Washington, DC - Among the latest names elected to the Institute of Medicine (IoM) are four doctors with cardiovascular interests.

They are Dr Harlan Krumholz (Harold H Hines Jr Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology and Public Health and professor of internal medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT), Dr Gary Gibbons (director, Cardiovascular Research Institute, and professor of medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta. GA), Dr Jonathan Seidman (Henrietta B and Frederick H Bugher Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA) and Dr Arthur Garson (executive vice president and provost, school of medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville).

The Institute of Medicine is a nonprofit organization set up to advise the nation on matters of biomedical science, medicine, and health. Part of the National Academy of Sciences, the institute provides unbiased, evidence-based, and authoritative information and advice concerning health and science policy to policy makers, professionals, leaders in every sector of society, and the public at large. With their election, members make a commitment to devote a significant amount of volunteer time as members of IoM committees, which engage in a broad range of studies on health-policy issues.

President of the institute, Dr Harvey Fineberg, said: "Members are elected through a highly selective process that recognizes people who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, healthcare, and public health. Election is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of medicine and health."

Krumholz commented to heartwire that it was a great honor to be elected to the Institute of Medicine. Noting that his achievements have been aided by many other people who have contributed to his work, Krumholz added that he welcomed the great opportunity to influence future health-policy issues.