Applied science

 You are the hospital epidemiologist for the main hospital in the Wayne Sandupliin Hospital system, a three-hospital system that features the main hospital (a Level-1 trauma center) and two auxiliary hospitals East and Southwest Hospitals, each of which is approximately 60 miles from Wayne Main. Each hospital has a dedicated hospital epidemiologist. The chief medical officer (CMO), who is your direct report, has asked your opinion on the hospital hiring a system epidemiologist who would oversee the independent hospital epidemiologists, be the CMO’s line of communication to each hospital epidemiologist (right now he receives weekly and emergency reports from all three epidemiologists), and who will represent the hospital in communications with local, state, federal, and international bodies. While you would probably be the front-runner fort this position, the CMO has come to you seeking your take on whether this is a position the hospital should create. If selected, you would receive a promotion and raise, so you would probably be interested in the position and would endorse it. However, the CMO has asked you to speak as objectively as possible in reviewing his idea. In no more than three paragraphs, provide the CMO with your argument either supporting or refuting the idea.