United States Assistant Secretary for Health

The United States Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) serves as the Secretary of Health and Human Services's primary advisor on matters involving the nation's public health and is the highest ranking uniformed official in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC). The ASH oversees all matters pertaining to the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS), which is a division of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), for the Secretary. The PHS is comprised of almost all the agency divisions of the HHS as well as the PHSCC, a uniformed service of more than 6,000 health professionals who serve at the HHS and other federal agencies. The ASH is nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed via majority vote by the Senate. The ASH serves a four year term of office and is commissioned as a four-star Admiral in the PHSCC. . Currently the position of Assistant Secretary for Health is vacant.

The following organizations are also associated with the ASH:


 * Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS)
 * Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC)