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Why Rural Emergency Physicians Should Consider Board Certification

Why Rural Emergency Physicians Should Consider Board CertificationThere has been a dearth of board certified emergency physicians for years, but in rural areas the shortage is especially severe. According to a study on emergency department staffing patterns, nearly two-thirds of board certified emergency doctors work in urban communities.

In a June article on the Health Leaders Media website, M. Kennedy Hall, MD, MHS, lead author of the research and an emergency department physician at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, explained the challenge facing rural areas.  “Rural area patients are now considered a disparity population, and rural areas are faced with an ongoing problem of insufficient numbers of emergency medicine-specialty physicians to staff their emergency departments,” Hall said.

Primary Care Doctors Experienced in EM Are a Good Fit for Rural Areas

An earlier study showed that ER physicians seeking employment face more barriers and fewer incentives in rural areas, Hall said.  Factors that led doctors to choose urban hospitals over rural ones include access to amenities, specialist support and recreation, lifestyle, and location of residency programs, which are mostly in urban communities.  A 2013 study revealed that cost considerations also discourage the hiring of emergency doctors in rural areas, Hall said.  In other words, because of low ER patient volume, hospital leaders in rural areas could not justify hiring higher-paid emergency medicine specialists.

ER departments in rural areas have a much higher percentage of non-emergency medicine residency trained physicians on staff than departments in urban areas.  Hall points out that nonemergency medicine residency trained physicians are a good fit at rural ERs.  “The varied and usually primary care-centered training and skills of non-emergency medicine physicians … serve as a valuable asset in addressing patients’ health over a longer term than typically considered in traditional ER models,” Hall said.

Hall suggests that, as part of their ER hiring decisions, hospital leaders in rural areas should consider factors that include whether patient volume makes hiring ER doctors cost-effective, whether the budget dictates hiring non-emergency physicians, and whether training and experience can be provided for doctors who lack emergency board certification.

The Board of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM)

The American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS), through its Member Board, the Board of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM), offers an ideal solution for rural ER departments seeking qualified physicians with ER experience. The BCEM gives experienced physicians trained in primary specialties, such as family medicine, internal medicine, or pediatrics, the opportunity to demonstrate their proficiency at providing high-level emergency care. The supply of BCEM eligible physicians is increasing as post-primary care residency graduate training programs in emergency medicine are becoming more common across the United States.  These programs have more than doubled in the past 5 years.

BCEM Certification Benefits Rural Hospitals, Patients, and Physicians

BCEM certification benefits rural hospitals and their ER departments as well as primary care physicians. BCEM certification is a symbol of medical excellence that builds patient trust and boosts a hospital’s reputation. For rural hospital managers, prioritizing respected practitioners like BCEM Diplomates can enhance the facility’s prestige, ensuring patients receive the quality care they deserve. As a career investment, BCEM certification positions doctors as leaders in the healthcare community, expands their opportunities for career advancement, increases their job mobility, and provides them opportunities to share best practices and establish valuable networking contacts.

BCEM physicians, and their hospitals, consider themselves emergency medicine specialists.  “When I went to residency, I knew I wanted to work in a rural hospital.  So I went into family medicine because that is who staffed all the rural hospital emergency departments in my home state,” said Alex Beuning, MD, a BCEM physician who works in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  “ABPS gave me an opportunity to demonstrate my expertise in emergency medicine and assure that I can demonstrate my on-going commitment to my emergency medicine practice and my ability to practice at the high level required of any board-certified emergency medicine physician.”

Eligibility Requirements of the BCEM

The BCEM has specific eligibility criteria that applicants must meet to be considered for initial board certification. Prior to applying, candidates are required to fulfill the general prerequisites set by the ABPS, which encompass:

  • Graduation from a recognized U.S. or Canadian allopathic or osteopathic college of medicine.
  • Holding a valid and unrestricted license to practice medicine in the United States, its territories, or Canada.

The BCEM has its own eligibility requirements that include:

  • Completion of an ACGME, AOA, RCPSC, or CFPC-accredited residency in emergency medicine, or
  • Completion of an ACGME, AOA, RCPSC, or CFPC residency in one of the following primary care specialties—family practice, internal medicine, pediatric medicine, or general surgery—and at least 5 years AND 7,000 hours of full-time emergency medicine experience, or
  • Completion of an accredited residency in one of the following specialties—family practice, internal medicine, pediatric medicine, or general surgery—and a 12- or 24-month emergency medicine fellowship approved by the AAEP.

To learn more about the BCEM, or for information about eligibility requirements for BCEM certification, contact the ABPS today.

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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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