Johnson’s achievements lead to election to Institute of Medicine
Kevin Johnson, M.D., M.S., professor and vice chair of Biomedical Informatics and professor of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has been elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM), the organization announced this week.
The IOM is the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences and is comprised of some 1,755 top health experts and life scientists. The organization serves as an adviser to the nation to improve health and promote health-related research.
“Election into the IOM is recognition of those individuals who demonstrate outstanding achievement in their respective disciplines and consistent commitment to service in the field of medicine. Kevin's body of work exemplifies these characteristics,” said Jeff Balser, M.D., Ph.D., vice chancellor for Health Affairs at VUMC and dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “Kevin's membership recognizes not only his significant contributions, but also reflects upon Vanderbilt as an institution of growing impact in scientific discovery and patient care.”
The IOM is both an honorific membership organization and an advisory organization. Established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, the IOM is recognized as a national resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on health issues.
“The departments of Pediatrics and Biomedical Informatics join in congratulating Kevin and we welcome this as one more acknowledgement of the strength and distinction of Vanderbilt on the national landscape of academic medicine,” said Dan Masys, M.D., chair of Biomedical Informatics, who was elected to the IOM in 2001.
“I'm thrilled that Kevin has received this well-deserved recognition for his contributions to pediatrics, biomedical informatics, and to the National Academies through his service on IOM studies devoted to improving the nation's health.” Masys said.
“I'm honored and delighted to be elected to the IOM,” Johnson said. “It's always encouraging to have your work recognized, and I'm especially glad to win a distinction that reflects as this does on our departments of Biomedical Informatics and Pediatrics, our institution and the belief in the role of biomedical informatics in health care.”
Johnson is a 1983 graduate of Dickinson College, in Carlisle, Penn., and a 1987 graduate of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He underwent post-graduate training at Johns Hopkins (where he became pediatrics chief resident) and Stanford University School of Medicine (where he earned an M.S. in medical informatics). Johnson taught at Johns Hopkins for 10 years before joining Vanderbilt in 2001.
He is a member of the board of directors of the American Medical Informatics Association and a member of the National Institutes of Health National Advisory Research Resources Council.
Current Vanderbilt faculty who are also members of the IOM include: Jeff Balser, M.D., Ph.D.; James Blumstein, M.A., L.L.B.; Peter Buerhaus, Ph.D., R.N.; Larry Churchill, Ph.D.; Ellen Wright Clayton, M.D., J.D.; Colleen Conway-Welch, Ph.D.; Kathryn Edwards, M.D.; George Hill, Ph.D.; Dan Masys, M.D.; Randy Miller, M.D.; Hal Moses, M.D.; John Oates, M.D.; Mildred Stahlman, M.D.; and William Stead, M.D.