The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ new assistant secretary for health is a formerly Dallas-based pediatrician who did a stint as chief medical officer at Children’s Health. He also served as head of Texas’ task force on infectious Disease Preparedness and Response during the Ebola scare. The Senate confirmed Dr. Brett Giroir to the spot last week in a move that largely went unnoticed, despite Democrats previously voicing disapproval for the Trump nominee.
Giroir earned his MD through UT Southwestern and later served there as a professor; a representative said he was last affiliated with the school around 2004. Children’s Health tells me he was CMO from 2000 to 2003, before taking a leadership role with the U.S. Department of Defense in January 2004. Former Gov. Rick Perry appointed Giroir to head the new infectious disease task force in 2014, making him the state’s de facto ebola “czar”.
Congressional records show Trump’s nomination from last year was returned to the president on Jan. 3 due to inaction. The Senate received a new nomination on Jan. 8 and confirmed it on Feb. 7.
