New Medical Chief of Homeland Security is an EM Physician

Secretary Michael Chertoff Announces the New Chief Medical Officer for the Department of Homeland Security

Today Secretary Michael Chertoff announced the appointment of Jeffrey W. Runge, M.D. as the Department’s new Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Runge currently serves as Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at the Department of Transportation. Secretary Chertoff issued the following statement:

Prior to serving as Administrator of NHTSA, Dr. Runge practiced and taught emergency medicine as Assistant Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. Dr. Runge has also served as Director of the Carolinas Center for Injury Prevention and Control. He is board-certified in Emergency Medicine and has served in leadership positions in various local, regional and National organizations including the American College of Emergency Physicians and the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of the South in Tennessee and his Doctor of Medicine from the University of South Carolina.