Penn’s Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics hosted a policy workshop with Admiral Rachel Levin, US Assistant Secretary of Health, on February 6.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine talks about how HHS is addressing public health issues during an event at the Penn Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics.
Levine, who also heads the US Public Health Service, is the first openly transgender person to hold a Senate-confirmed office at the federal level. Levine’s Feb. 6 policy seminar was attended by more than 50 students and faculty.
Levine previously served as Pennsylvania’s chief medical officer and secretary of health. She played a role in the state’s mitigation policies at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the workshop, Levine discussed the creation of the new Office of Long-Term COVID Research and Practice within HHS and the Syphilis Task Force to address the recent large increase in syphilis cases in the US. She suggested that one of her top priorities is looking at the impacts of climate change — which she says disproportionately affects communities of color — through the lens of health equity.
Levine also works on policy initiatives to address health equity issues for the LGBTQIA+ community, including the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data Action Plan.
“LGBTQIA+ issues have been very politicized and we’ve seen a series of extreme laws specifically targeting the transgender and non-binary communities,” Levine told seminar attendees, referring to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bills — which have been criticized for limiting of the classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Third-year PhD student and Penn LDI Associate Fellow Aidan Crowley said Penn LDI’s policy-oriented seminars helped her apply her research to solving real-world issues.
“It’s really helpful to hear from a federal perspective and a top-down thought process on the issues that are a high priority for her department,” Crowley said.
Admiral Levine sat down with The Daily Pennsylvanian after the seminar to discuss how various public health issues affect students.
Levine said the most significant public health issues facing students include climate change, reproductive rights — especially since the Supreme Court’s rejection of Roe v. Wade — and health care equity for communities of color and the LGBTQ+ community. She emphasized the responsibility of young people to catalyze change on these issues.
“Advocacy doesn’t just happen in Washington. … Advocacy at the local and state level is just as important, if not more important,” Levine said.
Levine also discussed mental health issues on college campuses, suggesting that a public health approach is to look at the drivers of mental health challenges young people face, such as factors that lead to suicide or addiction.
Levine also spoke about the importance of Narcan, a product of naloxone, which is the most common opioid overdose treatment. As of 2023, it was approved for over-the-counter use, a change described by Wellness at Penn and MERT as a “positive step.” Penn MERT offers regular training on how to properly use Narcan.
Levine said Naloxone should be in the dorms, restaurants and other places around campus, adding that she has worked with Penn Medicine physician Bonnie Milas to make Naloxone more available on campus.
While Levine stressed the importance of addiction treatment, recovery and prevention efforts, she said naloxone remains a critical tool to combat the overdose crisis.
“I’ve always said it’s impossible for someone to get into treatment and recovery if they’re dead,” Levin said.
HHS is currently advocating for fentanyl and xylazine test strips and syringe service programs like Prevention Point Philadelphia, according to Levine.
Levine also spoke about COVID-19, saying that — although the acute phase of COVID-19 is over — infection and death rates are still too high. She recommended that the best thing people can do is get vaccinated against COVID-19, describing the recent update as “very safe and very effective.”
Levine concluded by encouraging students interested in the fields of medicine or public health to consider the US Public Health Service’s Commissioned Corps, a team of uniformed officers who work in the field of medicine and public health to benefit the undeserved communities across the nation.
