for my condition to improve my quality of life.

  6. Very informative genuine concern easy to ask questions and get good feedback

  7. Dr Ortega is very good.

  8. They were all very professional and efficient.

  9. I have been a patient of Dr. Ortega for many years and have always found him super in every way. This visit was no excepton.

  10. Dr. Ortega is one of those doctors who LOVES his specialty, he's actually excited to see that his treatments are working for me, and he goes above and beyond to make sure my condition/s are tempered to the best of his ability. He's never failed to address any concerns of mine, and is usually one step ahead of me anyway! I hope the right people see this, because you're lucky to have this MD contracted with you, I hope he stays my doctor for a long time to come. Seeing as my condition is for life, I hope he sticks around awhile.

  11. Dr Ortega has always been superb!

  12. He is a very nice doctor and has helped alot with my skin problems

  13. Outstanding

  14. Professional

  15. As long as it's not an emergency Dr Ortega and his staff are the best.

  16. World class care

  17. They treat the patient very well

  18. Listened to my concerns and provided solutions.

  19. Dr. Alex Ortega is simply the best! I was referred to him by three different doctors after my wound did not respond to standard treatment procedures. Dr. Ortega is willing to "think outside the box" and I am so very grateful for his knowledge and skills. My wound is closed, no pain! Life is good again after a nearly three year saga of a wound that would not heal. Thank you, thank you, thank you Dr. Ortega-Loayza!

  20. I am very happy with everything thanks to the dermatologist they got the right medication for my skin condition I am very happy

  21. I adore Dr. Ortega. I've been a patient of his for 10 years now and I truly believe he's the best dermatologist. He has very good bedside manner and listens to my concerns. He was on time and I appreciated that very much.

  22. As always, he was the best! He truly cares and it shows. Alot of providers who are specialists in their field are amazing clinicians, but they have horrible 'bedside manner' behavior. Not the case here, he always genuinely treats me like I matter as a patient and a person.

  23. Savanna, my nursing assistant was very thorough & helpful in explaining my procedure & aftercare. She made me feel comfortable, cared about &relaxed. Dr. Ortega was excellent in explaining things to me in terms I could understand. He took the time to listen & was great about getting my feedback.

  24. Dr. Ortega was calm, knowledgeable, thorough, and compassionate. I felt VERY comfortable with him and his team.

  25. My husband and I fly from Atlanta to Portland 3-4 times per year for me to see Dr. Ortega. This should be enough to tell you all need to know about him.

  26. Dr Ortega and his assistant Savannah are the best. I look forward to seeing them. The residents were also wonderful.

  27. I felt heard and that he has a plan for moving forward.

  28. Dr. Ortega solved a diagnostic problem with my left foot. He actually convened grand rounds to figure out the problem. EXCELLENT!!! He is outstanding and thorough. On a scale of 0 to 10, I'd give him at least a 15.

  29. Knowing the Dr. Ortega is extremely busy and personally responded to the msg I sent on MyChart and got me in to see him within 3 days of my reaching out, as well as taking the time to listen, comprehend my concerns, demonstrates a compassionate bedside manner and makes it a priority to validate and acknowledge so you know you've been heard. Means everything

  30. Their kindness from the receptionists to the care of the doctors and nurses