National Academy of Medicine Elects 100 New Members, including 4 Women of Impact

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) today announced the election of 90 regular members and 10 international members during its annual meeting. Election to the Academy 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.

“I am deeply honored to welcome these extraordinary health and medicine leaders and researchers into the National Academy of Medicine,” said NAM President Victor J. Dzau. “Their demonstrated excellence in tackling public health challenges, leading major discoveries, improving health care, advancing health policy, and addressing health equity will critically strengthen our collective ability to tackle the most pressing health challenges of our time.”

New members are elected by current members through a process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health. A diversity of talent among NAM’s membership is assured by its Articles of Organization, which stipulate that at least one-quarter of the membership is selected from fields outside the health professions — for example, from such fields as law, engineering, social sciences, and the humanities. The newly elected members bring NAM’s total membership to more than 2,500, which includes more than 200 international members.

Established originally as the Institute of Medicine in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine addresses critical issues in health, science, medicine, and related policy and inspires positive actions across sectors. NAM works alongside the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding of STEMM. With their election, NAM members make a commitment to volunteer their service in National Academies activities.

Newly elected Women of Impact members of the National Academy of Medicine and their election citations are:

Wanda Barfield, MD, MPH, FAAP, director, Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta. For leadership over federal public health programs on reproductive health, resulting in near-nationwide implementation of maternal mortality review committees, increased timeliness and availability of national pregnancy and infant health surveillance data, reporting annually on population data on Sudden Unexpected Infant Death, and decreasing health disparities through state perinatal quality collaboratives implementing hospital and community initiatives.

Carrie H. Colla, PhD, Susan J. and Richard M. Levy Distinguished Professor and vice chair, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, New Hampshire. For pathbreaking and influential research documenting the impact of payment policy on health outcomes, health care spending, and inequality; and for public service in her leadership of the Division of Health Analysis at the Congressional Budget Office, providing nonpartisan, objective information and analysis to inform federal health legislation.

Ninez Alafriz Ponce, PhD, MPP, professor, health policy and management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles. For building the California Health Interview Survey as the model for state efforts to understand access to care and racial and ethnic inequities in health and health care. Her research has generated critical understanding of data equity to inform program and policy action addressing racial/ethnic health disparities, particularly for immigrant populations and Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander populations.

Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, executive director and chief executive officer, American College of Surgeons, Chicago. For her visionary leadership at the American College of Surgeons that coalesced all surgical specialties into the “House of Surgery,” creating a forceful, influential voice promoting evidence-based care. Her tireless efforts enable surgeons “to heal all patients with skill and trust.”