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.