Birmingham-based medical group American Family Care (AFC) recently announced the appointment of Dr. LouAnne Giangreco as their new chief medical officer (CMO).

AFC was founded in 1982 by Birmingham doctor Bruce Irwin as a healthcare organization that aims to decrease emergency room overcrowding with easy access to both urgent and primary care according to their website.

Giangreco comes to Birmingham with more than a decade of CMO and emergency medicine experience in the northeastern area of the U.S., leaving her former role as senior medical director at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island.

In this week’s Q&A Giangreco said she plans to use her experience in other metros to ensure equal access to quality healthcare for people who live outside of Birmingham’s city center.

So, what are the responsibilities of a chief medical officer?