Assistant Secretary for Health

Assistant Secretary for Health
Seal of the United States Public Health Service, 1798
Flag of the Assistant Secretary for Health
Incumbent Rachel Levine since March 26, 2021
Public Health Service Public Health Service, Commissioned Corps
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
Term length	4 years
Constituting instrument	42 U.S.C. § 202 and 42 U.S.C. § 207
Formation	November 2, 1965 (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 a nominal four-year term at the pleasure of the President. If the appointee is also a serving uniformed officer of the commissioned corps, by statute, he or she is appointed as a four-star admiral and is the highest ranking officer in the commissioned corps, 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. 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 Rachel Levine.

History

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and Scientific Affairs was established on January 1, 1967, following Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1966. The plan allowed the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to restructure the Public Health Service to better serve public health. The office was renamed the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health following the Department of Education Organization Act in 1972.

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health

Main article: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health

As of 2018, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health oversees 12 core public health offices, 10 regional health offices, and 10 presidential and secretarial advisory committees. Prior to 2010, the office was known as the Office of Public Health and Science.

The stars, shoulder boards, and sleeve stripes of the Assistant Secretary for Health if serving in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

List of Assistant Secretaries for Health

No.	Assistant secretary		Term			Pay schedule or Service branch
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Term length
1		Philip R. Lee	2 November 1965	1969	3 Jahre	Executive Schedule IV
2		Roger O. Egeberg	14 July 1969	1971	2 Jahre	Executive Schedule IV
3		Merlin K. DuVal	1 July 1971	20 January 1973	1 year, 203 days	Executive Schedule IV
4		Charles C. Edwards	18 April 1973	5 January 1975	1 year, 262 days	Executive Schedule IV
5		Theodore Cooper	1 July 1975	1977	2 Jahre	Executive Schedule IV
6		Vice Admiral Julius B. Richmond	13 July 1977	14 May 1981	3 years, 305 days	U.S. Public Health Service
7		Edward Brandt Jr.	1981	1984	3 Years	Executive Schedule IV
8		Robert E. Windom	1986	1989	3 Years	Executive Schedule IV
9		Admiral James O. Mason	1989	1993	4 years	U.S. Public Health Service
10		Philip R. Lee	2 July 1993	1998	5 Years	Executive Schedule IV
11		Admiral David Satcher	13 February 1998	January 2001	3 Jahre	U.S. Public Health Service
-		Rear Admiral Arthur J. Lawrence Acting	2001	2002	~13 months	U.S. Public Health Service
12		Eve Slater	8 February 2002	5 February 2003	362 days	Executive Schedule IV
-		Rear Admiral Cristina V. Beato Acting	5 February 2003	4 January 2006	2 years, 333 days	U.S. Public Health Service
13		Admiral John O. Agwunobi	4 January 2006	4 September 2007	1 year, 243 days	U.S. Public Health Service
14		Admiral Joxel García	28 March 2008	20 January 2009	298 days	U.S. Public Health Service
-		Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson Acting	22 January 2009	22 June 2009	151 days	U.S. Public Health Service
15		Howard K. Koh	22 June 2009	August 2014	5 years	Executive Schedule IV
-		Karen B. DeSalvo Acting	October 2014	3 January 2017	More than 2 years	Executive Schedule IV
-		Don J. Wright Acting	4 January 2017	15 February 2018	1 year, 42 days	Executive Schedule IV
16		Admiral Brett P. Giroir	15 February 2018	19 January 2021	2 years, 339 days	U.S. Public Health Service
-		Rear Admiral Felicia L. Collins Acting	21 January 2021	26 March 2021	64 days	U.S. Public Health Service
17		Rachel Levine	26 March 2021	Incumbent	3 years, 167 days	Executive Schedule IV

External links

• Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH)
• Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health - Leadership