October 27, 2005
Rivara elected to Institute of Medicine
Dr. Frederick Rivara has been elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine, chartered in 1970 as a component of the National Academy of Sciences. The Institute provides science-based advice on matters of biomedical science, medicine and health. New members are elected by the current membership on the basis of their professional achievement and their demonstrated interest, concern and involvement with problems and critical issues that affect the health of the public.
Rivara is the George Adkins professor of pediatrics and adjunct professor of epidemiology. He heads the Division of General Pediatrics, is vice chair for academic affairs for the Department of Pediatrics, and is a core faculty member at the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, where he served as director from 1987 until 2000.
Rivara is also editor of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, the oldest pediatric journal in the nation. He is a faculty member at the UW’s Child Health Institute, and an attending physician at Harborview Medical Center, and at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center.
Rivara’s career has been devoted to the study of methods to control injuries, specifically in such areas as bicycle and pedestrian injuries, motor vehicle injuries, alcohol-related trauma, and intentional injuries. His current interests include examining the cost-effectiveness of trauma care, the impact of domestic violence on women and children, and the effectiveness of interventions in childhood and adolescence on later health outcomes. His goal is to turn public policy attention to implementation of programs that can have a long-term impact on the health of children and adults.
The Institute of Medicine is broadly based in the biomedical sciences and health professions, as well as related aspects of the behavioral and social sciences, administration, law, the physical sciences, and engineering. It is concerned with the protection and advancement of the health professions and sciences, the promotion of research and development pertinent to health, and the improvement of health care.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Institute, which was established to honor professional achievement in the health sciences and to serve as a national resource for independent analysis and recommendations on issues related to medicine, biomedical sciences, and health. Rivara is one of 64 new members, raising the organization’s active membership to 1,461. There are now 39 members from the UW.
