The Role of a Chief of Staff in an Incident Management System During Public Health Responses

The Chief of Staff (CoS) position, in both the public and private sectors, assists the executive team in strategizing, communicating, and making decisions for the organization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uses the model of a CoS within its incident management system (IMS) for public health emergency responses. During those responses, the CoS is responsible for the oversight and coordination of the operational and management functions, and that position is a primary member of the response leadership team. An effective CoS leverages their knowledge of systems and processes, resources, and subject matter expertise from across the organization to solve operational challenges. The position also facilitates connections with other federal response agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and international and domestic partners. Health departments seeking to improve how their organization addresses routine and unexpected challenges during emergency responses could consider adding a CoS role to their IMS.