The White House has announced the appointment of Dr. Kathryn Brinsfield to the post of Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, Department of Homeland Security.

Dr. Brinsfield served as the Associate Chief Medical Officer and Director for Workforce Health and Medical Support at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) since 2009. Since 2013, she has also served as the Acting Assistant Secretary in the Office of Health Affairs and the Acting Chief Medical Officer at DHS. From 2012 to 2013, she was detailed to the National Security Staff as the Director of Medical Preparedness Policy.

Previously, Dr. Brinsfield served in leadership roles for the Emergency Medical Services of the City of Boston Public Health Commission. She retired from the Boston Public Health Commission as Medical Director for Public Health Preparedness and Homeland Security in 2009. Dr. Brinsfield has also held associate professorships at Boston University School of Medicine and Boston University School of Public Health, and has worked as an attending physician and Director of Resident Education at Boston Medical Center. Dr. Brinsfield received a B.S. from Brown University, an M.P.H. from Boston University School of Public Health, and an M.D. from Tufts University School of Medicine.