Rachel Levine Explained

Rachel Levine
Office:17th Assistant Secretary for Health
President:Joe Biden
1Blankname:Secretary
1Namedata:Xavier Becerra
Term Start:March 26, 2021
Predecessor:Brett Giroir
Office1:Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health
Governor1:Tom Wolf
Term Start1:July 2017
Term End1:January 23, 2021
Predecessor1:Karen Murphy
Successor1:Alison Beam (acting)
Birth Date:1957 10, mf=yes
Birth Place:Wakefield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Children:2
Education:Harvard University (BS)
Tulane University (MD)
Module:
Embed:yes
Embed Title:Uniformed service
Serviceyears:2021–present
Rank:Admiral

Rachel Leland Levine (; born October 28, 1957)[1] is an American pediatrician who has served as the United States assistant secretary for health since March 26, 2021.[2] She is also an admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

Levine is a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine, and previously served as the Pennsylvania physician general from 2015 to 2017 and as secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health from 2017 to 2021.[3] Levine is one of only a few openly transgender government officials in the United States,[4] and is the first to hold an office that requires Senate confirmation.[5] [6] On October 19, 2021, Levine became the first openly transgender four-star officer in the nation's eight uniformed services.[7]

Levine was named as one of USA Todays women of the year in 2022, which recognizes women who have made a significant impact on society.

Early life and education

Born on October 28, 1957, Levine is originally from Wakefield, Massachusetts.[1] [8] Her parents, Melvin and Lillian Levine, were both lawyers.[9] Her sister, Bonnie Levine, is four years older.[9] Levine is Jewish and grew up attending Hebrew school.[10] Levine earned a high school diploma from Belmont Hill School in Belmont, Massachusetts.[11]

Levine graduated from Harvard College and the Tulane University School of Medicine, completing a residency in pediatrics and a postdoctoral fellowship in adolescent medicine at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan, New York.[12]

Career

After completing her training in pediatrics and psychiatry at New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital, Levine moved from Manhattan to central Pennsylvania in 1993 where she joined the faculty of the Penn State College of Medicine and the staff at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.[13] During her tenure, she created Penn State Hershey Medical Center's Division of Adolescent Medicine and the Penn State Hershey Eating Disorders Program. She was in charge of the latter when she was nominated for the position of Pennsylvania physician general in 2015.

Pennsylvania Department of Health

In 2015, Levine was nominated by Pennsylvania Governor-elect Tom Wolf to serve as Pennsylvania's physician general. In one of her most lauded actions as physician general, Levine signed an order allowing law enforcement officers to carry naloxone.[14]

In July 2017, Governor Wolf appointed Levine as Secretary of Health, and she was unanimously confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate.

COVID-19 response

During 2020 and until January 23, 2021, Levine led the public health response on COVID-19 in Pennsylvania as the state secretary of health. She worked closely on a daily basis with the FEMA director and led a daily press briefing. Along with Gov. Tom Wolf, Levine faced criticism from a few Republican leaders over her handling of the pandemic, particularly with regard to nursing home patients.[15]

On March 18, 2020, Levine directed Pennsylvania nursing homes to admit new patients, including stable patients recovering from the COVID-19 virus who were released from the hospital.[16] Despite warnings from nursing home trade groups that such policies could unnecessarily cost more lives, there is no evidence that Levine placed COVID-positive patients in nursing home facilities or that her decision resulted in excess death among the elderly. Levine was also criticized for mishandling COVID data reporting[17] and insufficiently addressing the long-standing oversight problems in Pennsylvania nursing homes that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.[18] Levine faced further scrutiny in May 2020, when she moved her own mother out of a nursing home. In defending the move, Levine said, "My mother requested, and my sister and I, as her children, complied", describing her mother as "more than competent to make her own decisions."[19] These issues were momentarily highlighted by Republican lawmakers after President Biden nominated Levine for Assistant Secretary for Health. However, Levine's leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic has been widely praised as calm and steadfast by many Pennsylvanians and local media outlets.[20]

Biden administration

On February 13, 2021, President Joe Biden formally nominated Levine to serve as Assistant Secretary for Health.[21] Her confirmation hearing with the Senate HELP Committee took place on February 25. On March 17, the committee voted 13–9 to advance her nomination for a full Senate vote.[22] On March 24, the Senate voted 52–48, with all Democrats and two Republicans — Susan Collins from Maine and Lisa Murkowski from Alaska — joining all members of the Senate Democratic Caucus to confirm her nomination.[23] Levine is the first openly transgender person to hold an office that requires Senate confirmation.[24]

On October 19, 2021, 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 United States uniformed services as well as the first female four-star admiral in the Commissioned Corps.[25]

LGBTQ health disparities

Shortly after her confirmation, Levine told NBC News that LGBTQ youth are topmost in her mind when it comes to addressing health disparities in the United States.[26] She cited bullying, suicide, discriminatory policies, and isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic as pressing issues among LGBTQ youth. Levine has also expressed concerns about vaccine hesitancy among LGBTQ youth who are more likely to experience medical distrust and less likely to seek medical care.[27]

During an April 2022 speech at Texas Christian University, Levine criticized "disturbing - and frankly discriminatory - laws and actions" that many states have implemented that affect the lives of LGBTQ youth.[28] In an interview with NPR, she cited a range of policies, including Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill and Texas' push to investigate parents who provide gender-affirming care to their transgender children.[29] Arguing that such policies are based on politics rather than public health, Levine encouraged people to contact the Office for Civil Rights when they feel discriminated against and vowed to provide support to those who contact her office.

Personal life

Levine has two children.[30] She transitioned from male to female in 2011.[31] Levine married Martha Peaslee Levine in 1988[32] during Levine's last year of medical school[9] and divorced in 2013.[33] She has served as a board member of Equality Pennsylvania, an LGBT rights organization.

Honors

Levine was named as one of USA Todays Women of the Year in 2022.[34]

Awards and decorations

Public Health Service Meritorious Service MedalPublic Health Service Presidential Unit Citation
Public Health Service COVID-19 Pandemic Campaign MedalPublic Health Service Regular Corps RibbonCommissioned Corps Training Ribbon
Assistant Secretary for Health BadgeOffice of the Secretary of Health and Human Services Badge
[35]

Publications

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: LGBT History Month – October 22: Rachel Levine . January 21, 2021 . . October 22, 2018.
  2. Web site: Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH). March 26, 2021. Rachel L. Levine, M.D.. March 27, 2021. HHS.gov. en.
  3. Web site: Gov. Wolf to Nominate Alison Beam as Secretary of Health, Names Dr. Wendy Braund as Interim Acting Physician General . Governor's Office . Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . January 29, 2021 . January 22, 2021 . January 24, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210124134814/https://www.governor.pa.gov/newsroom/gov-wolf-to-nominate-alison-beam-as-secretary-of-health-names-dr-wendy-braund-as-interim-acting-physician-general/ . dead .
  4. News: Zezima. Katie. June 1, 2016. Meet Rachel Levine, one of the very few transgender public officials in America. https://web.archive.org/web/20200329053607/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/meet-rachel-levine-one-of-the-very-few-transgender-public-officials-in-america/2016/06/01/cf6e2332-2415-11e6-8690-f14ca9de2972_story.html. March 29, 2020. March 28, 2020. The Washington Post.
  5. News: Sullivan. Eileen. January 19, 2021. Biden's pick for Health and Human Services role would be first transgender federal official confirmed by the Senate.. en-US. The New York Times. January 19, 2021. 0362-4331.
  6. Web site: Weissert. Will. January 19, 2021. Biden picks transgender woman as assistant health secretary. January 19, 2021. AP News.
  7. News: Diamond. Dan. 2021-10-19. Rachel Levine, openly transgender health official, to be sworn in as four-star admiral in Public Health Service. en-US. Washington Post. 2021-10-19. 0190-8286.
  8. News: Goodin-Smith . Oona . What to know about Rachel Levine, the history-making Pa. health official tapped for Biden administration . January 21, 2021 . . January 19, 2021.
  9. News: Loveland. Barry. February 6, 2017. LGBT Oral History: Rachel Levine. LGBT Center of Central PA History Project Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections. Carlisle, PA, USA. live. July 16, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210716190848/http://archives.dickinson.edu/sites/all/files/files_lgbt/LGBT-interview-transcription-Levine-Rachel-064.pdf. July 16, 2021.
  10. News: Jewish woman welcomed as transgender, state's new physician general. June 24, 2015. Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle. May 15, 2020.
  11. Web site: October 24, 2016. Dr. Rachel Levine '75 Offers Timely Message for Students. January 20, 2021. Belmont Hill School. en. January 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210126081122/https://www.belmonthill.org/news-detail?pk=884867. dead.
  12. Web site: Choi-Schagrin . Winston . March 20, 2020 . A 2018 Q&A with Dr. Rachel Levine, now leading state's coronavirus response [from The Caucus archives] ]. March 29, 2020 . LancasterOnline.
  13. Web site: Health (ASH) . Assistant Secretary for . 2021-03-26 . Admiral Rachel L. Levine, MD . 2022-07-12 . HHS.gov . en.
  14. News: Zezima . Katie . 2016-06-01 . Meet Rachel Levine, one of the very few transgender public officials in America . en-US . Washington Post . 2022-07-11 . 0190-8286.
  15. Web site: Marnin . Julia . 2021-01-19 . Fact Check: Did Biden's health pick put COVID-19 patients into nursing homes? . 2022-07-11 . Newsweek . en.
  16. Web site: Pennsylvania Department of Public Health . March 18, 2020 . Interim Guidance for Nursing Facilities During COVID-19 . July 11, 2022.
  17. Web site: 2021-03-18 . Levine pressed for answers on Pa.'s missing nursing home data as confirmation advances . 2022-07-11 . Spotlight PA . en-us.
  18. Web site: 2020-06-13 . The coronavirus exploited failure of Pa. health officials to improve long-standing problems with nursing home oversight . 2022-07-11 . Spotlight PA . en-us.
  19. Web site: Fung . Katherine . 2020-05-13 . Pennsylvania health secretary moved mother out of nursing home as coronavirus death toll increased in state . 2022-07-11 . Newsweek . en.
  20. Web site: Rachel Levine is the calm in the eye of the COVID-19 storm . 2022-07-11 . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . en.
  21. Web site: House . The White . 2021-02-13 . Nominations Sent to the Senate . 2022-07-12 . The White House . en-US.
  22. Web site: 2021-03-24 . PN121 - Nomination of Rachel Leland Levine for Department of Health and Human Services, 117th Congress (2021-2022) . 2022-07-12 . www.congress.gov.
  23. Web site: U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress - 1st Session . 2022-07-12 . www.senate.gov.
  24. News: Rachel Levine, historic transgender nominee, confirmed as assistant health secretary . en-US . Washington Post . 2022-07-12 . 0190-8286.
  25. Web site: Health (OASH) . Office of the Assistant Secretary for . 2021-10-19 . Statements by Officials of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Commemorating the First Openly Transgender Four-Star Officer and First Female Four-Star Admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps on October 19, 2021 . 2022-07-12 . HHS.gov . en.
  26. Web site: Transgender federal official Rachel Levine tells LGBTQ youths: 'I have your back' . 2022-07-11 . NBC News . June 2021 . en.
  27. Teixeira da Silva . Daniel . Biello . Katie . Lin . Willey Y. . Valente . Pablo K. . Mayer . Kenneth H. . Hightow-Weidman . Lisa . Bauermeister . José A. . March 2021 . COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among an Online Sample of Sexual and Gender Minority Men and Transgender Women . Vaccines . en . 9 . 3 . 204 . 10.3390/vaccines9030204 . 33804530 . 7999863 . 2076-393X. free .
  28. News: Rachel Levine calls state anti-LGBTQ bills disturbing and dangerous to trans youth . en . NPR.org . 2022-07-11.
  29. News: Associated Press . 2022-06-10 . A judge blocks Texas from investigating families of trans youth . en . NPR . 2022-07-11.
  30. Web site: Inside Tulane Med. May 22, 2020. tmaaarchive.tulane.edu. August 22, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210822092306/http://tmaaarchive.tulane.edu/newsletters/2013sept/classnotes.html. dead.
  31. Web site: Srikanth. Anagha. January 19, 2021. Rachel Levine could be the first transgender official confirmed by Congress. Who is she?. April 16, 2021. The Hill. en.
  32. Web site: December 29, 2008. resume www.writerdoc.com. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20081229090711/http://www.writerdoc.com/resume.html#Doctor. December 29, 2008. May 22, 2020.
  33. News: Levine. Martha Peaslee. November 5, 2013. How Do You Measure Your Life?. Psychology Today.
  34. Web site: Hackney . Suzette . 2022-03-13 . 'Be true to yourself': A message from the nation's highest-ranking openly transgender official . 2022-03-22 . . en.
  35. Dr. Rachel Levine. HHS_ASH. 1450446086645198851. Swearing-in of Dr. Rachel Levine to the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, officially becoming the first openly transgender four-star officer in the uniformed services and first female four-star admiral of @USPHS.. October 19, 2021.

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