WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --The Society for Participatory Medicine (SPM), an organization devoted to advancing communication and cooperation among all health care stakeholders, has chosen Barbara L. Kornblau as its first executive director. Her appointment marks a milestone for the society, founded in 2009 as a partnership among empowered patients ("e-patients"), health professionals and the systems that support them.

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"We are very excited by the extensive experience Barbara brings to the society," said Sarah Krg, SPM's president. "Her background working in health care and her expertise in law, policy, academia and advocacy will all reinforce the society's mission of catalyzing collaborative partnerships to optimize health and health care."

Kornblau is an attorney and licensed occupational therapist, with both advocacy and academic experience. She was dean of the School of Health Professions and Studies at the University of Michigan, Flint and professor of Occupational Therapy and Public Health at Nova Southeastern University.

A former Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow for U.S. Senators Tom Harkin and Jay Rockefeller, Kornblau has also served as government relations consultant for Special Olympics, International. In addition, she is the founder of the Coalition for Disability Health Equity and has published several books and articles. She holds a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a J.D. from the University of Miami. She is a member of the Florida Bar, the United States Supreme Court Bar, and several appellate court bars.

"Participatory medicine will play a key role in improving our nation's health," Kornblau said. "On a personal and a professional level, I am proud and excited at the opportunity to help this premier organization, dedicated to bringing together health care providers, patients, and other stakeholders, to make better health care decisions."

The Society for Participatory Medicine is open to both individual and institutional members and has a governing board comprised of both clinicians and patients. It publishes the Journal of Participatory Medicine, the only peer-reviewed publication devoted to advancing the understanding and practice of participatory medicine, and the popular blog, e-patients.net.

For more information, see: http://participatorymedicine.org/

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Society for Participatory Medicine Names Barbara Kornblau as its First Executive Director