Why Hospitals and Clinics Should Emphasize Board Certification When Hiring & Privileging Physicians

While hiring practices at hospitals and medical clinics throughout North America differ, one thing CEOs and recruiters all have in common is the desire to staff their facilities with physicians who are capable of providing the finest care possible. Each organization has its own screening process, which is designed to ensure that the best candidates are given due consideration. Screening is important, but residencies, education, and years of experience alone are not necessarily accurate indicators of a physician’s qualifications for a particular position at a hospital or clinic. It is just as important that the physician is able to demonstrate a mastery of the knowledge and skills required to provide the best care. An effective way to demonstrate that mastery is to achieve board certification through the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS).

The ABPS developed 18 distinct specialty boards that are particularly relevant for credentialing and privileges committees and hiring agents at hospitals and clinics – including the American Board of Hospital Medicine (ABHM), the Board of Certification for Emergency Medicine (BCEM) and the Board of Certification in Urgent Care Medicine (BCUCM). Depending on the job requirements, practitioners of each of these specialties bring a particular skill set to the table. Those who have achieved Diplomate status in a chosen specialty through an ABPS Member Board have proven that they possess the skill and knowledge required to perform at the very top of their chosen field. In fact, it is not a stretch to believe that board certification ought to be made a requirement for physician hiring, if it is not already part of the criteria recruiters and CEOs are looking for in candidates.

To learn more about the importance of physician board certification and how it can be incorporated into a list of requirements for new hires, contact the ABPS. The ABPS is the official board certifying body of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc.