Our Perspective on Inclusive Bylaws
A few years ago, the U.S. Department of Labor recognized the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS) as an option for physician board certification. Until then, only the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) were listed as certifying bodies. Fortunately, more medical staff bylaws are being revised to include the ABPS.
Jeff Morris, J.D., executive of the ABPS, attributes this to more of the country’s leadership seeking the ABPS’s guidance on physician care issues and more medical staff services departments turning to the ABPS as their physicians look for certification or recertification options.
Still, in our current era of primary source verification requirements, negligent credentialing cases, and electronic credentialing programs, medical staffs rarely grant exceptions to physicians who don’t meet the certification requirements in the organization’s bylaws. As a result, many experienced and qualified physicians are denied staff privileges, depriving patients from receiving the excellent medical care that these professionals provide.
Some Medical Staff Bylaws May Discriminate Against Qualified Physicians
“In seeking qualified physicians, hospitals should not discriminate against physicians who chose to be certified by ABPS instead of the more well-known ABMS boards,” Morris says.
He compares organizations’ restrictive bylaws to the discriminatory approach toward DOs in the 1970s, when most bylaws wouldn’t accept DOs as physicians. But as the definition of what a physician is has changed, so have medical staff bylaws. If we assume that organizations write bylaws to attract physicians who are among the finest in their chosen specialties, then it would make sense that bylaws should be more inclusive, as that would provide more opportunities to hire skilled and knowledgeable practitioners.
One way to get medical staffs to change their bylaws, Morris says, is by pointing out that the Department of Labor’s Occupational Handbook now includes ABPS as a board certification option.
“What we are asking bylaws to do is get current with the current standard,” Morris says.
ABPS: A Legacy of Non-Discriminatory and Merit-Based Board Certification
Since certifying its first physician in 1960, the ABPS has recognized highly qualified and skilled physicians across both traditional specialties—such as internal medicine and dermatology—and emerging fields like interventional pain management and integrative medicine. While the ABMS now certifies osteopathic physicians, the ABPS has long been a pioneer in non-discriminatory board certification and remains committed to inclusive certification practices that reflect a physician’s expertise, not just their training background.
Unfortunately, this commitment is not always mirrored by hiring practices within the medical community. Some healthcare organizations maintain narrowly written bylaws that exclude ABPS-certified physicians from staff eligibility. This exclusion often denies patients access to experienced, competent care and contributes to physician shortages in key specialties across the country. The ABPS actively advocates for broader recognition of board-certified physicians to help address these staffing challenges and improve patient access to quality care.
At the heart of the ABPS mission is the belief that experienced physicians who meet rigorous qualifications deserve the opportunity to earn board certification. Embracing ABPS certification helps healthcare organizations expand their physician pool, especially in rural and underserved areas where medical access is limited.
By recognizing the accomplishments of ABPS Diplomates, healthcare institutions not only support a fairer certification landscape—they also ensure that patients receive the specialized, high-quality care they deserve.
Contact the ABPS to learn more about how medical organizations across the United States would be well-served if their medical staff bylaws recognized the highly qualified and comprehensively skilled physicians certified through the ABPS. The ABPS is the official multi-specialty board certification body of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc.®