This program report highlights the progress made during 2023–2024.
ABPS staff collaborates with outstanding physician leaders, volunteers and subject matter experts to move the organization forward. These efforts result in the advancement of ABPS Member Boards.
Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) play an important role in the exam development process and help us achieve test development goals.
ABPS recently implemented a new policy that rewards SMEs who participate in exam development activities over the course of their 8-year certification period with a waiver of the examination for recertification. FOR MORE
Dear Colleagu es,
It is with gratitude, to my fellow officers, our outstanding staff, and all of you, our amazing Diplomates, that I prepare to hand over the reins of leadership to our extraordinary President Elect, Sarah E.Gilbert, MD, FAAEP, and your new executive team. For those of you who don’t know Sarah, she is a force to be reckoned with! Always brimming with new ideas, overflowing with the energy to bring them to fruition, and with an unending faith in the potential of the American Board of Physician Specialties, she is an incredible leader who will continue the mission of carrying our organization to even greater heights than before.
No less extraordinary is our new President-Elect, Ann Marie Chiasson, MD, MPH, who will be working hand in hand with Sarah over the course of the upcoming year. Her compassion, competence, commitment, and humanity are immediately evident to all who cross her path, and her leadership and organizational skills have been recognized by all who have worked with her. Brilliant, articulate, poised, and dignified, there is no one better suited to carry onward the core mission and values of the American Board of Physician Specialties – to offer the highest standards in physician board certification that meets the healthcare needs of the public while benefiting physicians and helping them achieve success in the evolving medical environment, with innovation; integrity, trust, and respect; volunteerism; teamwork; and excellence.
That said, we’ve gotten a lot accomplished, and made enormous strides this past year. I outlined much of what we’ve done during my spring newsletter, and although I won’t repeat it here, I simply want to say what a great success our new Leadership Academy has proven to be. I also want to reiterate, and commend, our outstanding communications specialist, Monique Tapie, and our accomplished Director of External Affairs, Lauren Henrichsen, who together have done so much to expand the recognition of our brand, and the acceptance of our certifications, both in Washington, and in the various state capitols across the nation. Due to their efforts, we are on the verge of true parity with our competitors, a trend that I am confident will continue, as work continues to educate our elected officials about the value of competition in board certification, as well as our innovative approaches to serve the public, especially in the rural areas of our nation, through implementation of such unique specialty boards of certification as Administrative Medicine, Disaster Medicine, Family Medicine Obstetrics,
and Integrative Medicine, not to mention proposals for Cutaneous Oncology and Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy – the latter two certifications being expected to come on line during the coming year – as well as our graduate training programs, which expedite the movement of mid-career physicians and certain early-career physicians into new medical practice specialties. Clearly, our future is bright, but it depends on each and every one of us to recruit new candidates to seek board certification with the ABPS, and to strengthen our wonderful organization by volunteering to serve on one of our academies, boards, or committees. Once again, simply click on the “Get Involved” tab at the top of our website!
All of you, I know, are well convinced of our innovative and progressive approach to board certification, as evidenced by the distinctive initiatives described above, among many others. But to help colleagues who may not be familiar with our organization, please take a moment to direct them, and yourself, to our What Is ABPS? webpage, and our ABPS Certification Video, both at https://www. abpsus.org/abps.
Finally, let me conclude by saying what an honor it has been to serve this past year as your President. It’s only because I’ve had the unique opportunities to work so closely with our truly exceptional Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Morris, JD, and to stand on the shoulders of all our past Presidents, including my colleagues, friends, and mentors of many years, Lewis W. Marshall, Jr., MD, JD, FAAEP, FAADM, the late David G.C. McCann, MD, FAASFP and Martin E. Thornton, DO, FAAEP, FAADM, as well as Jerry A.Allison, MD, MSH, CPE, FAAEP, Elizabeth P. MaxwellSchmidt, MD, FAAEP, FACEP, Jack V. Greiner, MS, OD, DO, PhD, FAASS, Terrance Lee Baker, MD, MS, FAAEP, FAAIM, Mark DeSantis, DO, MS, FAAR, Craig S. Smith, MD, FAAR, and so many other great leaders of our great organization. In closing, please also let me express my sincere thanks to all of you, our Diplomates, who make the ABPS so very special, and who continue to support its growth and potential as one of the premier organizations in the field of physician board certification.
Sincerely Yours,
Arthur Cooper, MD, MS, FAADM President
Dear Diplomates,
Many advancements have been made over the past year on behalf of our organization that further strengthen our recognition and the ABPS brand within the medical community. We continue to experience organizational and financial growth.
Brand awareness is critical to advancing our organization. As the medical industry has evolved to include ABPS, we have continued our outreach efforts before hospitals, healthcare organizations, legislators, federal agencies, and like-minded organizations that increase our recognition. In line with these ongoing efforts, over time we have built strong coalitional partnerships to advance the recognition of ABPS. The greatest result of our team’s recognition work can be found in the resulting AMA Resolution (316-I-22) that outlines physician certifying bodies equal to that of ABMS, which included the American Board of Physician Specialties. This resolution states that the AMA will advocate that federal agencies and others must update their certifying bodies beyond just ABMS/AOA, inclusive of our organization.
Over the past year, we have had a full conference marketing schedule placing us before industry influencers, recruiters, potential new Diplomates, and hospital executives furthering our recognition and brand awareness efforts.
We are grateful to our Diplomates who participate in explaining the value of being board certified by the ABPS. Our Tampa team’s Diplomate grassroots efforts have helped to garner further recognition of our organization, for which we are all grateful. Their work resulted in the creation of a recognition tool kit that includes a road map and tools for all our Diplomates to access in order to share with the healthcare institutions they serve in. It has been very successful in garnering recognition for Diplomates that chose to access the packet.
Over the past year, and under the new organizational structure, an increased focus has been placed on our marketing efforts. The work accomplished by our external affairs team has resulted in exponentially increased traffic and interest in our boards of certification.
The new streamlined structure of the ABPS has also successfully placed the focus of our organization on recognition, recruitment and leadership development. With this comes opportunity for the development and transition of new leaders into our Board of Directors. As a physician volunteer organization that wants your voice to be heard, of the utmost importance is the recruitment of leaders that are subject matter experts for our certification member boards. We must increase the number of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) on our certification Member Boards, which is a pathway to building our leadership teams. Under the updated
SME policy, Diplomates that participate in test development, item writing and other certification activities can earn points that may replace their need for recertification examinations. I encourage you to get involved with your specialty Member Board and have your voice heard.
Our presence in Washington, D.C., continues to evolve in a positive manner, with efforts having increased particularly following the AMA Resolution. Our federal efforts on behalf of ABPS have reached a broader spectrum before multiple congressional committees and federal agencies. We continue our work at the state level, advocating for the protection of ABPS certification before state legislatures.
As we move forward, our staff and subject matter experts will be working on all these programs to further awareness of ABPS and continue our presence in the healthcare industry. I encourage all Diplomates to participate in the advancement of ABPS based on their individual communities and networks.
Thank you for your continued support of ABPS.
Jeff Morris, JD Chief Executive Officer
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR DIPLOMATES WHO VOLUNTEERED IN 2023!
Maintaining our rigorous board certification standards and strengthening the role of ABPS in the healthcare community would not be possible without your unparalleled dedication.
ABPS partnered with an award-winning production company to develop an educational video to inform decision-makers, regulators, and legislators about ABPS board certification. Please take a few minutes to share this video with your colleagues and interested stakeholders. The more we share, the more awareness we can bring to ABPS.
Scan the QR code to view the video.
AAPS and ABPS implemented an organizational restructure. The purpose of this change was to streamline the organization and focus on recognition and growth of ABPS boards of certification. As a an ABPS Diplomate, your experience with the organization will remain the same. Under the new structure, the official name of the parent organization is the American Board of Physician Specialties, Inc., instead of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc.
ABPS is seeing an increase in the number of Diplomates participating as subject matter experts, in part due to the recently implemented Recertification Exam Waiver Policy for Subject Matter Experts, a new policy that rewards subject matter experts (SMEs) with a waiver of the examination for recertification for participating in exam development activities over the course of their 8-year certification period. The policy establishes a system of credits that are awarded, in lieu of CME, for participation in activities such as new exam item writing, review and approval of new items and exam forms, review and approval of oral cases, serving as oral examiners, etc., and the
waiver is awarded once the SME has earned a minimum number of credits required and met all other requirements for recertification in their specialty.
ABPS is also exploring options for the development, administration, and implementation of longitudinal assessments, shorter exams or quizzes that can be taken more frequently, as an alternative to the high-stakes examination currently required once every eight years for recertification.
In March 2024, the ABPS Leadership Academy hosted an inaugural Leadership Webinar. Attendees learned about different types of leaders and received an introduction to TeamSTEPPS. The webinar was very well received by ABPS Diplomates, and the Leadership Academy plans to offer additional leadership webinars and workshops in the future.
ABPS is included in a recent report from the AMA Council on Medical Education about options in physician board certification. This further demonstrates the credibility and recognition of ABPS board certifications.
Interventional Pain Management, which will be under the administration of the Board of Certification in Anesthesiology (BCA), is currently accepting applications in anticipation of their first examination in October 2024. Qualified candidates must have completed an ACGME-, AOA-, or RCPSC-accredited anesthesiology residency program AND meet one of the following training options: 1) hold ABPS, ABMS, or AOA certification in anesthesiology and have been actively practicing interventional pain management for a minimum of two years, OR 2) have completed an ACGME-accredited fellowship in pain management or regional anesthesia.
The Board of Certification in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, which has been in development since August 2022, is currently building their exam item bank with the goal of offering their first exam in 2025. This certification is being developed by and for primary care endoscopists who provide high-quality gastrointestinal endoscopy services primarily in rural and underserved areas.
The latest new certification program to seek approval/be approved for development is in Cutaneous Oncology and Mohs Micrographic Surgery.
In June 2023, ABPS leaders convened in Tampa, FL, for a highly productive Leadership Meeting. In addition to business meetings, attendees participated in a Leadership Workshop run by an association management expert to gain a better understanding of leadership responsibilities, strategic direction, and relationships within the organization.
In 2023, we held our annual CME program in a virtual, ondemand format to offer ABPS Diplomates a convenient way to earn AAPS CME credits. Participants learned about Epidemics & Pandemics: Past, Present & Future from a diverse group of experienced physicians. We would like to thank all of our speakers for their valuable educational contributions.
Starting with 2024 recertifications, ABPS Diplomates are no longer required to earn AAPS CME credits for recertification. ABPS leadership made this change to better accommodate the educational needs of ABPS Diplomates, reduce the cost of maintaining ABPS certification, and reduce time away from work and family.
The past year has brought with it much success in our public affairs efforts. Thanks to the strategies developed by our External Affairs Consultant Monique Tapie along with our CEO Jeff Morris, we were able to bring together coalitional partnerships that continue to garner ABPS recognition and a stronger voice before the medical community, legislators and federal agencies. The most important result being the AMA resolution passed in 2023 that recognized ABPS as the equivalent to the ABMS along with other organizations. The AMA’s Council on Medical Education in its resolution outlined the importance of advocating before legislators, hospital organizations, institutions, state medical boards as well as federal agencies that there are competing physician boards of certification, inclusive of the ABPS, that meet the standard needed to ensure patient access to physician care.
Ms. Tapie continues to execute this strategy with much advancement and has built coalitional partnerships that continue to have a positive impact before federal and state legislators resulting in greater interest in breaking down barriers to patient access to care, long created by the ABMS monopoly. In addition, her work with leading antitrust attorney Adam Candeub, Esq., has resulted in the updating of the ABMS White Paper, which exposed the regulatory capture that the monopoly has. This has garnered the attention and activities of some of the most influential voices in Washington as well as before federal agencies. The streamlined focus Ms. Tapie and Mr. Morris have placed on our recognition is moving us exponentially forward within the medical community and those that influence it the most.
During this year’s legislative session, ABPS lobbied on 58 bills in 20 states. There were 23 bills that included ABMS and there are two that incorporated ABPS. Our national lobbyist, Linda Murphy, successfully killed 15 of these bills and prevented ABMS from being listed exclusively in law. ABPS was also able to successfully defeat the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact bill in 3 states. Many of these bills are still in the beginning stages of the legislative process. We will continue advocating for your ABPS board certification.
Our website traffic surged by 97% from 2022 to 2023 with total users reaching 193,000 in 2023.
The primary driver of this growth was Search Engine Optimization (SEO) traffic, representing 83% of total users. SEO/Organic users experienced a remarkable increase of 108% in 2023 compared to 2022, with conversions increasing by 123% during the same period.
The substantial growth in website traffic and conversions from 2022 to 2023 highlights the effectiveness of current strategies, particularly in SEO. By leveraging these insights and implementing the recommended strategies, ABPS will further enhance its online presence, improve user engagement, and drive sustained growth in the coming years.
ABPS representatives have been actively participating in medical industry conferences once more, aiming to enhance the organization’s brand by interacting with healthcare leaders. We promoted and showcased ABPS at twelve live events, thereby fostering greater recognition of our certification options.
As our understanding expands, ABPS offers an informative letter and fact sheet detailing the medical industry’s recognition of the organization as a reputable option for board certification. We advise you to distribute this document among your decision-makers, urging them to enhance physician resources within their organization by revising their medical staff bylaws accordingly.
We are excited to introduce our newly launched Recognition Toolkit, now accessible on our Diplomate site. ABPS Diplomates stand as the foremost advocates for their certification, and we enable them to actively promote their board certification. The ABPS External Affairs Department has developed a variety of tools and resources that Diplomates can utilize when communicating with their healthcare organizations. Additionally, the External Affairs Team offers support to Diplomates encountering certification acceptance challenges in areas such as employment, insurance, and credentialing.
Scan the QR code to access toolkit.
The American Academy of Emergency Physicians (AAEP) acknowledges specific fellowships that have attained a standard of training enabling physicians to showcase expertise and proficiency in the field. Presently, AAEP recognizes 13 programs nationwide. This fellowship recognition program continues to receive inquiries regarding establishment of programs and recognition.
Additionally, the Board of Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics (BCFMO) operates a fellowship recognition program, currently acknowledging over 60 programs. There has been a notable surge in interest from both physicians and institutions seeking recognition from BCFMO.
Completion of these programs, alongside meeting additional eligibility criteria, permits fellows to apply for board certification. The success of these specialized fellowship programs has been pivotal in the organization’s growth.
The financial results for ABPS for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, were excellent. We ended the year with a net income of just under $361,000 and a cash and investments balance of $3,357,000. This performance was due to revenues significantly outweighing expenses. Revenues for the year were $3,219,000, an increase of over 8% compared to the prior year. Expenses for the year came in at $2,858,000. The surplus from operations will be reinvested in our organization and Diplomates for increased recognition, growth, and sustainability of our Boards. 2023 NET INCOME
$361,000 $2,885,000 CASH AND INVESTMENTS BALANCE $3,357,000 $3,219,000 8% Higher than 2022
DAVID
STEVEN G. CARIN, JR., DO “GIDDY-UP” LEADERSHIP AWARD
Lingappa S. Amernath , MD, FAAEP EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Joseph M. Damiani , MD, FAAPRS SURGERY
Elizabeth Dimitri, DO DERMATOLOGY
William J. Farrell, MD, MBA ADMINISTRATIVE MEDICINE
Lewis W. Marshall, Jr., MD, JD, FAAEP, FAADM DISASTER MEDICINE
Salvatore V. Raccuia, MD RADIOLOGY
Marcos G. Rosado , MD ANESTHESIOLOGY
Myles Spar, MD INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DISASTER MEDICINE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Father Marek Machala and the Pastoral Family Care Department and Foundation, Archdiocese of Przemysl
LESLIE MUKAU, MD, EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AWARD
Alex John Beuning , MD, FAAEP
Frank J. Nocilla , MD, FAAIM, FAADM DISASTER MEDICINE
The ABPS uses LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and Facebook to connect with and educate healthcare leaders, decision makers, physicians and patients.
Jeff Morris, JD Chief Executive Officer Jacquelyn Hopkins Director of Finance & Operations
Roxanne Evans Finance Clerk
Executive Committee
Arthur Cooper, MD, MS, FACS, FAADM President
Sarah E. Gilb ert, MD, FAAEP President-Elect
Ann Marie Chiasson, MD, MPH Vice President
Leslie Mukau, MD, FA AEP, FACEP Secretary/Treasurer
Karyn J. Condie, MD, MPH, PhD, FAAFP, FAWM Director at Large
Lance Luria, MD, FACP Director at Large
Jeffrey B. Stricker, DO, MBA, FAASD Director at Large
Lingappa S. Amernath, MD, FA AEP Chair of Certification Council
TBD Chair of Ed ucation Committee
Karyn J. Condie, MD, MPH, PhD, FAAFP, FAWM Chair of Strategic Planning Committee
Lewis W. Marshall, Jr., MD, JD, FAAEP, FAADM Chair of the Basic Documents Committee, ex-officio
Jeff Morris, JD Chief Executive Off icer, ex-officio
Keely Clarke Director of CME, Meetings & Membership
Debi Colmorgen CME Meetings & Membership Coordinator
Lauren W. Henrichsen Director of External Affairs
Erica Cuesta
Marketing & Exte rnal Affairs Specialist
Susan LoBianco Director of Certification
Christine Marascio Certification Coordinator
Vidya Hahn Certification Coordinator
Christina Stebbins Director of Test Development
Angela Brumley Certification Coordinator-Test Development
Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP Leadership Committee Chair
Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP Contract Committee Chair
Leslie Mukau, MD, FAAEP, FACEP Finance Committee Chair
Arthur Cooper, MD, MS, FACS, FA ADM Nominating Committee Chair
The Nat ional Initiative Fund (NIF) was created to strategically advance awareness and recognition of ABPS Member Boards as a choice for physicians. NIF contributions enable the organization to advocate for ABPS Board Certifications with influential stakeholders, including the U.S. Congress, state legislators, state medical boards, hospital systems and health plans.
ABPS is becoming a recognized option for physician board certification in the healthcare industry. This is the result of hospitals, health plans, online databases and communication platforms updating their policies and bylaws to include ABPS.
