Empowering Chief Medical Officers in Post-Acute Care: A Strategic Role for PALTmed

The COVID-19 pandemic transformed health care leadership dynamics, especially in post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) settings. Among the lessons learned is the critical need for stronger, more formalized clinical leadership—specifically through chief medical officers (CMOs). Recent collaborations have highlighted the underutilized value of CMOs in improving care quality, regulatory compliance, and leadership accountability.1 In this editorial, we explore key CMO competencies, present insights from a survey of a group of CMOs and propose a strategic framework for how the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association (PALTmed) can champion this evolving leadership role.