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Admiral Rachel Levine, MD

(She/Her)
AdvocateElectedHealthcare

17th Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

‘Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.’ (Yoda, ‘Star Wars: The Phantom Menace’) And so I think it is so important not to live your life in fear, and to be yourself and to help people. And that's what I've tried to do.

Admiral Rachel Levine, MD, is the highest-ranking openly transgender government official in U.S. history, serving as the 17th Assistant Secretary for Health from March 2021 to 2025, under President Joe Biden. In 2021, Dr. Levine was commissioned as a four-star admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, becoming the first openly transgender four-star officer in any of the U.S. uniformed services. Her clinical and public health work has helped people dealing with a range of medical issues, including eating disorders, the opioid crisis, and COVID-19. She is vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ youth, emphasizing that gender-affirming care is essential, life-saving healthcare.

Dr. Levine previously served as the Pennsylvania physician general from 2015 to 2017 and as secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health from 2017 to 2021.