Assistant Secretary for Health

Assistant Secretary for Health
Seal of the United States Public Health Service
Flag of the Assistant Secretary for Health
Incumbent
Dorothy Fink
Acting 
since May 26, 2025
U.S. Public Health Service
Commissioned Corps
StyleAssistant Secretary
Admiral[1]
AbbreviationASH
ADM[1]
Reports toSecretary of Health and Human Services
SeatHubert H. Humphrey Building, United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Washington, D.C.
AppointerPresident of the United States
with United States Senate advice and consent
Constituting instrument42 U.S.C. § 202 and
42 U.S.C. § 207
FormationNovember 2, 1965 (1965-11-02)
First holderPhilip R. Lee
WebsiteOfficial website

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.[2][3] The president may also nominate a civilian appointee to also be appointed a direct commission in the commissioned corps if the nominee so chooses.[3][4] The assistant secretary's office and its staff make up the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH).

  1. ^ a b If also serving in uniform as a Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officer.
  2. ^ "PHSCC Uniforms". Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
  3. ^ a b "42 USC 207. Grades, ranks, and titles of commissioned corps". Retrieved January 19, 2008.
  4. ^ "Regular Corps Assimilation Program" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 8, 2010. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
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