HSPH faculty members Katherine Baicker, Atul Gawande, and JoAnn Manson are among the 65 new Institute of Medicine members announced by the IOM on October 17, 2011, in conjunction with its 41st annual meeting. Election to the IOM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.
New members are elected by current active members through a highly selective process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health. The newly elected members raise IOM’s total active membership to 1,688 and the number of foreign associates to 102. With an additional 80 members holding emeritus status, IOM’s total membership is 1,870.
Established in 1970 as the health branch of the National Academy of Sciences, the IOM has become recognized as a national resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on health issues ranging from calculating people’s vitamin D and calcium needs, to enhancing nurses’ roles in improving health care.