United States Secretary of Health and Human Services - wikipedia United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary of Health and Human Services of the United States Seal of the Department of Health and Human Services Flag of the Secretary of Health and Human Services Incumbent Alex Azar since January 29, 2018 United States Department of Health and Human Services Style Mr. Secretary Member of Cabinet Reports to The President Seat Washington, D.C. Appointer The President with Senate advice and consent Term length No fixed term Constituting instrument Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1953 67 Stat. 631 42 U.S.C. § 3501 Precursor Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Formation August 3, 1979 First holder Patricia Roberts Harris Succession Twelfth Deputy Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Salary Executive Schedule, level 1 Website www.hhs.gov The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, concerned with health matters. The Secretary is a member of the President 's Cabinet. The office was formerly Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. In 1980, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was renamed the Department of Health and Human Services, and its education functions and Rehabilitation Services Administration were transferred to the new Department of Education. Patricia Roberts Harris headed the department before and after it was renamed. Nominations to the office of Secretary of HHS are referred to the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid, before confirmation is considered by the full United States Senate. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act the role of the Secretary has been greatly expanded. Donald Trump selected then - Congressman Tom Price to be the 23rd Secretary of the Health and Human Services Department. Price was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 10, 2017 and resigned on September 29, 2017. Trump then named Don J. Wright, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health and Director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, as acting Secretary until Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan was sworn in on October 10, 2017. On November 13, 2017, Trump nominated former pharmaceutical executive Alex Azar to fill the position permanently. Azar 's confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee took place on January 9, 2018, and on January 24, 2018, Azar was confirmed by the U.S. Senate by a vote of 55 to 43. Azar was sworn in on January 29, 2018. Contents 1 Duties 2 List of Secretaries of Health and Human Services 2.1 Secretaries of Health, Education, and Welfare 2.2 Secretaries of Health and Human Services 3 Line of succession 4 Living former secretaries 4.1 Department of Health, Education, and Welfare 4.2 Department of Health and Human Services 5 References 6 External links Duties The flag of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, the predecessor to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The duties of the secretary revolve around human conditions and concerns in the United States. This includes advising the president on matters of health, welfare, and income security programs. The Secretary strives to administer the Department of Health and Human Services to carry out approved programs and make the public aware of the objectives of the department. The Department of Health, Education and Welfare ( HEW ) was reorganized into a Department of Education and a Department of Health and Human Services ( US DHHS ). The Department of Health and Human Services oversees 11 agencies including the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ), Center for Disease Control ( CDC ), National Institutes of Health ( NIH ), Administration for Children and Families ( ACF ) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ( CMS ). List of Secretaries of Health and Human Services Parties Democratic ( 8 ) Republican ( 15 ) Independent ( 1 ) Secretaries of Health, Education, and Welfare No. Portrait Name State of residence Took office Left office President ( s ) Oveta Culp Hobby Texas April 11, 1953 July 31, 1955 Dwight D. Eisenhower Marion B. Folsom New York August 2, 1955 July 31, 1958 Arthur S. Flemming Ohio August 1, 1958 January 19, 1961 Abraham A. Ribicoff Connecticut January 21, 1961 July 13, 1962 John F. Kennedy 5 Anthony J. Celebrezze Ohio July 31, 1962 August 17, 1965 Lyndon B. Johnson 6 John W. Gardner California August 18, 1965 March 1, 1968 7 Wilbur J. Cohen Michigan May 16, 1968 January 20, 1969 8 Robert H. Finch California January 21, 1969 June 23, 1970 Richard Nixon 9 Elliot L. Richardson Massachusetts June 24, 1970 January 29, 1973 10 Caspar W. Weinberger California February 12, 1973 August 8, 1975 Gerald Ford 11 F. David Mathews Alabama August 8, 1975 January 20, 1977 12 Joseph A. Califano Jr. District of Columbia January 25, 1977 August 3, 1979 Jimmy Carter 13 Patricia Roberts Harris District of Columbia August 3, 1979 May 4, 1980 Secretaries of Health and Human Services No. Portrait Name State of Residence Took office Left office President ( s ) 13 Patricia Roberts Harris District of Columbia May 4, 1980 January 20, 1981 Jimmy Carter 14 Richard S. Schweiker Pennsylvania January 22, 1981 February 3, 1983 Ronald Reagan 15 Margaret M. Heckler Massachusetts March 9, 1983 December 13, 1985 16 Otis R. Bowen Indiana December 13, 1985 January 20, 1989 17 Louis Wade Sullivan Georgia March 1, 1989 January 20, 1993 George H.W. Bush 18 Donna Shalala Wisconsin January 22, 1993 January 20, 2001 Bill Clinton 19 Tommy G. Thompson Wisconsin February 2, 2001 January 26, 2005 George W. Bush 20 Michael O. Leavitt Utah January 26, 2005 January 20, 2009 -- Charles E. Johnson Utah January 20, 2009 April 28, 2009 Barack Obama 21 Kathleen Sebelius Kansas April 28, 2009 June 9, 2014 22 Sylvia Mathews Burwell District of Columbia June 9, 2014 January 20, 2017 -- Norris Cochran January 20, 2017 February 10, 2017 Donald Trump 23 Tom Price Georgia February 10, 2017 September 29, 2017 -- Don J. Wright Virginia September 29, 2017 October 10, 2017 -- Eric Hargan Illinois October 10, 2017 January 29, 2018 24 Alex Azar Indiana January 29, 2018 Incumbent Line of succession The line of succession for the Secretary of Health and Human Services is as follows : Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services. General Counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Administration Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Commissioner of Food and Drugs Director of the National Institutes of Health Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Other Assistant Secretaries ( following in the order they took the oath of office ) Assistant Secretary for Health Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Assistant Secretary for Legislation Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources Assistant Secretary for Aging Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director, Region 4 ( Atlanta, Georgia ) Living former Secretaries See also : List of living former members of the United States Cabinet Department of Health, Education, and Welfare As of April 2018, there are two living former Secretaries of Health, Education and Welfare, the oldest being Joseph A. Califano Jr. ( served 1977 -- 1979, born 1931 ). The most recent Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare to die was Caspar Weinberger ( served 1973 -- 1975, born 1917 ), on March 28, 2006. The most recently serving Secretary to die was Patricia Roberts Harris ( served 1979 -- 1980, born 1924 ) on March 23, 1985. Name Term Date of birth ( and age ) F. David Mathews 1975 -- 1977 ( 1935 - 12 - 06 ) December 6, 1935 ( age 82 ) Joseph A. Califano Jr. 1977 -- 1979 ( 1931 - 05 - 15 ) May 15, 1931 ( age 86 ) Department of Health and Human Services A gathering of five secretaries in June 2015 As of April 2018, there are eight living former Secretaries of Health and Human Services ( with all Secretaries that have served since 1989 still living ), the oldest being Margaret Heckler ( served 1983 -- 1985, born 1931 ) ; The most recent Secretary of Health and Human Services to die was Richard Schweiker ( served 1981 -- 1983, born 1926 ), on July 31, 2015. The most recently serving Secretary to die was Otis R. Bowen ( served 1985 -- 1988, born 1918 ) on May 4, 2013. Name Term Date of birth ( and age ) Margaret Heckler 1983 -- 1985 ( 1931 - 06 - 21 ) June 21, 1931 ( age 86 ) Louis W. Sullivan 1989 -- 1993 ( 1933 - 11 - 03 ) November 3, 1933 ( age 84 ) Donna Shalala 1993 -- 2001 ( 1941 - 02 - 14 ) February 14, 1941 ( age 77 ) Tommy Thompson 2001 -- 2005 ( 1941 - 11 - 19 ) November 19, 1941 ( age 76 ) Mike Leavitt 2005 -- 2009 ( 1951 - 02 - 11 ) February 11, 1951 ( age 67 ) Kathleen Sebelius 2009 -- 2014 ( 1948 - 05 - 15 ) May 15, 1948 ( age 69 ) Sylvia Mathews Burwell 2014 -- 2017 ( 1965 - 06 - 23 ) June 23, 1965 ( age 52 ) Tom Price 2017 ( 1954 - 10 - 08 ) October 8, 1954 ( age 63 ) References Jump up ^ `` 3 U.S. Code § 19 - Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President ; officers eligible to act ''. LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved November 10, 2017. Jump up ^ Holbrook, M. Cay ( February 6, 2017 ). Foundations of Education : History and theory of teaching children and youths with visual impairments. American Foundation for the Blind. ISBN 9780891283409. Jump up ^ `` Patricia R. Harris ( 1977 -- 1979 ) -- Miller Center ''. millercenter.org. Retrieved February 6, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Jurisdiction The United States Senate Committee on Finance ''. www.finance.senate.gov. Retrieved February 6, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Ropes & Gray LLP : Alerts ''. www.ropesgray.com. Retrieved November 10, 2017. Jump up ^ Leavitt, Michael O. ( February 18, 2011 ). `` Health reform 's central flaw : Too much power in one office ''. The Washington Post. Jump up ^ Baker, Peter ; Thrush, Glenn ; Haberman, Maggie ( September 29, 2017 ). `` Health Secretary Tom Price Resigns After Drawing Ire for Chartered Flights ''. The New York Times. New York. Retrieved September 30, 2017. Jump up ^ Goldstein, Amy ; Eilperin, Juliet ( January 9, 2018 ). `` Senate Finance Committee evaluates Alex Azar to be the next HHS secretary ''. The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Retrieved January 28, 2018. Jump up ^ Pear, Robert ( January 24, 2018 ). `` Senate Confirms Trump Nominee Alex Azar as Health Secretary ''. The New York Times. New York. Retrieved January 28, 2018. Jump up ^ https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/alex-azar-sworn-in-as-secretary-of-health-and-human-services/2018/01/29/8257006e-0514-11e8-aa61-f3391373867e_story.html Jump up ^ `` The President 's Cabinet ''. Ben 's Guide. February 1, 2007. Retrieved November 15, 2007. Jump up ^ `` HHS Agencies & Offices HHS.gov ''. Retrieved November 10, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Harris was Secretary on May 4, 1980, when the office changed names from Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to Secretary of Health and Human Services. Because the department merely changed names, she did not need to be confirmed again, and her term continued uninterrupted. Jump up ^ `` Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Health and Human Services ''. Federal Register. February 20, 2008. Retrieved October 30, 2016. External links Official website Department Of Health And Human Services Meeting Notices and Rule Changes from The Federal Register RSS Feed Current U.S. order of precedence ( ceremonial ) Preceded by Alex Acosta as Secretary of Labor Order of Precedence of the United States as Secretary of Health and Human Services Succeeded by Ben Carson as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Current U.S. presidential line of succession Preceded by Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta 12th in line Succeeded by Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson United States Secretaries of Health and Human Services Secretaries of Heath, Education, and Welfare Hobby Folsom Flemming Ribicoff Celebrezze Gardner Cohen Finch Richardson Weinberger Mathews Califano Harris Secretaries of Health and Human Services Harris Schweiker Heckler Bowen Sullivan Shalala Thompson Leavitt Sebelius Burwell Price Azar Agencies of the United States Department of Health and Human Services Headquarters : Hubert H. Humphrey Building Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services Eric Hargan, Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretariate staff offices Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services Office of the Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Organizations directly under the Secretary of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living Organizations under the Assistant Secretary for Health Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health Public Health Service Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Surgeon General Office of Public Health and Science Administration for Children and Families Administration on Aging Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Food and Drug Administration Health Resources and Services Administration Indian Health Service National Institutes of Health Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality Programs Child Welfare Information Gateway National Toxicology Program Leaders of the United States federal executive departments Current Agriculture Commerce Defense Education Energy Health and Human Services Homeland Security Housing and Urban Development Interior Justice Labor State Transportation Treasury Veterans Affairs Past Commerce and Labor Health, Education, and Welfare Navy Post Office War Presidential line of succession in the United States of America Vice President ( Mike Pence ) Speaker of the House of Representatives ( Paul Ryan ) President pro tempore of the Senate ( Orrin Hatch ) Secretary of State ( Mike Pompeo ) Secretary of the Treasury ( Steven Mnuchin ) Secretary of Defense ( Jim Mattis ) Attorney General ( Jeff Sessions ) Secretary of the Interior ( Ryan Zinke ) Secretary of Agriculture ( Sonny Perdue ) Secretary of Commerce ( Wilbur Ross ) Secretary of Labor ( Alex Acosta ) Secretary of Health and Human Services ( Alex Azar ) Secretary of Housing and Urban Development ( Ben Carson ) Secretary of Transportation ( Elaine Chao ) Secretary of Energy ( Rick Perry ) Secretary of Education ( Betsy DeVos ) Secretary of Veterans Affairs ( Robert Wilkie ) Secretary of Homeland Security ( Kirstjen Nielsen ) Jump up ^ Although Elaine Chao is the current Secretary of Transportation, she is not a natural - born citizen ( acquired U.S. citizenship by naturalization ) and thus ineligible for the presidency. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_States_Secretary_of_Health_and_Human_Services&oldid=837642559 '' Categories : Lists of members of the Cabinet of the United States United States Department of Health and Human Services Cabinet of the United States Health ministers United States Secretaries of Health and Human Services Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from January 2018 Talk Contents About Wikipedia فارسی Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Русский Simple English Svenska Українська Tiếng Việt 4 more Edit links This page was last edited on 22 April 2018, at 02 : 46. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who heads the department of health and human services
Answer: Alex Azar