Chief medical officer

Chief medical officer (CMO) is the title used in many countries for the senior government official designated head of medical services, sometimes at the national level. The post is held by a physician who serves to advise and lead a team of medical experts on matters of public health importance.^[1]

The post of chief medical officer dates back to Victorian times.^[2] The equivalent title may go under different names across countries, for example, the Surgeon General in the United States and the Chief Public Health Officer in Canada.

By extension, chief medical officer is also used as a job title, for the physician who is the professional lead of all physicians at a hospital.^[3]

See also

• Chief Medical Officer (Australia)
• Chief Medical Officer (Ireland)
• Chief Medical Officers (United Kingdom)
• Chief of staff – the highest-ranking physician at a hospital in the US

References

1. Department of Health, UK. Chief Medical Officer. Accessed 19 Jan. 2012.
2. "History of the post of Chief Medical Officer". UK Department of Health. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
3. "Find an expert". Birmingham Children's Hospital. Archived from the original on 2017-05-16. Retrieved 2017-04-13. Fiona was the clinical lead in PICU until 2010 when she became the Deputy Chief Medical Officer. In 2015 she became Chief Medical Officer, which is the professional lead for the doctors at Birmingham Children's Hospital.