Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has left the hospital where he was being treated for an infection during an overnight stay.
On Sunday, Azar was treated with antibiotics at St. Vincent hospital in Indianapolis. HHS officials disclosed the visit to reporters Sunday but didn’t provide details about the infection other than to say it was “minor.” The agency also didn’t report how long Azar had been ill. He was admitted out of “an abundance of caution,” according to HHS.
HHS reported in a statement Monday that Azar was “fully functional during his brief period of observation and has been in regular contact with HHS senior leadership.”
Azar will return to HHS offices Tuesday.
“The secretary and his family thank everyone for their concerns and well wishes,” the agency said.
Azar first reported on Twitter that he had left the hospital Monday and returned to work.
“I’m grateful for the incredible doctors & nurses who provided me with excellent care during my one-night stay at @StVincentIN, ” he said. “Also thankful for my wife, who insisted that I call my primary care doctor when I wasn’t feeling well. Glad to be back at work for the American people.”
I’m grateful for the incredible doctors & nurses who provided me with excellent care during my one-night stay at @StVincentIN. Also thankful for my wife, who insisted that I call my primary care doctor when I wasn’t feeling well. Glad to be back at work for the American people.
— Alex Azar (@SecAzar) April 16, 2018
Azar has held the helm at HHS since the end of January. He is a former pharmaceutical executive for Eli Lilly, a drug company based in Indianapolis.
