Assistant Secretary for Health
| Assistant Secretary for Health | |
|---|---|
Seal of the United States Public Health Service | |
Flag of the Assistant Secretary for Health | |
since May 26, 2025 | |
| U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps | |
| Style | Assistant Secretary Admiral |
| Abbreviation | ASH ADM |
| 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 |
| 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 |
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The assistant secretary for health (ASH) is a senior U.S. government official within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) who serves as the primary advisor to the secretary of health and human services on matters involving the nation's public health, and provides strategic and policy direction to the Public Health Service agencies and Commissioned Corps.
The position is a statutory Senate-confirmed presidential appointment (42 U.S.C. § 202), who may be a civilian, or a uniformed four-star admiral of the PHS Commissioned Corps and is nominated for appointment by the president. 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).