Assistant Secretary for Health
Assistant Secretary for Health | |
---|---|
since January 21, 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 |
First holder | Philip R. Lee |
Website | Official website |
The assistant secretary for health (ASH) serves as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services's primary advisor on matters involving the nation's public health and, if an active-duty officer in the regular corps, is the highest ranking uniformed officer in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC). The ASH oversees all matters pertaining to the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS), the main division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), for the secretary and provides strategic and policy direction for the commissioned corps. The PHS comprises almost all the agency divisions of the HHS as well as the commissioned corps, a uniformed service of more than 6,700 health professionals who serve at the HHS, other federal agencies, and/or assigned details to the armed forces. The ASH is a civilian or a uniformed officer of the regular corps and is nominated for appointment by the president. The nominee must also be confirmed by the Senate. The ASH serves a four-year term at the pleasure of the president. If the appointee is also a serving uniformed officer of the regular corps, he or she is also appointed as a four-star admiral in the regular corps.[1][2] The president may also nominate a civilian appointee to also be appointed a direct commission in the regular corps if the nominee so chooses.[2][3] As such the position of ASH is the only office in the PHS that merits a four-star grade in the regular corps. The assistant secretary's office and staff are the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH). The acting assistant secretary for health is Rear Admiral Felicia Collins.
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.[4] The office was renamed the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health following the Department of Education Organization Act in 1972.[4]
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.[5] Prior to 2010, the office was known as the Office of Public Health and Science.[6]
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 years | Executive Schedule IV | |
2 | Roger O. Egeberg | 14 July 1969 | 1971 | 2 years | 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 years | 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 years | 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 | 17 December 2005 | 2 years, 315 days | U.S. Public Health Service | |
13 | Admiral John O. Agwunobi | 17 December 2005 | 4 September 2007 | 1 year, 261 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[7] | 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 | |
- | Captain Paul L. Reed Acting | 20 January 2021 | 21 January 2021 | 1 day | U.S. Public Health Service | |
- | Rear Admiral Felicia L. Collins Acting | 21 January 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 286 days | U.S. Public Health Service |
References
- ^ "PHSCC Uniforms". Archived from the original on 2008-05-13. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
- ^ a b "42 USC 207. Grades, ranks, and titles of commissioned corps". Retrieved 2008-01-19.
- ^ "Regular Corps Assimilation Program" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-05-08. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
- ^ a b [1] Records of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health [OASH].
- ^ "Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH)". HHS.gov. 2016-03-30. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
- ^ "Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH)". 2010-09-22. Archived from the original on 2010-09-22. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
- ^ Received a recess appointment on January 1, 2016 to continue serving as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Health until the end of fiscal year 2016.