Rachel L. Levine, MD, FAAP, was selected by President-elect Joe Biden to serve as Assistant Secretary of Health for the Department of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Levine is Secretary of Health of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at Penn State College of Medicine, and President of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. She could become the first openly transgender federal official to be ratified by the Senate.
“DR. Rachel Levine will bring the consistent leadership and expertise to get people through this pandemic – regardless of zip code, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability – and our nation’s public health needs fulfilling this critical area now and beyond, “Biden said in a press release.” She is an historic and highly qualified choice to guide our administration’s health efforts. ”
Dr. Levine is a member of the AAP Adolescence Section and the AAP Pennsylvania Chapter. Last year she received the Child Health Advocate Award from the AAP State Government Affairs Committee. She is also a Fellow of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine and the Academy for Eating Disorders.
Previously, she was a General Practitioner for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. At Penn State Hershey Medical Center, she was vice chairman of clinical affairs for the Department of Pediatrics and Director of the Department of Adolescent Medicine and Eating Disorders.
Dr. Levine graduated from Harvard College and Tulane University School of Medicine and completed her education in pediatrics and adolescent medicine at Mt. Sinai Medical Center.
Biden’s selection of Dr. Levine came just days after selecting David A. Kessler, MD, FAAP as chief science officer of the COVID response.
Copyright © 2021 American Academy of Pediatrics
Comments are closed.