§ 597 — Chief Medical Officer

(a) There is in the Office a Chief Medical Officer, who shall be appointed by the President. The Chief Medical Officer shall report to the Assistant Secretary. (b) The individual appointed as Chief Medical Officer shall be a licensed physician possessing a demonstrated ability in and knowledge of medicine and public health. (c) The Chief Medical Officer shall have the responsibility within the Department for medical issues related to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters, including— (1) serving as the principal advisor on medical and public health issues to the Secretary, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Assistant Secretary, and other Department officials; (2) providing operational medical support to all components of the Department; (3) as appropriate, providing medical liaisons to the components of the Department, on a reimbursable basis, to provide subject matter expertise on operational medical issues; (4) coordinating with Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments, the medical community, and others within and outside the Department, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response of the Department of Health and Human Services, with respect to medical and public health matters; and (5) performing such other duties relating to such responsibilities as the Secretary may require.