Dr. John Rich, a professor and chair of the Department of Health Management and Policy at the Drexel University School of Public Health, was today named to the Institute of Medicine (IOM). 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.
“It is an honor to be selected to the Institute of Medicine,” said Dr. Rich, who is also a recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. “The Institute of Medicine has provided leadership in tackling key issues in medicine, public health and social justice. I am proud to have the opportunity to work with the Institute of Medicine to advance its work.”
Dr. Rich was one of 65 new members with five foreign associates named to the IOM during the organization’s 39th annual meeting on October 12, 2009.
“It is a great pleasure to welcome these distinguished and accomplished individuals to the Institute of Medicine,” said IOM President Harvey V. Fineburg. “Each of these new members stands out as a professional whose research, knowledge and skills have significantly advanced health and medicine and who has served as a model for others. The Institute of Medicine is greatly enriched by the addition of our newly elected colleagues.”
New members are elected by current active members through a highly selective process that recognizes individuals that have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health. A diversity of talent among IOM’s membership is assured by the Institute’s charter, which stipulates that at least one-quarter of the membership is selected from outside the health professions. The newly elected members raise IOM’s total active membership to 1,610 and the number of foreign associates to 93. With an additional 75 members holding emeritus status, IOM’s total membership is 1,778.
Dr. Rich is an expert in inner-city health problems, particularly urban violence, men’s health and racial disparities. In addition to serving as a department chair and professor, he also established the Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice at the Drexel University School of Public Health. Supported by more than $1 million in grants, the center focuses on urban trauma as a public health issue and provides a program of healing for victims of violence.
Dr. Rich received the MacArthur Fellowship for his work in addressing the primary health care needs of young men in the inner city by designing clinical services and training programs.
Dr. Rich also recently published a book on stemming trauma and urban violence, entitled Wrong Place Wrong Time: Trauma and Violence in the Lives of Young Black Men, which is slated for release by The Johns Hopkins Press in November 2009.
Prior to joining Drexel University, Dr. Rich was Medical Director for the Boston Public Health Commission, the health department for the City of Boston. In that capacity, he oversaw the clinical functions of the commission and developed initiatives to address emerging health problems. Dr. Rich was also an Associate Professor of Medicine and Public Health at Boston University, and served as an attending physician at Boston Medical Center.
He received his medical degree from Duke University Medical School and completed his residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Rich also holds a Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard School of Public Health. He received his bachelor’s degree in English from Dartmouth College.
The IOM is unique in its structure as both an honorific membership organization and an advisory organization. Established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, IOM has become recognized as a national resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on health issues. With their election, members make a commitment to volunteer their service on IOM committees, boards and other activities.