Statement in Support of Dr. Rachel Levine, HHS Assistant Secretary of Health

CHICAGO, IL – Chicago House supports and applauds the historic appointment of Dr. Rachel Levine as Assistant Secretary of Health for the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

During her time serving as Pennsylvania’s top public health official, Dr. Levine has prioritized the COVID-19 pandemic in the state alongside focused responses to HIV, Hepatitis C, the opioid epidemic, and greater equity in LGBTQ+ health. If confirmed, Dr. Levine will make history as the first openly transgender elected official appointed by Congress. Once confirmed, Dr. Levine will be the highest-ranking transgender individual in the federal government.

Elizabeth Ricks, Chicago House TransLifeCare legal director and staff attorney, remarks, “Dr. Levine’s historic nomination demonstrates President Biden’s commitment to the health of all people living in the United States. The breadth of her experience as a physician, along with her lived experience as a transgender woman, is necessary as we battle the COVID-19 pandemic and inequity in healthcare experienced by the transgender community.”

“The appointment of Dr. Rachel Levine as assistant secretary of health is an extremely significant event in our history,” says Josie Lynne Paul, Chief Administrative Officer at Chicago House. “Her candidacy recognizes that transgender individuals have credentials, talents, skills, and leadership to serve in any position within this country and the world and can achieve and perform as well as any other individual. This recognition also offers hope to transgender individuals, that we are not limited in what we can achieve based on our gender identities. As a trans woman who has recently been promoted to an executive position, I can attest to the importance of barriers to access to all levels of leadership and service for transgender persons being broken down, and I applaud and support Dr. Rachel Levine!”

Chicago House and Social Service Agency has been on the forefront of reducing barriers for those affected by HIV/AIDS since the early years of the epidemic. Founded in 1985, Chicago House was the first HIV housing provider in the Midwest. The agency now serves nearly 3,000 individuals annually through expanded programming designed to holistically support individuals impacted by HIV/AIDS through housing, health, employment services, and the TransLife Care Program.