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Is Your Family Prepared to Weather the Storm Season?

Storm Season PreparationWith the storm season quickly approaching, the physician leaders at the American Board of Disaster Medicine(ABODM) and the American Board of Physician Specialties® urge the public to be ready for the unexpected. Storms might be unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared, and the ABODM offers the following tips before, during, and after a disaster to help ensure that you and your family aren’t taken off guard when a hurricane, tornado, or other severe weather event strikes your community.

Before the storm

  • Prepare an emergency kit that includes clean water, a supply of nonperishable foods, a radio, a flashlight, and a first aid kit.
  • Make a plan for communicating with your family by ensuring that everyone has each other’s current contact information and knows how to reach one another if phone lines are down.
  • Learn local evacuation routes and the location of designated shelters in the event you need to leave your home quickly.
  • If you have time, cover your home’s windows. An investment in storm shutters may be a great long-term option as well.
  • Ensure that everyone in your family knows where to go if you suddenly need to seek shelter in your home.
  • Make sure that your pets are brought inside and are part of your storm preparation.

During the storm

  • Monitor the radio for updates on the storm.
  • If you’re unable to evacuate, avoid windows and glass doors and close all interior doors.
  • Stay indoors until instructed otherwise.
  • Avoid using your cell phone unless it’s an emergency – you may need the battery later.
  • Ensure you have water available – filling the bathtub before the storm gets too strong is advised.
  • Don’t be fooled by a lull in the storm. Be sure it is truly safe before leaving your home.

After the storm

  • Only drive if necessary and avoid standing water, flooded roads, and washed out bridges.
  • Be careful outside, keeping an eye out for downed power lines or broken tree branches.
  • Inspect your home for damage and take photos of anything you find.
  • Check food and water for spoilage and make a plan for rationing if necessary.

The American Board of Disaster Medicine tests physicians on their knowledge and skills in the disaster lifecycle of preparation, planning, response, and recovery. We know how much of a difference it can make to be prepared for the storm season. Odds are you won’t have to put your plan to the test, but if the unexpected happens, the peace of mind that comes from being prepared can be invaluable. To learn more, contact us today.

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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
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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