MEDIA RELEASE

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has announced the selection of Patrick H. DeLeon, PhD, JD, MPH, to its active membership.

DeLeon, Chief of Staff in Washington, DC for U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, is a Clinical Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) and an affiliate faculty at the UH-Hilo School of Nursing.
He also holds an adjunct professorship at UH Manoa’s School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, and is a national past president of the American Psychological Association.

The IOM, part of the National Academy of Sciences, is an independent, nonprofit organization that works outside of government to provide unbiased and authoritative advice to decision-makers and the public. Election to the IOM is considered one of the highest honors in medicine. Worldwide, there are fewer than 2,000 members.

“The IOM is really an outside federal think tank, advising on important matters involving medicine from numerous perspectives”, said DeLeon, noting that members of the IOM include professionals from multiple disciplines, including law, education, and clinical practice.

“Dr. DeLeon has received more than 60 national awards for his own contributions to multiple disciplines, including the fields of psychology, nursing, medicine, social work and public health,” said Dr. Jerris Hedges, JABSOM Dean and a fellow member of the IOM. “He has been a tireless advocate for improving health care throughout the nation as well as in Hawaii.”

DeLeon has served Inouye for 36 years. He holds a master’s in public health degree from UH Manoa, and in 1978 was recognized as a distinguished alumnus of the school.

MEDIA RELEASE

The Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) Medical School Travel Support Program has provided nearly $90,000 to subsidize travel and living expenses for medical students assisting physicians on Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, and Hawaii (Hilo and Kona). 

The program, part of a two-year commitment with the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), provides valuable Neighbor Island training opportunities for students and much needed health care resources for rural communities.

The HMSA Medical School Travel Support Program makes it possible for additional medical students to perform rotations on the Neighbor Islands where they work with rural physicians to help improve access to quality health care in those communities. 

The program gives Oahu medical students valuable experience that may help shape their decisions about where to practice.

“In an effort to ‘grow our own healers,’ HMSA and JABSOM joined forces last year to provide more medical school students with the opportunity to train on the Neighbor Islands,” said HMSA Senior Vice President Cliff Cisco. “Ultimately, we hope some students return to the Neighbor Islands to practice. In the meantime, they are helping local physicians and rural communities.”

“By working in rural areas, our medical students find out what wonderful practice opportunities there are all across Hawaii,” said Kelley Withy, M.D., associate professor at JABSOM. “HMSA funding has allowed many more students to have these experiences, and we hope the program will grow in the coming year so we can encourage more to practice on the Neighbor Islands.

Program highlights include:

* Six first-year medical school students worked in Kalaupapa under the direction of Kalani Brady, M.D., and provided assistance to physicians in the remote area of Molokai.

* Eight students in the Imi Hoola program provided medical services to rural communities. (Imi Hoola is a 12-month post-baccalaureate program in the Department of Native Hawaiian Health that gives qualified candidates from disadvantaged backgrounds an opportunity to gain valuable experiences and succeed in medical school.)

The John A. Burns School of Medicine, UH Manoa was established in 1965 and has trained more than 4,500 medical doctors (medical school and residency program) to date. 

Approximately half of the physicians practicing in Hawaii are graduates of the John A. Burns School of Medicine MD or residency program.

The University of Hawaii Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawaii System.  

Its mission is to unite donors’ passions with the University of Hawaii’s aspirations to benefit the people of Hawaii and beyond. This is done by raising private philanthropic support, managing private investments, and nurturing donor and alumni relationships.

HMSA is a nonprofit, mutual benefit association founded in Hawaii in 1938. It is governed by a community board of directors that includes representatives from health care, business, labor, government, education, clergy, and the community at large. HMSA is a member of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. 

Nationally, HMSA and 38 other Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans provide worldwide coverage to more than 100 million members.