Chicago, IL, March 13, 2024: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) is proud to join the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the American Board of Medical Specialties, and many other organizations in support of the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act of 2024.

The Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act, which has gained bipartisan support, would provide much-needed funding to create 1,000 new graduate medical education positions over five years in accredited programs in Addiction Medicine, Addiction Psychiatry, and Pain Medicine. As the United States faces both record numbers of drug overdose deaths and a severe physician shortage, this legislation is a significant step towards expanding the ranks of physicians caring for Americans suffering from substance use disorder.

“The Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act of 2024 would offer vital funding to train physicians, including Addiction Medicine specialists, whose expertise is imperative in the fight against the current opioid epidemic,” said Wendy E. Braund, MD, MPH, MSEd, FACPM.  “The ABPM fully supports the work of AAMC and the Graduate Medical Education Advocacy Coalition as they advocate for this important legislation.”

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, February 14, 2024: At its January 2024 meeting, the Directors of the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) voted to add an At-Large Sub-Board Committee Chair-Elect Member to the Board’s membership. The ABPM is pleased to announce that it has appointed Jeffrey M. Hoffman, MD, FAAP, FAMIA, to the new position. The addition of Dr. Hoffman to the Board of Directors brings its total membership to 15 and increases the representation of subspecialties in its discussions and decisions.

Dr. Hoffman will serve for a two-year term as At-Large Sub-Board Committee Chair-Elect. Upon the conclusion of his initial term, and upon supermajority vote of the Board of Directors, he will serve an additional two-year term on the Board as the At-Large Sub-Board member.

Dr. Hoffman has served as ABPM’s Clinical Informatics Sub-Board Chair since 2022. In this role, he leads the exam question-writing efforts of the Sub-Board and chairs the Clinical Informatics Longitudinal Assessment Program (LAP) subcommittee.

Dr. Hoffman is a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of the Division of Clinical Informatics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio. He also serves as Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Chief Medical Information Officer, an execute leadership position he has held since 2012. Learn more about Dr. Hoffman from ABPM’s 2022 interview with him here.

“ABPM’s Board of Directors recognizes the increasing proportion of its diplomates who are certified in an ABPM subspecialty, and we are excited to welcome an additional subspecialty perspective to Board deliberations,” said Wendy E. Braund, MD, MPH, MSEd, FACPM. “In his role as Sub-Board Chair, Dr. Hoffman has proven to be a hard-working and passionate advocate for both the subspecialty of Clinical Informatics and the high standards of board certification. We are privileged to appoint him At-Large Sub-Board Committee Chair-Elect, and we look forward to working more closely with our subspecialties to achieve our shared strategic goals.”

Dr. Hoffman’s term as At-Large Sub-Board Committee Chair-Elect began immediately upon the conclusion of the January 2024 Board of Directors meeting.

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 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, February 9, 2024:

The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) is pleased to announce the election of Pamela L. Krahl, MD, MPH, FACOEM, FACP, as a Director on the Board representing the specialty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Dr. Krahl recently joined the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC as the Associate Director for Occupational Health Services. She retired from the US Navy in September following 33 years of service. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, where she previously directed the Occupational and Environmental Medicine residency for seven years.

Dr. Krahl maintains certification in Occupational and Environmental Medicine by ABPM and in Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine. She has been a productive member of ABPM’s Occupational and Environmental Medicine Examination Subcommittee since 2021. In addition, she has held multiple leadership positions at the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), including as a member of ACOEM’s Council on Membership. Dr. Krahl is a Fellow of both ACOEM and the American College of Physicians (ACP).

“My passion for preventive medicine has persisted throughout my career in medicine, and I have worked to increase awareness of the field among medical students, primary care residents, and military medicine,” said Dr. Krahl. “I look forward to how I might be able to assist this organization in these and related endeavors that are critical to sustaining the specialty.”

Dr. Krahl will begin her initial three-year term immediately following the interim Board of Directors meeting in August 2024.

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 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, January 17, 2024: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) congratulates Tonette Krousel-Wood, MD, MSPH, on her appointment to the US Preventive Services Task Force. Her four-year term began in January 2024.

Dr. Krousel-Wood has served with distinction, including as Chair, on ABPM’s Board of Directors, and most recently served as the President of the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM). She is a professor of medicine and the Jack Aron-endowed chair in primary care medicine at Tulane School of Medicine Department of Medicine and holds many other leadership positions. Learn more at https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/about-uspstf/current-members/m-tonette-krousel-wood-md-msph.

The Task Force comprises 16 independent, volunteer members with nationally recognized expertise in prevention and evidence-based medicine. The Task Force works to improve the health of the American population by reviewing and making recommendations about preventive medicine services.

Read the US Preventive Services Task Force announcement of its recent appointments at https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/sites/default/files/file/supporting_documents/2024-tf-new-members-bulletin.pdf.

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 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, December 14, 2023: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) announced today that it released the updated content blueprints for both the Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM) and the Public Health and General Preventive Medicine (PHGPM) exams. The new blueprints will go into effect beginning with the 2024 certification exam cycle.

To ensure the blueprints reflect the current practice of OEM and PHGPM physicians, ABPM solicited the input of ABPM-certified physicians working in these specialties. In addition, practice analysis task forces made of ABPM-certified subject matter experts were instrumental in reviewing and updating the blueprints.

“The updated OEM and PHGPM exam blueprints are the results of many volunteer hours donated by ABPM diplomates,” said Wendy E. Braund, MD, MPH, MSEd, FACPM. “Feedback from practicing physicians is foundational to the validity of our exams, and, on behalf of the Board, we are incredibly grateful for the work and dedication of our tireless volunteers. The updated blueprints encapsulate the knowledge and skills that ABPM-certified physicians must possess to provide outstanding care for the populations they serve.”

The OEM exam blueprint is posted on the ABPM website at https://www.theabpm.org/become-certified/exam-content/occupational-medicine-content-outline/ and the PHGPM exam blueprint is https://www.theabpm.org/become-certified/exam-content/public-health-and-general-preventive-medicine-content-outline/.

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 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.

ABPM congratulates Dr. Michael Weaver, who was appointed to the Governing Board of the Texas Physician Health Program (PHP) in July of 2023.

The mission of the Texas PHP is to ensure patient safety and uphold high standards in medical care. It serves Texas physicians who are experiencing substance use disorders, physical illness and impairment, and/or psychiatric conditions by offering a variety of services prior to, during, and after treatment.

Dr. Weaver is certified in Addiction Medicine and serves on ABPM’s Board of Directors as its At-Large Sub-Board Member. He is also Chair of ABPM’s Addiction Medicine Sub-Board.

Learn more about Dr. Weaver’s role on the Texas PHP Governing Board here.

Chicago, IL, September 7, 2023: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) is pleased to announce the election of Michele A. Soltis, MD, MPH, FACPM, as a Director on the Board. Dr. Soltis will represent the specialty of Public Health and General Preventive Medicine.

Dr. Soltis has served as the Chief Consultant to the Army Surgeon General since April 2022. She has also served as the Preventive Medicine Specialty Consultant to the Army Surgeon General since July 2021. In addition, she chairs the Joint Preventive Medicine Policy Group for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. She maintains ABPM certification in Public Health and General Preventive Medicine.

Dr. Soltis has made valuable contributions to ABPM’s certification exam as a member of the ABPM’s Public Health and General Preventive Medicine Exam Subcommittee since 2018. She is also actively involved as a volunteer on several American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) committees.

“My participation as a member of the ABPM Public Health and General Preventive Medicine Examination Subcommittee and as the Chairperson of the ACPM Education Committee has afforded me invaluable opportunities to better understand the design and development of competency-based, integrated methods to advance and assess the preventive medicine physician’s knowledge, skills, and abilities,” noted Dr. Soltis. “I look forward to parlaying these experiences into contributions to the Board’s continuing endeavor to create and cultivate measures by which preventive medicine physicians meet and maintain our specialty’s prescribed proficiencies. As the ABPM’s Continuing Certification Program and related processes evolve, these educational, evaluative efforts will remain essential to the enhancement of physician professional performance and vital to the health of our specialty.”

“I am pleased to welcome Dr. Soltis as a member of the Board of Directors,” said ABPM Chair Wendy E. Braund, MD, MPH, MSEd, FACPM. She lauded the Board’s selection of Dr. Soltis, saying, “Dr. Soltis is a thoughtful, hardworking member of the Exam Subcommittee and I have every confidence that she will be a valuable addition to the Board. I anticipate her time on the Board will be very successful.”

Dr. Soltis will begin her initial three-year term immediately following the Interim Board of Directors Meeting in August 2024.

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 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, 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.