NFL to hire chief medical officer

NEW YORK — The NFL will be hiring a chief medical officer to work with team medical staffs, the players’ union and league committees.

In a letter sent to the 32 teams, commissioner Roger Goodell said the chief medical officer also would work with “the broader independent scientific and medical communities.”

A search will begin this week and will be conducted by a panel of health and medical experts led by Dr. Betsy Nabel, the league’s chief health and medical adviser.

Others on the search panel will include Dr. Rob Heyer, president of the NFL Physicians Society and team internist for the Carolina Panthers; Ronnie Barnes, senior vice-president and head trainer for the New York Giants; Dr. Robert Cantu of Boston University; and Peter Foss, of G.E. Healthcare. The panel will work closely with the league’s Jeff Miller.