The Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services (formerly the Under Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1953–1979, and the Under Secretary of Health and Human Services, 1979–1990) is the chief operating officer

Chief operating officer

A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...

 of the United States Department of Health and Human Services

United States Department of Health and Human Services

The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...

. The Deputy Secretary oversees all operations within the Department, including oversees Medicare, Medicaid, public health, medical research, food and drug safety, welfare, child and family services, disease prevention, Indian health, and mental health services. The incumbent Deputy Secretary, Bill Corr

Bill Corr

Bill Corr is the Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services in President Barack Obama's administration...

, was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on May 6, 2009.

The Deputy Secretary is also the Regulatory Policy Officer for the Department, overseeing the development and approval of all HHS regulations and significant guidance. In addition, the Deputy Secretary leads a number of initiatives at the Department, including implementing the President's Management Agenda, combating bio-terrorism, and public health emergency preparedness. He also represents Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

Kathleen Sebelius

Kathleen Sebelius is an American politician currently serving as the 21st Secretary of Health and Human Services. She was the second female Governor of Kansas from 2003 to 2009, the Democratic respondent to the 2008 State of the Union address, and chair-emerita of the Democratic Governors...

 on the board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C...

.

The Deputy Secretary is appointed by the President

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 and confirmed by the Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

. The Deputy Secretary is paid at level II of the Executive Schedule

Executive Schedule

Executive Schedule refers to the highest-ranked appointed positions in the executive branch of the U.S. government. The President of the United States, an elected official, appoints incumbents to these positions, most of them with the advice and consent of the Senate. They include members of the...

, meaning he or she receives a basic annual salary of $162,000. The Deputy Secretary is assisted by a Principal Associate Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, two Associate Deputy Secretaries, and three Staff Assistants. The position of Deputy Secretary was originally held by an Under Secretary until the position was retitled in August 1990. The position of Under Secretary had been in existence since the creation of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1953.

Assistant Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare

Name	Took office	Left office	President served under	References
Jane Morrow Spaulding	April 1953	January 1954	Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...

Under Secretaries of Health, Education, and Welfare

Name	Took office	Left office	President served under	References
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st Vice President of the United States , serving under President Gerald Ford, and the 49th Governor of New York , as well as serving the Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower administrations in a variety of positions...	June 1953	December 1954	Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
Vacant	December 1954	September 1955	Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
Herold Christian Hunt	September 1955	February 1957	Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
Vacant	February 1957	April 1957	Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
John Alanson Perkins	April 1957	March 1958	Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
Vacant	March 7 1958	March 18 1958	Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
Bertha Sheppard Adkins Bertha Adkins Bertha Sheppard Adkins was born in Salisbury, Maryland on August 24, 1906. She was an educator, political activist, public servant, and a community leader.-Early life:Adkins graduated from Wicomico High School in Salisbury, Maryland...	March 1958	January 1961	Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
Ivan Arnold Nestingen	January 1961	May 1965	John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.... , Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
Wilbur Joseph Cohen Wilbur J. Cohen Wilbur Joseph Cohen was an American social scientist and federal civil servant. He was one of the key architects in the creation and expansion of the American welfare state and was involved in the creation of both the New Deal and Great Society programs.Wilbur Cohen was known by several nicknames...	June 1965	May 1968	Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
Vacant	May 1968	July 1968	Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
James Henry McCrocklin	July 1968	January 1969	Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
Vacant	January 1969	March 1969	Richard Nixon Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
John G. Veneman John Veneman John G. Veneman was a Republican politician from Modesto, California. He was born in Corcoran and died in Sacramento. He was elected to the California State Assembly for the 30th District five times in succession, between 1962 and 1968...	March 1969	January 1973	Richard Nixon Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
Frank Charles Carlucci III Frank Carlucci Frank Charles Carlucci III is a former official in the United States Government, associated with the Republican Party. The most prominent office held by Carlucci was as Secretary of Defense from 1987 until 1989 in the Reagan Administration.-Early life and career:Carlucci was born in Scranton,...	February 1973	December 1974	Richard Nixon Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under... , Gerald Ford Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...

Under Secretaries of Health and Human Services

Name	Took office	Left office	President served under	References
John A. Svahn	March 1983	September 1983	Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
Charles D. Baker	1984	1985	Ronald Reagan
Don M. Newman	1985	1989	Ronald Reagan
Constance Horner	1989	August 1990	George H.W. Bush

Deputy Secretaries of Health and Human Services

Name	Took office	Left office	President served under	References
Constance Horner	August 1990	1991	George H.W. Bush
Kevin Moley	1991	1993	George H.W. Bush
Walter Broadnax Walter Broadnax Walter Doyce Broadnax in the fall of 2008 was appointed Distinguished Professor of Public Administration at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University...	1993	1996	Bill Clinton Bill Clinton William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
Kevin Thurm	1996		Bill Clinton
Claude A. Allen	2001		George W. Bush George W. Bush George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
Alex M. Azar II Alex Azar Alexander M. Azar II was appointed by George W. Bush as the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services . Before this appointment, Mr. Azar served as General Counsel at HHS....	June 2001	2007	George W. Bush
Eric Hargan Eric Hargan Eric D. Hargan was the Acting Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the chief operating officer of the largest civilian department in the federal government, with a budget of $640 billion and more than 67,000 employees...  (acting)	2007	2007
Tevi Troy Tevi Troy Tevi David Troy is the former Deputy Secretary of United States Department of Health and Human Services in the administration of George W. Bush.-Personal history:...	2007	2009	George W. Bush George W. Bush George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
Bill Corr Bill Corr Bill Corr is the Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services in President Barack Obama's administration...	2009	Incumbent	Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

Sources