Facts About the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS)
Founded in 1952, the American Board of Physician Specialties® is a nationally recognized choice in physician board certification that includes 12 Member Boards with Diplomates in 20 specialties. Today, leading medical entities, stakeholders, and professional organizations have updated their bylaws, policies, and standards to include ABPS. ABPS offers the highest standards in physician board certification that meet the healthcare needs of the public and aid physicians in achieving success in the continuously evolving medical environment. Its Diplomates practice throughout the United States and serve as leaders in their medical specialties.
Here are some important facts about ABPS:
- ABPS Diplomates and applicants have been primary-source verified by Aperture, a Joint Commission and National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) accredited Credentials Verification Organization (CVO).
- ABPS Member Boards are listed in the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare’s (CAQH) Proview application. CAQH is a platform that gathers enrollment and credentialing data in a single repository for participating health plans and other healthcare organizations.
- Federal and state organizations that recognize ABPS certifications include, but are not limited to, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Veterans’ Health Administration and the United States Armed Forces under the GI Bill, along with state medical boards with specific advertising rules.
- ABPS is recognized in the definition of Physician Board Certification in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Handbook.
- Various state medical boards have also completed their due diligence and retain strict language that accepts and recognizes ABPS as a recognized certifying board that meets the higher standards of certification they require. Some state medical boards, including Florida, have written ABPS into their stringent language.
- ABPS examinations, procedures, and protocols not only meet the highest standards possible, but are clinically, psychometrically, and legally defensible. An objective third party and industry leader (Castle Worldwide) conducted a comprehensive assessment of the ABPS’ rigorous standards and found that they were equivalent to those set by ABMS and AOA.
- ABPS requires a recertification exam every eight (8) years along with 400 CMEs (200 CMEs specialty specific) and a medical ethics course completed in that time frame.
- Leading healthcare and credentialing organizations such as Greely, HCPro, and the National Association of Medical Staff Services (NAMSS) recognize ABPS as a choice in physician certification. In addition, HCPro’s Medical Staff Governing Documents – Bylaws, Policies, and Procedures and NAMSS’s Ideal Credentialing Standards Whitepaper and Managed Care Resource Toolkit have been revised to reflect this recognition.