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.