Chicago, IL, August 23, 2023 – The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) announced today that it has elected Heather O’Hara, MD, MSPH, FACOEM, FACPM, as the Chair-Elect to the ABPM’s Board of Directors. Dr. O’Hara will serve in this role until the conclusion of the ABPM’s Interim Board Meeting in August 2024, at which time she will assume the position of Chair of the ABPM’s Board of Directors.

Dr. O’Hara is the Medical Director of both Colleague Health Services at Memorial Health System in Springfield, Illinois and the Memorial Occupational Health Clinic at Decatur Memorial Hospital, in Decatur, Illinois. She is also an Associate Professor of Occupational Medicine in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. Previously, she served at Meharry as the Medical Director of Student and Employee Health and the Program Director of the Occupational Medicine Residency.

Dr. O’Hara maintains ABPM Certification in both Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine. She has been a member of the ABPM’s Board of Directors since 2019, representing Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

“I am pleased to announce Dr. O’Hara’s election as Chair-Elect. I anticipate ABPM’s continued growth under her capable leadership,” said Board Chair, Wendy E. Braund, MD, MPH, MSEd, FACPM. “With her deep commitment to ABPM’s mission and values and proven track record as an effective Board member, she is well-positioned to guide the Board as we continue to improve our certification process and embark on the next phase of continuing certification.”

Dr. O’Hara’s term as Chair-Elect began at the conclusion of the ABPM’s Interim Board Meeting in August 2023.

The ABPM is a Member Board of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Founded in 1948, ABPM works with the ABMS in the development of standards for the ongoing assessment and certification of over 12,000 physicians certified by the ABPM in the specialties of Aerospace Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine; and in the subspecialties of Addiction Medicine, Clinical Informatics, Medical Toxicology, and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine.

Chicago, IL, May 30, 2023: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) is seeking nominations of highly qualified leaders to fill an Occupational and Environmental Medicine Director position on its Board of Directors. Nominees must hold current ABPM certification in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

The deadline for nominations is July 31, 2023. ABPM will select the new Director at its January 2024 meeting.

Nominations must be emailed to ABPM’s Executive Director, Christopher J. Ondrula, JD, at [email protected]. Nominations should include the nominee’s CV and a personal statement of interest from the nominee (maximum of 250 words).

The following criteria should be considered in nomination(s):

• Nominees must be physicians holding a currently active, valid and unrestricted license to practice medicine in all states, US territories or Canadian Provinces in which the physician is licensed to practice medicine.
• Nominees must be certified by the ABPM in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
• Nominees for the Occupational and Environmental Medicine position must be engaged in substantially full-time practice, teaching, or research in Occupational and Environmental Medicine in the United States. Nominees for this position must have demonstrated achievement and the potential for continuing contributions to the field of preventive medicine. The ideal nominee has experience serving on a residency review committee and/or at least one of the ABPM’s initial certification examination item-writing subcommittees.
• Nominees will, as Board members, be expected to continue to be active in preventive medicine practice, teaching, or research for the duration of their service on the Board. Board members serve an initial three-year term and may, subject to meeting certain objective criteria, be reelected twice for a total tenure not to exceed nine years.
• The nominees must be individuals who are able to participate constructively and productively in group settings, have appropriate academic and educational experience, have worked on or be able to participate in Board examination questions preparation activities, have demonstrated leadership capabilities in preventive medicine, and be willing to serve and accept work responsibilities as may be assigned from time to time by the Board.
• The Board meets in-person at least twice annually, usually for a total of six to eight days, and throughout the year the Board routinely conducts business through electronic means. Accordingly, nominees must have sufficient flexibility to enable them to actively participate and engage with the Board and ABPM staff as may be required during the individual’s tenure on the Board.

The ABPM is a Member Board of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Founded in 1948, ABPM works with the ABMS in the development of standards for the ongoing assessment and certification of over 12,000 physicians certified by the ABPM in the Specialties of Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine, and in the Subspecialties of Addiction Medicine, Clinical Informatics, Medical Toxicology and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine.

Read the American Board of Medical Specialties’ (ABMS) announcement here:

ABMS Recognizes Health Care Administration, Leadership and Management as a Subspecialty

Chicago, IL, March 9, 2023: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) is pleased to announce that the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has recently approved the newest subspecialty in Healthcare Administration, Leadership, and Management (HALM).

The ABPM is a co-sponsoring board of HALM, along with the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) and the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM). The American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) is the administrative board of the new subspecialty and expects to offer the first certification exam in HALM in 2024.

The American Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) developed institution-based fellowship training requirements for HALM in 2020 to address the expected demand for a competent workforce of physician leaders.

“We are excited to support the new subspecialty of HALM and to join as a co-sponsoring board,” said Wendy E. Braund, MD, MPH, MSEd, FACPM, ABPM’s Board Chair. “HALM presents a unique opportunity for physicians with leadership and management training, skills, and experience to demonstrate their commitment to excellence in the critical roles of healthcare administration, an arena in which many preventive medicine specialists excel.”

The four co-sponsoring boards will establish a program for physicians to achieve certification in HALM. Instructions and eligibility requirements for current ABPM Diplomates who are interested in HALM certification will be posted on the ABPM website when they are available.

The ABPM is an ABMS Member Board. Founded in 1948, ABPM works with the ABMS in the development of standards for the ongoing assessment and certification of over 12,000 physicians certified by the ABPM in the specialties of Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine; and in the subspecialties of Addiction Medicine, Clinical Informatics, Medical Toxicology, and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine.

 

Chicago, IL, February 23, 2023: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) is pleased to announce the election of Paul “PJ” Jung, MD, MPH, FACPM, as a Director on the Board. Dr. Jung will represent the Specialty of Public Health and General Preventive Medicine.

Dr. Jung has held numerous positions throughout his career, including Director of the Division of Medicine and Dentistry in the Health Resources and Services Administration, Public Health Investigator with the House Energy & Commerce Committee, Medical Officer in the Office of the Surgeon General, and Associate Director of the Peace Corps.

In his role on the Board, Dr. Jung hopes “to help ensure that our specialties maintain high standards for new physicians as well as continuing certification for experienced physicians.” He went on to note, “As we emerge from the pandemic, I believe we are entering a time of great change for medicine in general, and Preventive Medicine specifically. ABPM can assist the specialties in recognizing the opportunity and utilizing it to improve the capabilities of our specialties.”

“All of us on the ABPM’s Board of Directors look forward to working with Dr. Jung, ” said Wendy E. Braund, MD, MPH, MSEd, FACPM. “His enthusiasm for Preventive Medicine along with his distinctive skills, experience and perspective will make him a wonderful addition to our organization as we pursue our strategic goals and take on new initiatives.”

Dr. Jung will begin his initial three-year term immediately following the Interim Board of Directors Meeting in August 2023.

The ABPM is an ABMS Member Board. Founded in 1948, ABPM works with the ABMS in the development of standards for the ongoing assessment and certification of over 12,000 physicians certified by the ABPM in the specialties of Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine; and in the subspecialties of Addiction Medicine, Clinical Informatics, Medical Toxicology, and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine.

 

Chicago, IL, February 23, 2023: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) is pleased to announce the election of David C. Miller, DO, MPH, FAsMA, as a Director on the Board. Dr. Miller will represent the Specialty of Aerospace Medicine.

Dr. Miller is the Program Director for the Residency in Aerospace Medicine at the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. He is also clinical teaching faculty for the Family Medicine Residency at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Miller is certified by ABPM in Aerospace Medicine and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine. In addition, he is certified in Family Medicine by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Dr. Miller has been a valued participant on ABPM’s Core Exam Subcommittee since 2019 and he is a member of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Review Committee for Preventive Medicine.

“Aerospace Medicine garners great interest and excitement from around the world. Our specialty continues to identify and tackle expansive challenges in ways that were on the edge of imagination when our specialty began,” Dr. Miller noted. “Deep space exploration with diverse groups of intrepid explorers need highly trained and creative specialists who can draw from experience to predict the ‘unknown unknowns’ that we will face as we move beyond lunar orbit. It remains critical for our specialty to preserve and continuously improve training, and maintain a high standard to obtain certification.”

“My colleagues on the ABPM’s Board of Directors and I are very pleased to welcome Dr. Miller to the Board,” said Wendy E. Braund, MD, MPH, MSEd, FACPM. “I am confident that Dr. Miller’s skills, perspective, and passion for Aerospace Medicine will make him an invaluable addition to the Board as we take on challenges and pursue new opportunities in the specialty of Aerospace Medicine and in Preventive Medicine as a whole.”

Dr. Miller will begin his initial three-year term immediately following the Interim Board of Directors Meeting in August 2023.

The ABPM is an ABMS Member Board. Founded in 1948, ABPM works with the ABMS in the development of standards for the ongoing assessment and certification of over 12,000 physicians certified by the ABPM in the specialties of Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine; and in the subspecialties of Addiction Medicine, Clinical Informatics, Medical Toxicology, and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine.

The ABPM is happy to announce the release of its 2022 Annual Report, available here.

In the report, you’ll find:

• Top highlights from ABPM’s work in 2022;
• Updates on ABPM’s strategic initiatives;
• Application, exam, and continuing certification data;
• A snapshot of ABPM’s financial status;
• News about ABPM’s Board of Directors, and more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicago, IL, December 20, 2022: The ABPM announced today that the first phase of its new and innovative Continuing Certification Program (CCP) will commence with an effective date of January 1, 2023.

The ABPM’s CCP was developed in compliance with the new Standards for Continuing Certification mandated by the American Board of Medical Specialties and in response to feedback from ABPM Diplomates, who wanted a simpler but more meaningful program, and who overwhelmingly preferred an innovative alternative to the traditional high-stakes, point-in-time Maintenance of Certification (MOC) exam.

To ensure a smooth transition to the CCP, ABPM is introducing the new program in three separate and distinct phases. In Phase One of the transition, in effect for calendar years 2023 and 2024, Diplomates have only three annual requirements:

1. Maintain a current, valid, and unrestricted medical license in every US state, US territory, or Canadian province in which the Diplomate holds a license to practices medicine;
2. Pay the annual fee using the ABPM’s Physician Portal;
3. Attest to earning 20 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (using the ABPM’s Physician Portal), six of which are relevant to Diplomates’ ABPM Certification(s). Diplomates will choose for themselves which CME courses are relevant to the ABPM Specialties or Subspecialties in which they are Certified.

ABPM will share instructions with Diplomates to log into the online Physician Portal to pay the annual fee and attest to completing CME credits in the first quarter of 2023.

During Phase One of the transition, Clinical Informatics Diplomates will continue to participate in the Longitudinal Assessment Program (LAP) pilot through the pilot’s currently scheduled conclusion of March 31, 2023.

Phase Two of the transition will begin in January 2025 and continue through December 2029, and will include an expansion of its LAP pilot for each ABPM Specialty and Subspecialty. The LAP will be an open-resource assessment that includes 30 questions annually, designed to be an innovative replacement for the traditional, high-stakes, point-in-time MOC exam.

Finally, in January 2030, ABPM will launch Phase Three that will include both the annual CME and LAP requirements as well as an Improvement in Health and Healthcare component, the details of which are in development and will be shared once they have been finalized.

“ABPM leadership is grateful for the thoughtful responses Diplomates and other stakeholders provided in the several surveys we’ve conducted over the past few years,” said Wendy E. Braund, MD, MPH, MSEd, FACPM, ABPM’s Board Chair. “The Diplomate feedback was instrumental in the development of a CCP that meets the needs of Diplomates and fulfills the obligations ABPM has to comply with ABMS’ Standards for Continuing Certification.”

ABPM will share updates regarding the CCP via email; ABPM encourages Diplomates to ensure their contact information is accurate and up-to-date in their Physician Portal accounts. Diplomates who have questions or concerns may reach ABPM staff for assistance by email at [email protected].

The ABPM is an ABMS Member Board. Founded in 1948, ABPM works with the ABMS in the development of standards for the ongoing assessment and certification of over 12,000 physicians certified by the ABPM in the specialties of Aerospace Medicine, Occupational & Environmental Medicine, and Public Health & General Preventive Medicine; and in the subspecialties of Addiction Medicine, Clinical Informatics, Medical Toxicology, and Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine.

 

October 4, 2022

RE: ACGME Specialty Separation Update

Dear Colleagues:

As you are aware, in June of this year the ABPM announced that the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) formally approved the separate designations of the three Preventive Medicine specialties: Aerospace Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine.

One of the desired results is that ACGME’s Accreditation Data System (ADS) would list each of the preventive medicine specialties separately. ABPM is pleased to announce that this important update is now complete. This is an important step in increasing the visibility of preventive medicine specialties to medical school students and physicians searching for new career paths. While no significant changes to the curricula or ACGME Core Competencies were made, each specialty now has its own set of program requirements, frequently asked questions, and application forms. As a result, the specialty of “Occupational and Environmental Medicine” is now listed as a separate specialty under which all Occupational and Environmental Medicine residency programs fall.

To be consistent with ACGME’s terminology and to update ABPM’s vocabulary to reflect the breadth of this specialty, ABPM has updated its website to change all references from “Occupational Medicine” to “Occupational and Environmental Medicine” and, going forward, will refer to the specialty by its new name in all communications and documentation.

If you have any questions about this update, please do not hesitate to reach out to ABPM Staff via email at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Wendy E. Braund, MD, MPH, MSEd, FACPM
ABPM Board Chair