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The American Board of Physician Specialties® Encourages Hospital Groups and Other Healthcare Providers to Periodically Update Their Bylaws

Updating Bylaws

At the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS), we believe that it is in the best interest of hospital groups and other healthcare organizations to routinely review and update their bylaws, hiring practices, and other protocols to ensure that they remain up-to-date and relevant. The healthcare industry has seen significant change in recent years, and it is in your best interest to ensure that your practice has clearly defined bylaws that effectively govern its operational affairs.

How Revised Bylaws Can Lead to Improvements in Healthcare

One of the challenges that many healthcare organizations run into is that they are governed by outdated bylaws that were written by leaders, attorneys, or board members who have long-since retired or who are fiercely protective of the language they previously wrote. That’s why many organizations have established review committees that review bylaws periodically to identify inaccurate or vague language, sections that are no longer relevant in today’s healthcare industry, and other potential problem areas within the text. In many instances, these fresh eyes have found ways to greatly improve the organizational structure of a healthcare facility by solving problems that stakeholders didn’t know existed. Plus, updating bylaws is a proactive way to prevent problems before they arise – problems that could otherwise mean contract disputes, employee dissatisfaction, and even lawsuits.

How Amened Bylaws Can Bolster Physician Recruitment

Perhaps one of the most important reasons that healthcare groups should review their bylaws every several years is to ensure that they are equipped to recruit the most competitive candidates for positions within their organization. Hiring practices that may have worked well several decades ago, for instance, may no longer be relevant in today’s competitive marketplace, and without a willingness to amend bylaws, the healthcare group might be handcuffed with who they can recruit. Of particular importance to the ABPS is that certifying organizations and hospital groups recognize that there are three multi-specialty physician certifying groups in the nation, and we are committed to ensuring that our Diplomates receive equal opportunity as their peers. When bylaws are written too narrowly, they may incidentally exclude highly qualified physician leaders to the detriment of the patients in your community.

Why Bylaws Should Recognize the ABPS

Established in 1952, the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS) has evolved into a leading multi-specialty certifying organization in North America. We provide board certification across a variety of specialties, spanning primary care fields such as internal medicine and family medicine to emerging specialties like integrative medicine and disaster medicine. Our Diplomates practice in all 50 states, as well as Canada and Puerto Rico, forming a respected community dedicated to exceptional patient care and safety rather than the business side of medicine. For ABPS stakeholders, our mission is clear-cut—to enhance patient care.

The ABPS Maintains High Certification Standards

To achieve certification with one of our Member Boards, physicians must meet our strict eligibility requirements and pass psychometrically validated exams developed under the most rigorous industry standards. ABPS Diplomates:

  • Instill patients with confidence that they will receive the best medical care available
  • Exchange information about clinical experiences in order to advance their specialties and patient care as a whole
  • Enjoy more career opportunities, which can lead to higher earnings
  • Have a voice as a valued member of the healthcare community
  • Receive ongoing education to stay updated on advancements in their specialty

We understand that the top priority of any healthcare organization is to provide exceptional care to its patients, and dedicating the time it takes to sufficiently review and amend bylaws can be cumbersome. However this investment can pay dividends in the long run in ensuring you have the best staff possible. To learn more about the ABPS, our Diplomates, and our various member organizations, 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.

With declining access for maternity care amid rising maternal mortality, ABPS and their Board Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics has been essential for me and many of my colleagues in getting privileges and thereby creating local access for mothers and their children.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
John B. Waits, MD
Family Medicine Obstetrics
Board certification through the American Board of Physician Specialties has served to substantiate my interest and additional training in several fields of medicine including Internal Medicine, Disaster Medicine, and Administrative Medicine. As a result, I have been able to serve my community in clinical, disaster response, and administrative medicine roles. Through the ABPS, I have become recognized as a leader in my various fields of interest.

Spencer Price MD, MPH, MBA
Administrative Medicine
In this era, when continuous updated medical knowledge means so much to you, when quality of emergency care matters most to you ,when you need to excel in your medical career to continue providing exceptional service to your critically ill patients, please consider board certification with the Boad of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM). Where your knowledge & expertise translates to credentialing & certification with wider approval & recognition every day at many fronts. We Welcome you to join our team for a brighter future of our emergency healthcare where dedication to profession relies not solely on clinical practice but also on sound academic certification.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Ashraf A. Gerges, MD, FAAEP
Emergency Medicine
Board certification in Orthopedic Surgery through the American Board of Physician Specialties validated my training and surgical experience through a process that was both rigorous and respectful of real-world practice. ABPS recognizes clinical competence, not just credentials, and that sets it apart.

Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Ashish Anand, MD, FAASOS
Orthopedic Surgery
The American Board of Physician Specialties is a forward- thinking organization that focuses on where Medicine is going, not just where it has been. Traditional Certification Boards like Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Dermatology are represented as are Integrative Medicine, Disaster Medicine, and Family Medicine-Obstetrics. Physicians appreciate the ability to showcase their skills and knowledge through Board Certification, and this organization allows excellent physicians the ability to bring their skills to patients. The dedication and commitment of this organization and its volunteers will ensure ongoing distinction and commitment for decades to come.

Jeffrey B. Stricker, DO, MBA, FAASD
Jeffrey B. Stricker, DO, MBA, FAASD
Dermatology
Serving as a member on the American board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM) for many years and now serving as a Member at Large of the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) has been an enriching and rewarding experience. The board’s commitment to excellence, integrity, and positive impact is truly inspiring. I am grateful to collaborate with such a dedicated and visionary group, and I am proud of the meaningful progress we continue to achieve together.

Arti Prasad, MD, FACP
Arti Prasad, MD, FACP
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 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
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
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
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