Kathleen Sebelius being sworn in by President Obama on April 28

Kathleen Sebelius was confirmed to head the Department of Health and Human Services late Tuesday by a Senate vote of 65 to 31, and sworn in later that night in a White House ceremony. The vote had been delayed by Republicans concerned about her position on abortion.

The former Kansas governor assumes her new position amid widening concerns over an outbreak of swine flu that began in Mexico.  Concern over the outbreak  may have smoothed out GOP procedural objections and brought the confirmation vote to a conclusion (“Sebelius Confirmed as Secretary of HHS,” The Washington Post, April 29).

Also facing Sebelius are the difficult issues of national health reform and long-term care reform in the midst of a bad economy (see “Obama Picks Sebelius, Deparle to Lead Health Care Reform,” PHI, March 6).

In prepared testimony that she delivered earlier this month in her confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, Sebelius acknowledged that the U.S. has “by far the most expensive health system in the world.” Noting that many Americans cannot afford care, she said:

If confirmed, I will work with you to ensure that all those eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP are enrolled. I will strengthen these programs’ roles in protecting Americans with the highest costs and lowest incomes. This includes ensuring that individuals with disabilities receive care that is high-quality and adaptable to their needs. And it includes improving their performance in providing long-term care, which is so critical to so many Americans (“Sebelius: ‘No relief in sight,’” Politico, April 2).