Dr. Rachel Levine, the US assistant health secretary, was sworn in as the country’s first transgender four-star officer on Tuesday, as per a report of The Washington Post.
The 63-year-old was named assistant secretary of health by US President Joe Biden in January, and her nomination was approved by the Senate earlier this year. She is also the United States’ highest-ranking openly transgender official.
Levine is currently an admiral in the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, a 6,000-strong group that reacts to medical emergencies, such as providing coronavirus vaccinations and providing medical support in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
In an interview, Levine highlighted that her status as an admiral was “not simply symbolic,” and that she would play a key role in identifying the objectives of the public health corps.
She also stated that she will start wearing the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps uniform immediately.
Before she was appointed assistant health secretary, Levine had been the senior health official in the US state of Pennsylvania since 2017, when she became the public face of the state’s response to the coronavirus epidemic.
