Hoff Appointed to Institute of Medicine Committee on Vaccine Development and Immunization

Contact(s):  Catherine Herman (518) 956-8150, ([email protected])

ALBANY, N.Y. (March 4, 2008) -- Timothy Hoff, an associate professor of health policy and management at the University at Albany's School of Public Health, has been appointed by the Institute of Medicine to serve on a 12-person committee which will review and make recommendations regarding an update the U.S. National Vaccine Plan.

The current plan was issued by the National Vaccine Program Office of the federal government in 1994.  It consists of a set of goals, objectives, and strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of infectious diseases through vaccine development and immunization.

"Dr. Hoff's widely-regarded expertise in health care management and quality, strategic planning, and patient safety will serve this committee well and will enable him to make significant contributions to their important deliberations," said Philip C. Nasca, dean of UAlbany's School of Public Health. "I am confident that Dr. Hoff and his esteemed colleagues will oversee the development of a comprehensive report that will produce results of national and international significance, and bring forth recommendations regarding the U.S. national vaccine plan that will safeguard the public health environment for a new generation."

"The vaccine plan is an important document because it sets key strategic and policy directions for our nation and beyond related to immunization and vaccine development," said Hoff. "It is meant to coordinate all private and public sector efforts in these two areas.  I consider it a privilege to contribute to an area of public health area increasingly important due to threats posed by infectious diseases globally."

Hoff's expertise in strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation was a key factor in his appointment to the committee.

The Institute of Medicine is part of the National Academies, the premier advisory body to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine.  The committee's work is expected to last for two years.

Through its partnership with the New York State Dept. of Health, UAlbany's School of Public Health offers students immediate access to internships at the Health Department, Albany Medical College, and variety of other public and private health institutions throughout New York. The school serves as the academic anchor of the East Campus, the biotech hub of the university's life sciences research, which includes the Gen*NY*Sis Center for Excellence in Cancer Genomics. Students have unique access to study the most profound health issues facing us today: the threat of bioterrorism, the spread of HIV/AIDS and other emerging diseases, the lack of affordable and accessible health care for individuals and families, environmental hazards, substance abuse and social violence, maternal mortality in developing countries, the promises and threats of genetic engineering, and protecting food and water supplies.