Another first for Dr. Rachel Levine, the Biden administration’s assistant secretary for health: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday that the nation’s first openly transgender American to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate is now also the first four-star officer across any of the eight uniformed services of the United States.
Levine, whose job includes being head of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, was ceremonially sworn in as a four-star admiral, making her the highest ranking official in the USPHS Commissioned Corps and its first-ever female four-star admiral, according to HHS.
“I am humbled to serve as the first female four-star officer of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and first openly transgender four-star officer across any of the 8 uniformed services,” Levine said in a statement. “This is a momentous occasion and I am pleased to take this role for the impact I can make, and for the historic nature of what it symbolizes. May this appointment be the first of many like it as we create a more inclusive future.”
Admiral Levine will lead 6,000 Public Health Service officers who are dedicated to serving the nation’s most underserved and vulnerable populations.
“Admiral Levine’s historic appointment as the first openly transgender four-star officer is a giant step forward towards equality as a nation,” said her boss, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “This is a proud moment for us at HHS. Admiral Levine—a highly accomplished pediatrician who helps drive our agency’s agenda to boost health access and equity and to strengthen behavioral health — is a cherished and critical partner in our work to build a healthier America.”
“Her appointment represents an important step towards a more inclusive future, and her service will undoubtedly advance the USPHS Commissioned Corps’ mission to protect, promote, and advance the health and safety of our nation,” said U.S. Surgeon General, Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy.
This is a developing story.
