Dr. Barry Straube, the chief medical officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is planning to retire as of Jan. 31, 2011.
Straube, who joined the agency six years ago, was also director of the CMS Office of Clinical Standards & Quality. In a note posted on his LinkedIn account, Straube said he’s looking forward to "exploring new opportunities and returning to
the private sector after some vacation and family time" after he takes the agency up on its early retirement option.
A CMS spokesman confirmed that Straube and CMS director Dr. Donald Berwick announced his departure in an internal agency memo.
His tenures as CMO and OCSQ director were the longest in CMS history, according to Straube’s LinkedIn post.
