Biden unveils health picks including HHS secretary
President-elect Joe Biden unveiled his health team early Monday morning, a slate of seven experts and officials that will lead his administration's response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
California Attorney General and former Rep. Xavier Beccera is nominated as Secretary of Health and Human Services. If confirmed, he would be the first Latino to lead the department.
Vivek Muthy has been nominated to be U.S. Surgeon General, a role he served in during the Obama administration.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, a leading expert on virus testing, prevention, and treatment, is nominated to serve as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, one of the country’s foremost experts on health care disparities, will serve as the COVID-19 equity task force chair.
As Biden said last week, Dr. Anthony Fauci will stay on in his current role as as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and will take on the elevated role of Biden's chief medical adviser on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jeff Zients will serve as coordinator of the COVID-19 response and counselor to the president, and Natalie Quillian will serve as deputy coordinator of the COVID-19 Response.
“This trusted and accomplished team of leaders will bring the highest level of integrity, scientific rigor, and crisis-management experience to one of the toughest challenges America has ever faced — getting the pandemic under control so that the American people can get back to work, back to their lives, and back to their loved ones," Biden said in a statement announcing the picks.
-ABC News John Verhovek and Molly Nagle