The confirmation of Alex Azar as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services provides new opportunities for an experienced public servant to continue work that he began when, as HHS general counsel and as the department’s deputy Secretary, he played pivotal roles in creating the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response. The Infectious Diseases Society of America looks forward to working with Secretary Azar to build critical capacities for detection, prevention, and responses to halt the spread of infectious diseases. Sustained investments in public health infrastructure, outbreak preparedness, biomedical research leading to new diagnostics, vaccines and antimicrobial drugs are all urgently needed. The IDSA remains committed to lending our expertise toward strengthening the ID and the HIV physician workforce that will ensure timely access for effective patient care and valuable contributions toward public health services.