Madam Secretary type TV Show network CBS

Sara Ramirez is returning to television, but she won’t be suiting up in scrubs.

The actress has booked her first major post-Grey’s Anatomy gig, joining the cast of Madam Secretary as a series regular, EW has learned.

Ramirez will debut during the Sunday, Nov. 17 episode as Kat Sandoval, a brilliant political strategist, legendary in D.C. for her talent and for abruptly dropping out of politics until Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord (Téa Leoni) manages to coax her back into the State Department.

The news comes on the heels of the departure of Bebe Neuwirth, an original cast member who played McCord’s chief of staff Nadine Tolliver, earlier this week.

“We’re very excited that Sara is joining the cast,” says creator Barbara Hall. “She brings a fresh perspective and a fun, energetic quality to the State Department staff.”

Adds executive producer Lori McCreary: “We are thrilled to have Sara join the Madam Secretary State Department team. From the moment she walked on set with her talent, intellect, and spirit, she became part of the family!”

The Tony-award winning actress is best known for starring as Dr. Callie Torres on Grey’s Anatomy for more than a decade, exiting in 2016 at the end of season 12 amid contract negotiations for the main cast members. Hope for the actress to return to the long-running medical drama seemed to diminish after Ramirez called out ABC over an offensive joke about bisexual people during an episode of The Real O’Neals; in addition to playing a bisexual character on Grey’s, Ramirez also identifies as bisexual.

Ramirez also lends her voice to the animated series Sofia the First.

Madam Secretary airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.