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 (), who may be a civilian, or a uniformed four-star admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service 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).
The 18th and current assistant secretary for health is Admiral Brian Christine.
History The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and Scientific Affairs was established on January 1, 1967, following Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1966. The new position supplanted the surgeon general as the head of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS), with all PHS component heads now reporting to the assistant secretary. This was seen as undermining the chain of command of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, beginning a long-term shift where commissioned corps officers were more responsible to the agencies they were stationed in than to the corps itself.
In 1972, the office was renamed the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. (November 16, 1972). "In the statement of organization, functions, and delegations of authority of the Department, Chapter 2-110, entitled Office of Assistant Secretary for Health and Scientific Affairs (35 F.R. 1123 and 35 F.R. 3948) should be deleted and the following statement added: […] Under the supervision of the Assistant Secretary, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health consists of the following principal operating components: […] Date: November 9, 1972. Elliot L. Richardson, Secretary."
In 1995, supervision of the agencies within PHS was shifted to report directly to the secretary of health and human services. This transformed the assistant secretary for health from a supervisory position in the direct chain of command, into an advisory one.
In 2010, the office's name was changed from Office of Public Health and Science to Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. (November 9, 1995). "Under the authority […] I hereby order a reorganization within the DHHS that affects the Office of the Secretary and the U.S. Public Health Service. […] The changes designate the Public Health Service agencies as Operating Divisions reporting directly to the Secretary, establish the Office of Public Health and Science within the Office of the Secretary and delete the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. […] Dated: October 31, 1995. Donna E. Shalala, Secretary." (August 31, 2010). "[…] This amendment will accomplish two tasks: (1) In Chapter AC, revise the title of the office headed by the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) from the “Office of Public Health and Science” to the “Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health,” and […] Dated: July 29, 2010. Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary."
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health
As of 2018, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health oversees 12 core public health offices, 10 regional health offices, and 10 presidential and secretarial advisory committees.
List Assistant secretary Term Pay schedule orservice branch Portrait Name Took office Left office Term length
References
External links Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health - Leadership