Date: Sept. 12, 2007
Contacts: William Skane, Executive Director
Christine Stencel, Media Relations Officer
Office of News and Public Information
202-334-2138; e-mail <news@nas.edu>
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HARVEY V. FINEBERG NAMED TO SECOND TERM AS PRESIDENT OF THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE

WASHINGTON — Harvey V. Fineberg has been appointed to a second six-year term as president of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to begin July 1, 2008. Prior to his selection as IOM president in 2002, Fineberg was dean of the Harvard School of Public Health for 13 years and served as the university's provost from 1997 to 2001.

The 1,625-member Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to enlist distinguished members of the health professions in examining health-policy matters. Under a congressional charter granted to NAS in 1863, IOM provides advice to government policymakers, health professionals, and the public on issues such as health care delivery and quality, vaccine safety, nutrition, cancer prevention and management, and military and veterans' health.

During Fineberg's first term as IOM's president, the Institute issued landmark reports on subjects of critical concern to U.S. health care. These covered such diverse and important topics as childhood obesity and the marketing of foods and beverages to children, medication errors, electronic medical records, the quality of mental health care, health insurance and access to care, lifelong care of patients with cancer, preterm birth, the integrity of biomedical research, worldwide availability of malaria treatment, preparedness for pandemic flu, ending tobacco as a public health problem, the health consequences of chemical and biological exposures during military service, and reform of the Food and Drug Administration.

In announcing Fineberg's appointment to a second term, NAS President Ralph J. Cicerone said, "Harvey Fineberg's dynamic and purposeful leadership has positioned the IOM to make progressively greater impacts on the U.S. medical care system as well as the health of individual Americans. IOM's strong focus on improving health here and around the world has made it a recognized authority among health policy leaders in both the public and private sectors."

"I am grateful to Dr. Cicerone for his confidence and honored by the prospect of continued service at the Institute of Medicine," Fineberg said. "Relying on its distinguished members, thousands of other volunteer experts, dedicated staff, and many supporters, the IOM plays a distinctive and valuable role in improving biomedical science, medical care, and the public's health. The need for objective, evidence-based guidance in health has never been greater, and it is a special privilege at this time to serve as president of the IOM."

Fineberg, who holds M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard, was elected to IOM membership in 1982. He has served on many IOM and NAS study committees, co-chairing the Committee on HIV Prevention Strategies and chairing the Committee on Summary Measures of Population Health Status. Fineberg serves on the boards of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the China Medical Board, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. He is an adviser to the World Health Organization, and in 2003, he served on the Hong Kong SARS Expert Committee.

The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies. They are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent advice on science, technology, and health policy.