Admiral Rachel Levine will lead the USPHS while keeping her position as Assistant Secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, making her the country's highest-ranking transgender official.
Levine, 63, will supervise over a 6,000-person force of public health professionals who answer to public health crises, including delivering COVID vaccines and national emergencies on behalf of the federal government.
"I am deeply honored & grateful to join the ranks of men & women across this great nation who have committed to defending the United States against small & large threats, known and unknown," Levine tweeted with a broadcast of her swearing-in.
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"I promise to uphold that trust to the fullest extent of my abilities."
"I'm proud to wear this uniform and lead the #USPHA #CommissionedCorps. They answer the call as warriors for our nation's health," she posted in another tweet.
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She has declared that she intends to start wearing the group's blue uniform immediately. The U.S. Public Health Service is one of the nation's eight uniformed services, including the Air Force, Navy, Army, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Force, and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association.
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Although Levine has never been a sailor, the assistant secretary for health can be ranked as an admiral if they also serve as a uniformed officer of the USPHS Commissioned Corps.
In January, President Biden called Levine to the high-ranking position, extending his pattern of selecting a historically different slate of leaders for senior administration roles.
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The professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine led Pennsylvania's handling of the coronavirus outbreak as the state's top health official.
"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," Biden said in a statement.
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In March, she then made history when she became the first transgender federal official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
"Admiral Levine's historic appointment as the first openly transgender four-star officer is a giant step forward toward equality as a nation," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement.
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"This is a proud moment for the 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," added Becerra, the first Latino to lead the Department of Health and Human Services
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Before her selection to be an admiral of the USPHS Commissioned Corps, Levine served as the Pennsylvania Department of Health secretary. Governor Tom Wolf selected his deputy chief of staff, Alison Beam, to take over the public health position.
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