Chicago, IL, March 9, 2020: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) is seeking nominations to fill the newly-approved At-Large Specialty Director position on its Board of Directors. Nominees must hold current certification in at least one ABPM Specialty (Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Medicine, or Public Health and General Preventive Medicine). The deadline for nominations is June 30, 2020. ABPM will select one At-Large Specialty Director at its January 2021 meeting.

Nominations must be emailed to ABPM Executive Director Christopher J. Ondrula, JD, at [email protected]. Nominations should include the nominee’s CV and a personal statement from the nominee (maximum of 250 words) answering the question, “Why do I want to be a Director of the ABPM?”

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

1. 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.
2. Nominees must be holders of a valid and current Certificate in a Specialty issued by the ABPM.
3. Nominees must be in active practice in at least one ABPM Specialty area of medicine in the United States. Nominees should demonstrate achievement in and the potential for continuing contributions to the field.
4. Nominees will, as Board Members, be expected to continue to be active in their respective Specialty for the duration of their service on the Board. The At-Large Specialty Director serves an initial three-year term which may, subject to meeting certain objective criteria, be renewed for a maximum of an additional three years for a maximum total term of six years.
5. 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 question preparation activities, have demonstrated leadership capabilities in their respective field, and be willing to serve and accept work responsibilities as may be designated from time to time by the Board.
6. The Board meets in-person at least twice annually, usually for a total of six to eight days, and routinely conducts other business throughout the year via electronic means. Accordingly, nominees must have sufficient flexibility to enable them to actively participate and to engage with the Board and the ABPM Staff as may be required during a Director’s tenure on the Board.

Additionally, the Board will give preference to Nominees who meet the following criteria:

1. Nominees who hold additional current Certification in a Subspecialty issued by the ABPM (Addiction Medicine, Clinical Informatics, Medical Toxicology, Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine).
2. Nominees who are, at the time of nomination, within five years of their initial ABPM Specialty Certification date.
3. Nominees who provide a unique perspective not currently represented 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.

Chicago, IL, March 1, 2020: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) announced today that in 2020, more physicians achieved ABPM Certification than ever before in its 72-year history. A total of 1,039 physicians became Certified in a Specialty or Subspecialty of the ABPM and another 198 physicians successfully completed Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements and were recertified as of January 1, 2020. These physicians represent all three ABPM Specialties: Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine as well as three ABPM Subspecialties: Addiction Medicine, Clinical Informatics, and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine.

“The Board congratulates the more than 1,200 physicians who achieved Board Certification or Recertification in 2020; we applaud their dedication to the high standards of Board Certification and are proud to call them colleagues and fellow Diplomates,” said Hernando “Joe” Ortega, Jr., MD, MPH, Chair of the ABPM. “The fact that the ABPM has seen its largest cohort of new Diplomates in a single year shows that Preventive Medicine is more relevant than ever and that the future of its Specialties and Subspecialties looks bright. We are confident that as ABPM’s Diplomate population grows, the larger medical community and the public at large will benefit from the impact that Preventive Medicine practitioners have on the health of our communities.”

The ABPM provides an online physician lookup tool for those seeking an ABPM-Certified physician in their area at https://certification.abpm-us.org/physician-lookup.

The ABPM’s 2020 online application cycle will be open March 16 through June 30, 2020. Physicians interested in Certification in one of the Preventive Medicine Specialties or Subspecialties may apply through the ABPM’s Physician Portal.

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, December 10, 2019: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) today announced the requirements for its Diplomates to maintain ABPM Certification during the transitional period from the current Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program to a new and innovative Continuing Certification Program (CCP).  The transitional period will begin February 1, 2020 and continue through December 31, 2022 (Transitional Period).

The objective of ABPM’s Transition Plan is to provide Diplomates with a thoughtful, simple, well-organized and orderly transition from the current MOC requirements to the more flexible and relevant requirements of the new CCP.

During the Transitional Period, the requirements to maintain ABPM Certification will be as follows:

• ABPM will continue to require its Diplomates to maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted medical license in all states, territories or jurisdictions in which they are licensed to practice medicine.
• For each calendar year 2020, 2021 and 2022, Diplomates will be required to attest to the completion of twenty-five (25) AMA PRA Category 1^TM continuing medical education (CME) credits (or the equivalent). The required attestation will be available to Diplomates via ABPM’s Diplomate portal and will no longer require Diplomates to submit proof of completion. Instead, Diplomates will simply electronically sign the attestation confirming completion of the required CME courses.
• Diplomates whose ABPM Certificates expire between January 1, 2020 and January 31, 2023, will be required to take and pass the MOC exam in each Specialty or Subspecialty for which recertification is being sought.
• ABPM’s current requirements for MOC Part IV Improvement in Medical Practice (IMP) will remain unchanged. However, in addition to receiving current credit for IMP activities completed during the Transitional Period, the Diplomate will also receive credit for the first IMP (or its equivalent) that will be required by ABPM’s CCP. During the Transitional Period, ABPM will not require Diplomates to submit proof of completion by Diplomates of IMP activities during their current Certification Cycle. Instead, Diplomates who complete an IMP activity in their Specialty/Subspecialty during the Transitional Period will simply log on to ABPM’s Diplomate portal and submit an attestation of completion.
• Prior to February 1, 2023, Diplomates must attest to completion of a one-hour patient safety course (PSC) by using ABPM’s Diplomate portal. This requirement can be fulfilled in one of two ways: (1) Successful completion of an ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship in 2012 or later, or; (2) Successful completion of an ABPM-approved PSC.

Consistent with its current MOC program, throughout the Transitional Period ABPM will continue to audit up to five percent (5%) of the Diplomates with respect to fulfillment of their MOC requirements. These audits will require Diplomates to submit to ABPM proof of completion of CME activities including the IMP activity.

“Although the updated ABMS Standards for CCP may not be finalized for another year, we are already engaged in the planning process for our CCP which will be developed based on recommendations of the Continuing Board Certification: Vision for the Future Commission (Commission), not the least of which will include ABPM moving away from the every 10-year examination to an innovative longitudinal assessment model,” said Hernando “Joe” Ortega, Jr., MD, MPH, ABPM Board Chair. “The annual engagement with Diplomates that is part of the requirements during the Transitional Period is not only consistent with the recommendations of the Commission to engage with Diplomates annually but, equally important, allows Diplomates to become comfortable with the annual engagement before the launch of CCP.”  Dr. Ortega added, “We believe that by retaining the core requirements of our MOC program while increasing flexibility and providing credit toward our future CCP during the Transitional Period, Diplomates will view this change favorably and find it to be a positive first-step toward an increasingly relevant and less burdensome process.”

ABPM Diplomates can find specific requirements for maintaining their Certificate during the Transitional Period by going to the ABPM’s website at https://www.abpm-us.org/maintain-certification/transitional-moc-to-continuing-certification-program/.

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The American Board of Preventive Medicine (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, November 25, 2019 – The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) announced today that the American Board of Medical Specialties’ (ABMS) has formally approved the ABPM’s proposed Longitudinal Assessment Pilot (LAP). The LAP pilot will include all current Diplomates Certified by the ABPM in the Subspecialty of Clinical Informatics.  The LAP pilot is scheduled for launch in the first quarter of 2021 and will run for a consecutive 24-month period.

The LAP pilot is designed as an alternative to the ABPM’s current high-stakes MOC examination which every Diplomate is required to take and pass every ten-years in order to maintain Certification.  In lieu of taking the required MOC examination, all Diplomates Certified by the ABPM in Clinical Informatics will be enrolled in the LAP pilot and, beginning in 2021, LAP participants will answer a total of twenty-four Subspecialty-specific questions, twelve in the first six-months and an additional twelve in the second-six months of each year of the pilot.  The LAP will be offered electronically where Diplomates will be able to answer each question from their own computer at a time and place that is convenient for the Diplomate.  Questions will be open-book and open-resource providing Diplomates with the flexibility to participate in the LAP in a way that is consistent with how Diplomates practice medicine in today’s environment. After each question is answered, the LAP platform will provide the correct answer, references, and a critique so as to provide the Diplomate with a complete learning experience. LAP participants will be able to access their individual performance and their performance as compared to their peers on an on-going basis through ABPM’s physician portal.

“ABPM is committed to moving from its current high-takes MOC examination to a more innovative and simplified assessment methodology. Consistent with the recommendations of the ABMS’ Vision Commission, we’re excited to begin that process with the announcement of the LAP pilot for our Clinical Informaticists,” said Hernando “Joe” Ortega, MD, MPH, ABPM Board Chair. “ABPM Diplomates have made it clear that they desire greater flexibility and more meaningful activities that are designed to confirm their knowledge, judgment and skill, especially when it comes to the high-stakes examination. As a first step toward a complete transition from its current MOC program to a more flexible Continuing Certification Program (CCP), the ABPM actively decided to invest the time and resources required to create a meaningful and relevant LAP experience for our Diplomates.”

Dr. Ortega went on to say “Our current MOC program will have to remain in place for the next 2-3 years but during that period we will continue to evaluate the LAP in order to confirm that, when launched across all of our Specialties and Subspecialties it will not only evaluate knowledge and practice, but provide objective feedback to our Diplomates that they may not receive otherwise. Instead of a periodic high-stakes examination where your Certification status is decided, the LAP will highlight knowledge gaps and will provide resources for Diplomates to seek out educational opportunities that will address those identified areas to maintain a well-rounded specialist.  In this way, the ABPM’s LAP should be assisting Diplomates in maintaining the knowledge, skills and abilities of their chosen specialty.”

Diplomates Certified by the ABPM in Clinical Informatics and participating in the LAP pilot will not be required to take the high-stakes MOC examination but instead, will be deemed to have met this requirement via participation in the LAP pilot.

Upon the conclusion of the LAP pilot, and beginning in the first quarter of 2023, it is anticipated that the ABPM will complete its transition and launch its CCP across all of its Specialties and Subspecialties and which transition will include, but not be limited to implementation of a LAP.

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, August 30, 2019: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) announced today that, as a first-step toward a comprehensive overhaul of its Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program, the ABPM Board of Directors has approved a revision to its current MOC Part II requirement by combining MOC Part IIA, Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment (LLSA) and MOC Part IIB, Continuing Medical Education (CME) into a single, comprehensive MOC Part II requirement.

Specifically, diplomates will no longer be required to complete a minimum number of ABPM-approved LLSA credits in order to complete MOC Part II. Instead, beginning on February 1, 2020 and during each ten-year Certification Cycle, a Diplomate’s total of 250 MOC Part II credits can include any combination of LLSA and AMA PRA Category 1 CME credits (or their equivalent).

In announcing this new policy, the ABPM’s Board Chair Hernando “Joe” Ortega, Jr., MD, MPH, said “The ABPM is pleased to offer our Diplomates a simplified and less burdensome MOC Part II requirement.” Dr. Ortega went on to say that “Since there will be no required minimums for either type of credit, Diplomates will have the flexibility to choose between and amongst the various LLSA and AMA PRA Category 1 CME credits that best fits their practice. Our doctors can select the CME offerings that will be most effective and impactful in achieving their individual learning goals. This is a small, but important step on the ABPM’s journey toward a Continuing Certification program that incorporates the recommendations of the ABMS Vision Commission and, more importantly, is responsive to feedback from our Diplomates.”

The process by which Diplomates will be able to obtain MOC Part II credit from the ABPM will remain unchanged. Diplomates must forward certificates/transcripts for completed LLSA and/or CME credits to the ABPM office at [email protected].

Any questions about this updated policy can be directed to the ABPM Staff at [email protected].

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, July 3, 2019: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) announced today that it has appointed Heather O’Hara, MD, MSPH, FACOEM to its Board of Directors.  Dr. O’Hara’s appointment will fill the vacant Specialty Member Director position for Occupational Medicine.

Dr. O’Hara currently serves as an Associate Professor of Occupational Medicine in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and the Program Director for the Occupational Medicine and Preventive Medicine residencies at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.

Dr. O’Hara received her medical degree from Meharry Medical College and completed both a residency in Preventive Medicine and a fellowship in Occupational Medicine at Meharry. She is certified by the ABPM in both Occupational Medicine and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine.

In welcoming Dr. O’Hara to its Board of Directors, the ABPM’s Board Chair, M.A. ‘Tonette’ Krousel-Wood, MD, MSPH said, “We are very pleased to have Dr. O’Hara join us on the Board and are looking forward to adding her expertise, insights and perspective as the Board continues with its mission to promote the health and safety of the American people through high standards in certification and maintenance of certification in the specialties and subspecialties of preventive medicine.”

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, February 4, 2019 – The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) announced today that it has elected two new members to its Board of Directors and appointed a new Chair of the ABPM’s Sub-board for Clinical Informatics. From a field of well-qualified candidates, the Board elected the following individuals.

David W. Niebuhr, MD, MPH, MSc, FACPM, FAAFP has been elected to the Public Health and General Preventive Medicine Director position. Dr. Niebuhr is currently the Medical Officer for the Center for Evidence and Practice Improvement of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and serves as Professor of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. (Note: Dr. Niebuhr is serving in his personal capacity.)

As Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics faculty, Dr. Niebuhr is committed to supporting new physicians throughout their career and will bring that commitment to his work on the Board. “I believe educating and training the next generation of preventive medicine residents is critical to the future of our specialty…My service as a Director of ABPM will be dedicated to ensuring that initial board certification and maintenance of certification remains relevant to the evolving scientific-base to the specialty and the needs of the population we serve.”

Michael Weaver, MD, DFASAM, was elected to the newly-established Sub-board Director position which is responsible for representing the collective interests of the ABPM’s Subspecialties. Dr. Weaver is currently the Medical Director of the Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addiction and Professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGovern Medical School, both at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He is also on the medical staff at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and the Harris County Psychiatric Center in Houston, Texas.

Dr. Weaver has experience working with a wide array of organizations, providing him with the ability to contribute to the varied work of the Board. In addition to serving as the Sub-board Chair for Addiction Medicine for ABPM, he has worked with the American Society of Addiction Medicine, the Addiction Medicine Foundation, the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Medical Specialties, “As a director,” Dr. Weaver said, “I would be a voice for all subspecialties to the Board, and I would strive to represent the concerns and values of the different subspecialties, not just my own.”

Adi Gundlapalli, MD, Ph.D., MS, has been elected to the position of ABPM Sub-board Chair for Clinical Informatics. Dr. Gundlapalli is currently a tenured Professor of Internal Medicine, an Associate Professor with Tenure in Biomedical Informatics, and Adjunct Faculty in Pathology at the University of Utah School of Medicine. He is also the Chief of the Medical Informatics Services and the Chief Health Informatics Officer at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System.

Dr. Gundlapalli previously served as Clinical Informatics Sub-board Vice Chair and most recently served as the Interim Sub-board Chair for ABPM. With his experience in Clinical Informatics education, involvement as a founding member with the Clinical Informatics sub-board and participation in the continuing development of the Clinical Informatics examination, Dr. Gundlapalli has the experience and knowledge to guide the subspecialty into its future. Expected changes “will make for a busy few years and will require institutional knowledge and memory of the CI sub-board and its functioning,” he says. “I have the interest and dedication to help steer the CI sub-board over the next few years through these changes and beyond.”

The terms for Drs, Niebuhr, Weaver and Gundlapalli will commence at the conclusion of the ABPM’s Interim Board Meeting in August 2019.

The Directors of the ABPM welcome these new members and are excited to work with them on ABPM’s mission to promote the health and safety of the American people through high standards in certification and maintenance of certification in the profession of preventive medicine.

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.