ABPS Enhances Patient Care through Board Certification of Experienced Emergency Medicine Physicians

Oct 20, 2011

Tampa, FL – According to the latest projections from the Association of American Medical Colleges, the country is expected to see a shortage of 33,100 physicians in specialties such as emergency medicine by 2015 (only 3 years away) — calling for greater recognition of career emergency medicine physicians. With board certification in all physician specialties now becoming a requirement, in most hospital institutions, recognition of this expertise and experience of career emergency medicine physicians is a must.

The American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) believes that all patients who visit the nation’s emergency

departments deserve to be treated by an experienced board certified emergency medicine physician. The ABPS Board of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM) looks to ensure patients are regardless of their geographic location. BCEM offers an opportunity to career emergency medicine physicians to become board certified in emergency medicine and BCEM is one of the nation’s largest EM boards certifying qualified experienced EM physicians since 1989.

According to the “National Study of the Emergency Physician Workforce 2008” (published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine 2009), thirty-one percent of the emergency department workforce in the United States is staffed by career emergency medicine physicians that have a primary care background. ABPS embraces these career EM physicians and believes they have earned the right to demonstrate their knowledge, ability and become board certified in EM. America’s patients have the right to expect the best possible emergency care provided by board certified physicians.

At a time of great physician shortages, ABPS focuses on placing the patient first, striving to ensure all patients are receiving the highest level of care both in urban and rural areas of the nation. All patients deserve the ability to be seen by a board certified emergency medicine physician that meets the rigorous standards set by ABPS.

“The foundation of ABPS board certification is built on placing patients first. They look to ensure that those outside urban areas receive the same level of care as those residing in the larger metropolitan communities,” explains Mark Bolton, MD, MPH, MBA. Dr. Bolton is a BCEM Diplomate and CEO of Coast to Coast Healthcare Services, a company that recruits physicians for hospitals in rural and remote communities nationwide.

ABPS recognizes the need for experienced board certified emergency medicine physicians that have completed residencies in primary

care specialties. All too often urgent cases require a variety of medical expertise.

“Career emergency medicine physicians who have a primary care, or surgical residency along with a board certification in emergency medicine, are often the best choice to meet the needs of patients in local communities,” said Bolton. ”In addition to their training, they have developed the necessary skills and judgment through extensive experience to handle emergency room scenarios without sub-specialty support and state-of-the-art equipment,” he added.

ABPS is a leading certifying body for both allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) physicians and provides opportunities for physicians to become board certified in 17 medical specialties.

ABPS is the official certifying body of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc.

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Medical organizations throughout North America understand that our rigorous certification standards prove that ABPS Diplomates are capable of delivering the best patient care possible.

With declining access for maternity care amid rising maternal mortality, ABPS and their Board Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics has been essential for me and many of my colleagues in getting privileges and thereby creating local access for mothers and their children.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
John B. Waits, MD
Family Medicine Obstetrics
Board certification through the American Board of Physician Specialties has served to substantiate my interest and additional training in several fields of medicine including Internal Medicine, Disaster Medicine, and Administrative Medicine. As a result, I have been able to serve my community in clinical, disaster response, and administrative medicine roles. Through the ABPS, I have become recognized as a leader in my various fields of interest.

Spencer Price MD, MPH, MBA
Administrative Medicine
In this era, when continuous updated medical knowledge means so much to you, when quality of emergency care matters most to you ,when you need to excel in your medical career to continue providing exceptional service to your critically ill patients, please consider board certification with the Boad of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM). Where your knowledge & expertise translates to credentialing & certification with wider approval & recognition every day at many fronts. We Welcome you to join our team for a brighter future of our emergency healthcare where dedication to profession relies not solely on clinical practice but also on sound academic certification.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Ashraf A. Gerges, MD, FAAEP
Emergency Medicine
Board certification in Orthopedic Surgery through the American Board of Physician Specialties validated my training and surgical experience through a process that was both rigorous and respectful of real-world practice. ABPS recognizes clinical competence, not just credentials, and that sets it apart.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Orthopedic Surgery
The American Board of Physician Specialties is a forward- thinking organization that focuses on where Medicine is going, not just where it has been. Traditional Certification Boards like Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Dermatology are represented as are Integrative Medicine, Disaster Medicine, and Family Medicine-Obstetrics. Physicians appreciate the ability to showcase their skills and knowledge through Board Certification, and this organization allows excellent physicians the ability to bring their skills to patients. The dedication and commitment of this organization and its volunteers will ensure ongoing distinction and commitment for decades to come.

Jeffrey B. Stricker, DO, MBA, FAASD
Jeffrey B. Stricker, DO, MBA, FAASD
Dermatology
Serving as a member on the American board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM) for many years and now serving as a Member at Large of the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) has been an enriching and rewarding experience. The board’s commitment to excellence, integrity, and positive impact is truly inspiring. I am grateful to collaborate with such a dedicated and visionary group, and I am proud of the meaningful progress we continue to achieve together.

Arti Prasad, MD, FACP
Arti Prasad, MD, FACP
Integrative Medicine
There are many ways board certification advances a physician career. ABPS Board examination verifies your accuracy, precision, and reflects your mastery of your residency training verifying your expertise. ABPS Board certification demonstrates your level of expertise beyond your practice experience, primary education degrees, and training which are necessary for insurance reimbursement and practice privilege requirements. Attaining your ABPS Board Certification will clarify your purpose, secure your practice growth, and expand into leadership positions. Board certification can serve as an indication of a physician’s commitment to medicine, beyond the minimal standards and competency of training, their measurement to quality of care, and attaining an award for excellence.

Chris Kunis MD
Internal Medicine
When the American Board of Physician Specialties offered to host the American Board of Integrative Medicine, ABPS became a landmark organization working to move medicine into the twenty first century. Certifying physicians who have completed rigorous academic training in Integrative Medicine ensures that the field of Integrative Medicine will continue to develop academically, clinically, and professionally. The leadership of ABPS continues to impress me - they are diligent in constantly innovating to provide certifications for physicians who want to advance their careers and their areas of expertise. I am honored to be a part of this organization.

Ann Marie Chiasson, MD
Integrative Medicine
On October 18, 2007, President George W. Bush released Homeland Security Presidential Directive 21 (HSPD-21), calling on our nation, among other initiatives, to “collectively support and facilitate the establishment of a discipline of disaster health”. It is a great testament to the wisdom and foresight of the American Board of Physician Specialties that it immediately set to work and created, within the short span of only one year, an educational blueprint and set of certification examinations, both written and oral, for a new subspecialty of disaster medicine—and it is why I chose to be part this vital initiative and this wonderful organization. This is but one of the many innovative programs initiated by the American Board of Physician Specialties over the years, and why I am proud to support its work on behalf of our nation’s public health.

Art Cooper, MD
Disaster Medicine
Far too often, medicine is led by less than 5% of non-practicing physicians taking away and replacing the voice of the 95% of physicians practicing and placing patient safety and care first on the front lines every day. The American Board of Physician Specialties has raised the standards in physician board certification not only in the quality of their boards of certification, but in hearing and allowing for the voice of those active physicians caring directly for patients. Having been a part of the ABPS over the last 28 years has allowed me to grow as a woman leader in a field often wrought with challenges. It helped me and others raise the bar of the standards of care in my specialty, Emergency Medicine, through their Board Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM). ABPS also helped raise the standards of care for 21st century medicine through their certifications in other specialties, particularly in Integrative Medicine & Disaster Medicine. Having physician voices heard matters to medicine and is essential in the betterment of patient safety and care.

Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Emergency Medicine