2 BU professors selected to join Institute of Medicine

Two Boston University Medical Campus professors were selected to be members of the Institute of Medicine, according to a Monday press release.

School of Medicine professor Brian Jack and School of Public Health professor Alan Jette were elected to be a part of the Institute of Medicine by its current members.

Jack, BU’s department chair of family medicine, said he was surprised when he received an email notification of the news from IOM.

“I was greatly honored and humbled by it,” he said. “It was something that I never expected to happen.”

Jack and Jette were two of 70 new members from across the nation, IOM announced Monday during its 43rd Annual Meeting, the release stated. The IOM recognizes officials in the fields of health and medicine for achievement and service to their field.

Jack said he attributes his election into the IOM to his research, which he said is mostly community-focused.

“My clinical work as a doctor in family medicine has allowed me to see what the needs are for society and what the needs of the people are,” he said. “I’ve tried to focus my research on areas where we can do better to serve the needs of the people.

Jack led Boston Medical Center researchers in establishing Project Red, an initiative that aims to ease patient transitions in care and to reduce re-admissions to the hospital.

“That is in my area — in transitions in care, especially in that transition [from hospital] to home, and preparing people to better take care of themselves. [I specialize] in working with at risk families to improve their chances of having a healthy family, and in my global work in Central and Eastern Europe, Africa and Lesotho,” Jack said. “It all comes from my clinical work in identifying areas where we can do better and better serve people.”

Jack has spent much of his career researching family medicine in underdeveloped countries such as Hungary, Romania and Albania. He also worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he has been recognized for his knowledge and research on pre-conception care, officials confirmed.

Jette, who could not be reached for comment, is the current director of the Health and Disabilities Research Institute. He also led the Health and Disabilities Research Institute’s Future Disabilities in America project, a 2007 report that influenced the views of disabilities researchers nationally, officials confirmed.

In addition, he works with the U.S. Social Security Administration to create methods and tools for assessing health and wellness. He previously served as the Dean of Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences from 1996 to 2004, officials confirmed.

IOM is a counterpart of the National Academy of Sciences and has more than 1,700 active members, officials confirmed. The institute works to ensure that both the government and private sectors have the information they need to make decisions in the healthcare field. Members often join other healthcare professionals to work on research for Congress, as well as other federal agencies.

“It is an honor to welcome our highly distinguished colleagues to the Institute of Medicine,” said IOM President Harvey Fineberg, in the release. “These individuals have inspired us through their achievements in research, teaching, clinical work, and other contributions to the medical field. Their knowledge and skills will deeply enrich the IOM.”