The Health and Human Services Department said Wednesday that Secretary Alex Azar has been readmitted to the hospital for additional treatment of an intestinal condition he was diagnosed with earlier in the week.
“In the spirit of continued transparency, we wanted to notify you that, upon the recommendation of his doctor, he has been readmitted for additional treatment and observation,” HHS spokeswoman Caitlin Oakley said.
“Secretary Azar has been and will continue to be in regular contact with HHS leadership, the White House, and members of Congress as he remains fully engaged with the responsibilities of his job.”
She said Mr. Azar is grateful to his doctors and hopes to return to his D.C. office “as soon as possible.”
Mr. Azar was admitted for an overnight stay in a hospital — St. Vincent Indianapolis — late Sunday while visiting his family back home in Indiana, where he served as a pharmaceutical executive before taking a position in President Trump’s Cabinet.
The agency said the secretary is suffering from diverticulitis, a common condition in which pouches around the intestinal lining can become infected or inflamed.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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