A Visitor from Washington, D.C.

Last month, Children of Bellevue (CoB) had the pleasure of welcoming U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Assistant Secretary Admiral Rachel Levine to Bellevue Hospital. Admiral Levine had an opportunity to visit a variety of programs at Bellevue which receive support from CoB. She also spoke with CoB’s Executive Director, Sarah Beth Lardie, about the expansion of CoB programs.

Admiral Levine was trained as a pediatrician at New York City’s Mount Sinai Hospital, As a physician she concentrated on the intersection between physical care and mental health, similar to the work that is being done by the various Child and Adolescent Psychiatry programs at Bellevue supported by Children of Bellevue.

In 2015, Admiral Levine was nominated as Physician General in the State of Pennsylvania and was later named Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Health. While in state government, she focused on Pennsylvania’s opioid crisis, child immunization and maternal health. In her current role of she has been a leading figure in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, LGBTQ+ medicine and eating disorders.

During her visit to Bellevue Hospital, Admiral Levine met with staff from the Pediatrics Department, Child Life, the Loeb Center, and the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department. She also met with CoB Board Chair, Jennifer Giasone, and long-time CoB Board Member Tom Colicchio. It was an honor to welcome Admiral Levine!

You can read more about Admiral Levine and her initiatives as Assistant Secretary by clicking here.