CLEVELAND - John Chae, MD, has been elected as a new member to the prestigious Institute of Medicine (IOM), one of the highest national honors in the fields of health and medicine.
A noted Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) physician specializing in stroke rehabilitation, Dr. Chae has made many important clinical and research contributions to the medical community. Dr. Chae’s research focuses on the use of Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) for reducing post-stroke shoulder pain and improving the upper and lower limb function of stroke survivors.
Dr. Chae’s election into the IOM will help fill a vital need within the organization for expertise from PM&R physicians. Prior to this election, there were only seven PM&R physicians in the IOM out of a membership of more than 1,800.
“I am humbled by this honor and I look forward to working with the other members of the IOM to improve the health of our nation,” said Dr. Chae, the Director of Rehabilitation Research and Stroke Rehabilitation at the MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute of Ohio. At Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, he is a Professor and Vice Chair of PM&R and Professor of Biomedical Engineering, a joint department between the Case School of Engineering and the School of Medicine. He also currently serves as the Associate Director for Clinical Affairs at the Cleveland FES Center.
As a member of the IOM, Dr. Chae will help further the organization’s mission by participating in advisory sessions, committees and studies on health care issues affecting citizens across the country.
The Institute of Medicine is the health branch of the National Academies and is an elite organization made up of leaders in the fields of health care, law, engineering, humanities, and natural, social and behavioral sciences. The IOM is a national resource for independent and authoritative advice for decision makers and the public on health issues.
New members are elected by the active members of the IOM and are selected for membership based on major contributions to the advancement of medical sciences, health care and public health. For those at the top of their field, membership in the IOM reflects the height of professional achievement and commitment to service.
“Dr. Chae is a true asset to the Cleveland medical community through his work at MetroHealth, his research with the Cleveland FES Center and his professorship at Case Western Reserve University,” said Alfred F. Connors, MD, Chief Medical Officer at MetroHealth and Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. “We are all extremely proud of Dr. Chae’s election to the Institute of Medicine.”
“Not only is Dr. Chae an extremely gifted and committed physician and scientist, he is also an inspiring teacher and mentor to medical students, residents and young scientists.” said Dr. Connors.
"Dr. Chae's successful career and election to the Institute of Medicine bring great honor to Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. We are thrilled to see his track record of meaningful research and medical education recognized on this elite national platform," commented Pamela Davis, MD, PhD, Dean of the School of Medicine, Vice President for Medical Affairs, and the Arline H. and Curtis F. Garvin, M.D., Research Professor at Case Western Reserve University.
“Dr. Chae has devoted his professional career to improving the quality of life for stroke survivors and his election to IOM is a clear indication of the respect that the medical community holds for him and his contributions,” said Hunter Peckham, PhD, Executive Director of Cleveland FES Center and Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Orthopedics at Case Western Reserve.
Founded in 1843, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is the largest medical research institution in Ohio and is among the nation's top medical schools for research funding from the National Institutes of Health. The School of Medicine is recognized throughout the international medical community for outstanding achievements in teaching. The School's innovative and pioneering Western Reserve2 curriculum interweaves four themes--research and scholarship, clinical mastery, leadership, and civic professionalism--to prepare students for the practice of evidence-based medicine in the rapidly changing health care environment of the 21st century. Nine Nobel Laureates have been affiliated with the School of Medicine.
Annually, the School of Medicine trains more than 800 MD and MD/PhD students and ranks in the top 25 among U.S. research-oriented medical schools as designated by U.S. News & World Report's "Guide to Graduate Education."
The School of Medicine is affiliated with University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, MetroHealth Medical Center, the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the Cleveland Clinic, with which it established the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University in 2002. case.edu/medicine.