The Senate voted 55-43 this afternoon to approve the president’s nomination of Alex Azar to serve as Health and Human Services secretary. The former president of Lilly USA and deputy HHS secretary under the George W. Bush administration has said he will focus his HHS efforts on addressing the high cost of drugs; making health care more affordable, available and individualized; shifting the health care system from paying for sickness and procedures to health and outcomes; and tackling the opioid epidemic. Commenting on Azar’s nomination in November, AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack said, “We look forward to working side-by-side with him to achieve our mission of advancing the health of the patients and communities we are privileged to serve.” Eric Hargan, who previously served on the president’s transition team and as HHS deputy general counsel, has been serving as acting secretary since Tom Price resigned as HHS secretary in September.

Related News Articles

Headline
The AHA’s American Organization for Nursing Leadership will host its virtual Nurse Manager Institute on Oct. 30, Nov. 6 and Nov. 13. The event is designed for…
Headline
The AHA Sept. 9 announced Eric Fish, M.D., president and CEO of Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, Ind., has been elected to fill a vacancy on its Board of…
Headline
The Department of Health and Human Services announced Aug. 27 in a post on X that Susan Monarez was no longer director of the Centers for Disease Control and…
Perspective
Public
The job description for the ideal health care leader in coming years might read something like this:Wanted: Bold, compassionate innovator who unites clinical…
Headline
The Senate July 29 voted 51-47 along party lines to confirm Susan Monarez as the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Monarez served…
Headline
The American Society for Health Care Engineering July 28 announced the recipients of its annual member awards during the 2025 Health Care Facilities Innovation…