Rachel Levine: Facts About First Transgender Four-Star Admiral

Rachel Levine made history by formally becoming the first transgender four-star admiral. She has vowed to be the four-star officer in the country’s history. She was elected as an admiral of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps by US president Joe Biden on Tuesday. Rachel is known as the highest-ranking openly transgender official in the United States. She expressed her gratitude and marked the occasion as “momentous” and “historic” during her swearing speech. Who is Dr. Rachel Levine? Uncover more about the first transgender four-star admiral here.

Secretary of Health and Human Services 2021

Rachel Leland Levine was born on October 28, 1957. Her speech would have encouraged the LGBTQ community. She stated that her appointment can help many more to come and can create a diverse and more inclusive community. She graduated from Harvard College and Tulane University School of Medicine. As a graduate of Harvard and Tulane Medical School, Rachel Levine wrote in the past about the opioid crisis, adolescent medicine, medical marijuana, eating disorders, and LGBTQ medicines. She even served as a pediatrician. The United States Health Service Commissioned Corps comprises 6000 uniformed officers. It is assigned to respond and take actions on health crises such as natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic. Secretary of Health Xavier Becerra said of Dr. Levine’s appointment of a 4-star general army as a “giant step forward towards equality as a nation”. 

Rachel Levine, 63, also worked as Pennsylvania’s physician general and also served as the state’s secretary of health, working on issues such as widespread opioid addiction. She was selected as US assistant secretary for health with a 52-48 Senate voting in March. In the confirmation process, the nominee answered questions over her management of the COVID-19 pandemic in nursing homes during her period as a health secretary of Pennsylvania from 2015 to 2017. She is one of only a few openly transgender government officers in the US. On October 19, 2021, she was the first openly transgender four-star officer in the country’s eight uniformed services with her commission as a four-star admiral 

She serves as the country’s 17th assistant secretary of health, working on improving the health and well-being of people in the country, particularly contributing to the United States to overcome the Coronavirus pandemic.