WEDNESDAY, Jan. 20, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Rachel Levine, M.D., a transgender woman, has been nominated by President-elect Joe Biden to serve as assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
If confirmed by the Senate, Levine would be the first openly transgender federal official in a Senate-confirmed role, according to Biden’s transition team, CBS News reported.
Levine is the secretary of health for Pennsylvania and is currently leading the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Dr. Rachel Levine will bring the steady leadership and essential expertise we need to get people through this pandemic — no matter their zip code, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability — and meet the public health needs of our country in this critical moment and beyond,” Biden said in a statement, CBS News reported. “She is a historic and deeply qualified choice to help lead our administration’s health efforts.”
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