Biden Administration Elevates ASPR to Operating Division, Announces New Name

Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra elevated the existing Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to an operating division on Friday. Following the elevation, the agency is now called the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.

The move elevates ASPR to a standalone agency within the Department alongside other HHS agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), among others.

According to HHS, this change will allow ASPR to mobilize a coordinated national response more effectively and efficiently during future disasters and emergencies in close collaboration with its sister agencies. Dawn O’Connell will continue to lead ASPR and retain the title of Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.