AADM Announces Call for Nominations for Disaster Medicine Service Award

Feb 21, 2012

Tampa, FL — The American Academy of Disaster Medicine® (AADM®) is seeking nominations for the second annual Distinguished Service Award, honoring deserving individuals, organizations and communities positively affecting public health care in the disaster life cycle – preparation, planning, response and recovery.

Do you know an individual, organization or community making a positive difference in emergency preparedness and disaster health care response? If

you do, AADM wants to hear from you. AADM is seeking nominees that meet one or more of the following criteria:

Individuals that successfully served as leader of disaster preparedness and/or response organization with positive outcomes.
Organizations, governmental or non-governmental, that have demonstrated the

ability to affect change in the practice of disaster preparedness and/or management response.
Communities that have educated, organized and assembled a cohesive team of leaders in community preparedness of disaster medicine and/or management response.

For nomination submission details, visit https://www.aapsus.org/aadm-award-nomination. The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2012. Recipient(s) will be announced June 26, 2012 in Los Angeles at the 60th American Association of Physician Specialists House of Delegates and Annual Scientific Meeting.

Disaster medicine plays a vital role in public health preparedness,” said AADM President James Terbush, MD, MPH, of Colorado Springs, CO. “Promoting disaster resilient communities is a national priority of AADM,” he said. The American Academy of Disaster Medicine was founded to promote the practice of disaster health care, ensuring that all physicians are aware and prepared to effectively respond to future disasters either natural or man-made.

Rear Admiral Alton L. Stocks, MD, U.S. Navy Medical Corps, was honored as the first recipient of the award in 2011. Rear Admiral Stocks played an immensely important role in coordinating U.S. Military and other medical forces in Haiti after the earthquake of January 2010.

AADM is an affiliate academy of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc., the governing body of the American Board of Physician Specialties which certifies allopathic and osteopathic physicians in 17 specialties including disaster medicine.

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Patient Care Is Our Priority

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

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

Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP

Emergency 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

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

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 I think historically, advancement in medicine and patient safety and care has been driven by the diversity of people and scientific thought. That’s what I found at the ABPS and more. For over 60 years that is just who we are. I found a physician certifying body that provides a choice and voice to all physicians ensuring that patients are always placed first.

Jerry Allison, MD

Emergency Medicine

When I decided to pursue a full time role as a physician executive it was important to me to obtain additional professional training, education and work experience. Board certification through the ABPS in Administrative Medicine is validation of my efforts and a demonstration of dedication to professional development. We need more physicians to become full time health care executives, knowing there is a board certification option in Administrative Medicine encourages physicians to take the leap from full time clinical practice to healthcare organizational leadership.

Richard Paula, MD

Administrative Medicine

The American Board of Physician Specialties has provided me with the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of internal medicine through board certification. As a hospitalist, board certification is an expected credential, and hospitals recognize the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) as one of the three standard credentialling bodies for Internal Medicine. Additionally, the ABPS has helped me develop leadership skills as a Board member and Committee Chairperson. ABPS has also helped me sharpen critical thinking skills as a test question developer and reviewer. The Allopathic (MD) and Osteopathic (DO) physicians in the ABPS are lifelong learners and frequently pursue multiple board certifications. I enjoy the camaraderie of my peers in ABPS.

Loren Jay Chassels, DO

Internal Medicine

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