Seal of the United States Public Health Service, 1798
Flag of the Assistant Secretary for Health
Incumbent Admiral Rachel Levine, USPHS since March 26, 2021
U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
Style
Assistant Secretary Admiral[1]
Abbreviation
ASH ADM[1]
Reports to
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Seat
Hubert H. Humphrey Building, United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Washington, D.C.
Appointer
President of the United States with United States Senate advice and consent
Constituting instrument
42 U.S.C. § 202 and 42 U.S.C. § 207
Formation
November 2, 1965; 58 years ago (1965-11-02)
First holder
Philip R. Lee
Website
Official website
The assistant secretary for health (ASH) is a senior U.S. government official within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The position is a statutory office (42 U.S.C. § 202) and the holder of the office serves as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services's primary advisor on matters involving the nation's public health. The assistant secretary oversees all matters pertaining to the United States Public Health Service (PHS), the main division of the Department of Health and Human Services, for the secretary and provides strategic and policy direction. The Public Health Service comprises almost all of the agency divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services including the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, one of the eight federal uniformed services, comprising more than 6,500 uniformed health professionals who serve with the Department of Health and Human Services, or are assigned to work within other federal agencies, including the United States Armed Forces.
The assistant secretary is a civilian or a uniformed officer of the commissioned corps and is nominated for appointment by the president. The nominee must also be confirmed via majority by the Senate. The assistant secretary serves at the pleasure of the president. Appointees who are a serving uniformed officer of the commissioned corps, by statute, are appointed as a four-star admiral and is the highest ranking officer in the commissioned corps,[2][3] as no other position in the Public Health Service is designated as a four-star office. The president may also nominate a civilian appointee to also be appointed a direct commission in the commissioned corps if the nominee so chooses.[3][4] The assistant secretary's office and its staff make up the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH). The current assistant secretary for health is Admiral Rachel Levine.
^ abIf also serving in uniform as a Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officer.
^"PHSCC Uniforms". Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
^ ab"42 USC 207. Grades, ranks, and titles of commissioned corps". Retrieved January 19, 2008.
^"Regular Corps Assimilation Program" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 8, 2010. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
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