Medical professor is first-ever Hawaii appointment to U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Tina Shelton, (808) 554-2586
Director of Communications, Office of Dean of Medicine
Posted: Nov 16, 2016

Chien-Wen Tseng, MD, MPH
Chien-Wen Tseng, MD, MPH

A John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) associate professor and associate research director of family medicine and community health, Chien-Wen Tseng, MD, MPHH, MSEE, has been appointed to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) as one of its newest members.

“Dr. Tseng is the first USPSTF member appointed from the State of Hawaiʻi," said UH President David Lassner.  “Her perspectives, having worked with diverse communities in Hawaiʻi, will undoubtedly be a unique and valuable addition to the task force.”

The USPSTF is an independent, volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine. Members come from many health-related fields, including internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, behavioral health, obstetrics/gynecology and nursing. Members are appointed to serve a four-year term by the director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with guidance from USPSTF leadership.

“On behalf of my fellow task force members, I am delighted to welcome Dr. Tseng,” said USPSTF Chair Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, PhD, MD, MAS. “Her clinical and research expertise in the areas of primary health care and preventive care will be a valuable addition to the task force.”

Dr. Allen L. Hixon, Professor and Chair of Family Medicine and Community Health at JABSOM, describes USPSTF's recommendations as “critical to the health of our nation, because they address topics that directly affect and improve the health of Americans.”

In recent years, USPSTF has put forth clinical screening guidelines on breast cancer, high blood pressure, depression in children and adults, and preventive medications such as aspirin to prevent heart disease and colon cancer.

“Task force members review the latest scientific evidence and determine national preventive health standards. Physicians and payors alike rely on these measures in the delivery of high-quality health care,” explained Dr. Hixon.

“This is a great responsibility for Dr. Tseng and an honor for the John A. Burns School of Medicine and the University of Hawaiʻi," said Dean Jerris R. Hedges. “Along with her colleagues in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, we are extremely proud of her service to the nation.”

Dr. Hedges also expressed deep gratitude to U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaiʻi) for his support in nominating Dr. Tseng for consideration by USPSTF.

For more information, visit: http://jabsom.hawaii.edu/