Thank you for reading this issue of ABPM’s newsletter!

ABPM’s Board of Directors held its annual meeting in January, where we had productive discussions on several important topics, most notably our upcoming strategic plan. We’re excited to unveil the plan in the coming months. It will introduce several new initiatives aimed at better serving our diplomates, increasing the value of ABPM certification, and strengthening our specialties and subspecialties.

The January meeting also marked the first official meeting for our two newest Board members, Dr. Judith McKenzie and Mr. Tom Granatir. Dr. McKenzie, who represents Occupational and Environmental Medicine on the Board, and Mr. Granatir, who serves as the public member. We are excited to have them both and they have already proven to be tremendous assets to our organization. Both share more about themselves later in this issue, so be sure to keep reading.

Spring is a busy and exciting time for us at ABPM as we prepare to attend the annual conferences of several of our partner specialty societies. If you plan to attend any of these meetings, please stop by the ABPM booth to meet our staff, ask your certification questions, or simply say hello. I’ll also be speaking about initial and continuing certification at both the American Occupational Health Conference (AOHC) and Preventive Medicine 2026 and I hope to see you there!

The 2026 application cycle also opened on March 11. We are now accepting applications from qualified physicians for all our specialties and subspecialties, including Health Care Administration, Leadership, and Management (HALM) and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine, which are administered in even-numbered years only.

As the weather warms, trees bud, and flowers bloom once again, I’m reminded of how we renew our commitment each year to ABPM’s mission: to certify qualified physicians and to extend, encourage, and enhance the study and standards of practice while advancing the cause of preventive medicine. We know it takes all of us working together to fulfill this mission and we appreciate the support of our stakeholders.

Thank you for the work you do every day to improve the health of the communities you serve. We’re grateful to have you as part of the ABPM community and look forward to sharing more updates with you in the months ahead.

Yours in good health,

Heather O’Hara, MD, MSPH, FACOEM, FACPM