Chicago, IL, March 25, 2019 – The ABMS Committee on Certification (COCERT) has approved ABPM’s plan to expand eligibility requirements for subspecialty certification in Addiction Medicine. The new requirements broaden the path to certification to include physicians certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) and who formerly were also certified by at least one ABMS Member Board but who no longer hold an active primary ABMS board certification.

To be eligible for the expanded pathway, physicians must be: (i) currently certified by ABAM; (ii) current with ABAM’s Transitional Maintenance of Certification program; and (iii) have previously possessed underlying primary certification from at least one ABMS Member Board. This expanded pathway, however, is not open to physicians who never obtained primary ABMS Member Board certification or who lost primary ABMS Member Board certification as the result of disciplinary action, or who may have surrendered a medical license in lieu of or otherwise to avoid the possibility of disciplinary action being taken against the license. This expanded pathway is approved for a period beginning on January 1, 2019 and will end at the conclusion of the 2021 exam cycle on December 31, 2021.

In announcing COCERT’s approval, Marie “Tonette” Krousel-Wood, MD, MSPH said, “The expansion of the ABAM pathway was the result of a collaboration between the ABPM and the American Society of Addiction Medicine, that enabled the ABPM to structure a proposal to COCERT that was limited in scope and yet responsive to its various stakeholders.  The ABPM is also very grateful to COCERT for its consideration and approval as the ABPM strongly believes that expanding the ABAM pathway will assist in growing the addiction medicine workforce at a time when the treatment of opioid addiction is a national public health crisis and there is a significant shortage of qualified addiction specialists.  The ABPM views the expansion of the ABAM pathway as an important step toward assisting those who are on the front lines, fighting the opioid addiction crisis facing the United States.”

Physicians who meet the eligibility requirements, through the expanded pathway, the practice pathway, or the fellowship pathway, can apply on the ABPM website, www.theabpm.org. The application period is open now through July 1 for the 2019 exam cycle.

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.

Chicago, IL – March 19, 2019 – The ABMS Committee on Certification (COCERT) has approved the ABPM’s proposal to allow surgical residents who have completed training in an ACGME-accredited fellowship in Clinical Informatics to sit for the ABPM’s Initial Certification Examination in CI (the “Exam”) prior to obtaining primary certification in surgery from the American Board of Surgery (ABS). In order to be eligible to participate in the MRTP a surgical resident must: (i) have a guaranteed training slot to complete the requirements for primary certification in surgery and; (ii) meet all other then-current ABPM eligibility requirements for certification in CI. The MRTP will allow surgical residents to pursue both a surgical residency and a fellowship in Clinical Informatics concurrently.

“The American College of Surgeons has published studies that demonstrate the longer a delay between completion of training and taking an examination, the higher the failure rate. With this in mind, the ABPM was pleased to collaborate with the ABS in responding to numerous requests from surgical residents who are seeking to pursue their interest in Clinical Informatics while concurrently working toward their certification in surgery,” said ABPM Board Chair, Marie “Tonette” Krousel-Wood, MD, MSPH. Dr. Krousel-Wood went on to say that, “The MRTP represents a measured approach in addressing the increasing demand for qualified clinical informaticians while maintaining the integrity and rigor of the training required to become certified by the ABPM in CI.”

Since primary certification by an ABMS Member Board is a prerequisite for certification in CI, the ABPM will not issue a physician certification in CI under the MRTP until such time as the physician: (i) takes and passes the Exam and (ii) takes and passes the ABS Qualifying and Certifying Examinations in Surgery. Upon taking and passing both the Exam and the ABS Qualifying and Certifying Examinations in Surgery, the physician would then be awarded certificates in both surgery and CI. Physicians who complete the CI fellowship prior to the end of their surgical residency will be eligible for ABPM certification in CI for a period of seven years beginning at the completion of surgical training.

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.

The 2019 Application cycle to apply for board certification is open. The regular application cycle will remain open until 7/1/2019. ABPM will accept late applications through 7/16/2019.  To apply, please visit “Become Certified” at https://www.abpm-us.org/become-certified/.

Chicago, IL, February 22, 2019 – The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) is pleased to announce its selection of ACT® ProExam as the vendor who will perform the Practice Analysis for the ABPM’s Core Initial Certification Examination (the “PA”).

The ABPM will be working with ACT ProExam to conduct a structured PA which will reflect the knowledge, skills and competencies required to practice preventive medicine in the United States. The PA will emphasize the overlap in knowledge, skills and competencies collectively required by the ABPM’s Diplomates who practice in the specialty areas of Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine. When completed, the PA will delineate the clinical and professional practice of preventive medicine and will specifically reference the tasks, competencies, and knowledge required of a physician to successfully practice preventive medicine in the current health care environment in the United States.

In announcing its selection of ACT ProExam, the ABPM’s Board Chair M. ‘Tonette’ Krousel-Wood, MD, MSPH, said “While the primary goal of the PA is to update the blueprint and outline for the ABPM’s Core Initial Certification Examination, we are confident that the PA will provide the foundation on which the ABPM can work with its Specialty Societies as well as the ACGME in revising program requirements and curricula that will better serve the physician population practicing preventive medicine in the United States.”

Sandy Greenberg, PhD, ACT ProExam’s Vice President for Credentialing Advisory Services, said “At ACT ProExam, we view our clients as partners in a shared endeavor, and strive to establish and maintain a rich and responsive dialogue in support of each client’s needs and goals. We believe this approach will best serve the ABPM in successfully updating its blueprint and outline for its Core Initial Certification Examination.”

Founded in 1959 with the launch of the ACT® test, ACT now supports learning throughout a student’s lifetime. In 2017, ACT merged with Professional Examination Service (ProExam), which has been providing consultative services to credentialing organizations since 1972, to form ACT ProExam.  ACT ProExam has a proven track record working with clients in a wide variety of professions, including health and allied health.

The American Board of Preventive Medicine 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.

Drugs and Disease Can’t Break Town’s Spirit, Family Physician Wins National Award for Efforts to Heal Austin, Indiana

NEW ORLEANS — Will Cooke, MD, has been fighting the good fight since 2004 when he first began his family medicine practice in Austin, Indiana. Cooke had always planned to practice in a rural, underserved area of his home state, but he was shocked by the toll that decades of high unemployment and generational poverty had taken on his new community. There was a hunger for narcotics way out of proportion for a town of only 4,300 residents.

Pain killers, anti-anxiety drugs and muscle relaxers were the drugs of choice. Certain neighborhoods revealed a life in rural America much worse than Cooke had ever imagined, and things were about to get a whole lot worse.

By February 2015, the tiny rural town of Austin found itself in the crosshairs of two deadly epidemics. The worsening opioid crisis led Austin to become what the CDC confirmed was the epicenter of the country’s most serious drug-related HIV outbreak. Not only were members of the community dying of overdoses, they were also suffering the dire consequences of sharing dirty needles. As these two epidemics raged, Cooke welcomed all people to his clinic who needed help, regardless of their illness or ability to pay.

Cooke’s unrelenting commitment to his patients, as well has his many successes, have earned him national recognition by the American Academy of Family Physicians as the AAFP’s 2019 Family Physician of the Year. The award honors one outstanding American family physician who provides compassionate, comprehensive care, and serves as a role model in his or her community and to other health professionals.

Cooke knew he couldn’t save Austin alone. Because there were not enough health care professionals trained in HIV testing to determine the scope of the epidemic, he sent members of his own clinical team to multi-day training in Indianapolis. In addition, Cooke and his staff members participated in several week-long in-service training sessions with experienced clinicians to improve staff understanding of, comfort level with, and capability to care for people living with HIV.

Syringe service programs that would help stem the spread of HIV and hepatitis C were illegal in Indiana. Cooke advocated to change the minds of leaders who didn’t understand the vital need for this critical, local response tool. His efforts helped in the 2015 opening of Scott County’s needle exchange program. The program serves a county of approximately 24,000 residents and also offers free HIV testing, needle safety education, job counseling, and referrals to drug treatment and other social services. A mobile needle exchange soon followed, and more than 5,000 clean syringes were given out in the first two-week period.

As the outbreak began to wane in late 2015, more than 180 cases of HIV had been identified. Ultimately, 236 people were diagnosed. In response to this community need, Cooke became a nationally certified expert in the treatment of HIV and board certified in addiction medicine. He also became the first family physician in the state to be approved to treat patients with hepatitis C. In addition, he rallied other community health workers, churches, and local community leaders to help those in need of food, shelter and other social services.

Cooke and his team at Foundations Family Medicine also provide the full spectrum of primary care services to people in Austin who might otherwise go without care. Since founding the clinic in 2004, Cooke has worked to expand outpatient services to include direct access to maternal child health, advanced diabetes care, telemedicine services, school-based clinics, integrated behavioral health, community nursing, and more. He also provides care in the local hospital, where he runs a hospitalist program, serves as an emergency department physician, and performs endoscopies and minor surgeries.

“My training in the specialty of family medicine is honestly the only training that could have prepared me to provide this level of comprehensive care to the people of my community,” Cooke said. “I’ve seen a lot of suffering, but I’ve also seen a lot of joy and progress.”

As of today, 76 percent of Cooke’s patients with HIV have undetectable viral loads and are therefore unable to spread the disease to others. That compares to 49 percent nationally. Cooke gives plenty of credit to his clinical team who, in addition to their regular job duties, stepped up and quickly learned how to care for people with this chronic disease.

Drug use remains a problem in Austin, but the community is slowly beginning to heal.

“What people need to understand is that stories of drug abuse, addiction and HIV are not what define Austin and other cities struggling with this epidemic,” Cooke said. “Each community has its own story and obstacles to overcome. The success stories will be of the communities that work together to meet people’s needs at the local level.”

The recovery community in Austin is leading the way, and Cooke remains deeply involved in the care of people who once haunted the streets of Austin in search of their next “score.”

“I refuse to accept that access to being healthy is a privilege. We must put an end to stigmatizing and marginalizing people. People must come before policy,” he said. “We must insist on recognizing the intrinsic value of every single life. I foresee a time when every child in Austin has an equal chance to grow up healthy.”

Austin still has a way to go, but Cooke is confident that his community, working together, can do something transformative and lasting. He has every intention of continuing to advocate for his patients’ and community’s needs, while continuing to provide the compassionate care his patients deserve to ensure long-term good health.

Cooke earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in biology and chemistry from Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, followed by a Masters of Science in biology from Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis and a Masters in Medical Science from the American University of the Caribbean. He earned his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis and completed his family medicine residency at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, Indiana.

Cooke is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, the American Academy of HIV Medicine and the American Society of Addiction Medicine. He has earned the AAFP Degree of Fellow, a degree awarded to family physicians who are distinguished among their colleagues through their service to community, professionalism, advancing health care, teaching, and continuing medical education.

Additional information on the work of Dr. Cooke can be found here.

The American Board of Preventive Medicine Announcement Regarding the Initial Certification Examination in Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine

Chicago, IL, September 19, 2018 – The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) announced today that beginning with the 2020 Examination Cycle, it will administer the Initial Certification examination in Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine (the “Exam”) every other year. In order to provide sufficient advance notice to those physicians already in a fellowship or considering certification in Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine, the Exam will be offered by the ABPM during each of the 2018, 2019 and 2020 Examination Cycles. Thereafter, the Exam will be administered by the ABPM every other year following the 2020 Examination Cycle.

In announcing this new policy, the ABPM’s Board Chair M. ‘Tonette’ Krousel-Wood, MD, MSPH, said “Given the examinee volume, and the ABPM’s commitment to maintaining high-standards and thereby the integrity of the Certificate in UHM, administering the Initial Certification examination in UHM every other year beginning with the 2020 Examination Cycle, allows the ABPM to properly manage examinee volume while continuing to meet its obligation to provide a quality examination to candidates for certification in UHM.”

The new policy is effective immediately but, as indicated above, will not impact the ABPM’s administration of the Exam for the 2018, 2019 or 2020 Examination Cycles in UHM.

About ABPM

The ABPM is a Member Board of the American Board of Medical Specialties and was originally incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on June 29, 1948 as “The American Board of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Incorporated.” In 1952, the name was changed to The American Board of Preventive Medicine, Inc., and currently the ABPM certifies physicians in the primary specialties of Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Public Health/General Preventive Medicine, and Subspecialties of Addiction Medicine, Clinical Informatics, Medical Toxicology and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine.