Chicago, IL, August 15, 2024: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) is pleased to announce that Heather O’Hara MD, MSPH, FACOEM, FACPM, officially began her term as Chair upon the conclusion of the ABPM’s Board of Directors meeting on August 10, 2024. Dr. O’Hara has served on the ABPM’s Board of Directors since August 2019 and as Chair-Elect since August 2023.

Dr. O’Hara is an Occupational and Environmental Medicine physician at John Cochran VA Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. She previously served as Medical Director at Memorial Occupational Health clinic in Decatur, Illinois, as well as an Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, the Medical Director of Student and Employee Health, and the Program Director of the Occupational and Preventive Medicine Residencies at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.

Dr. O’Hara maintains ABPM certification in both Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine.

“I’m excited to begin this new chapter and work with my ABPM colleagues to lead the Board into a bright future,” said Dr. O’Hara. “I’m grateful for Dr. Wendy Braund’s guidance over the past three years and the leadership of other board chairs I have had the opportunity to serve under; I hope to build on their accomplishments to continue the ABPM’s progress. I am eager to see the ABPM pursue new and unique goals, while keeping our mission at the heart of all our activities: promoting the highest standards in initial and continuing certification in Preventive Medicine.”

Dr. O’Hara will continue in her role as Chair of the Board through the end of her term in August 2027.

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; Health Care Administration, Leadership, and Management; Medical Toxicology; and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine.