Helga Scharf-Bell is the National Disaster Medical System Director and Assistant Secretary for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Chief Nursing Officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Scharf-Bell is no stranger to trauma or disasters. Starting her medical career in 1979 at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York, a level one trauma center, she continues to build on her trauma and disaster skills. After nearly forty years in the operating room, ICU, and trauma care, her extensive background provides the foundation for her current role as director of the National Disaster Medical System. Dr. Scharf-Bell's past experience includes serving as the division director for Special Programs, which encompasses: Medical Evacuation Operations, Emergency Care Coordination Center, emPower data, Behavioral Health with a focus on Pediatric and Special Populations, and National Special Security Events Coordination. From 2023 to 2024 she was the ASPR Chief Nursing Officer before her role as the NDMS Director. Dr. Scharf-Bell has an extensive history with NDMS, spanning over 25 years, including her tenure as a team leader for the New York team for over 10 years, with more than 35 deployments, and subsequently as a headquarters branch chief for the program. She continues to provide mentorship for doctoral students from the University of Maryland School of Nursing in disaster and public health emergencies. Dr. Scharf-Bell holds a DNP from the University of Maryland Baltimore and a BSN and MSN from Pace University, and has completed a certificate program in Environmental Health.