Chicago, IL, December 10, 2019: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) today announced the requirements for its Diplomates to maintain ABPM Certification during the transitional period from the current Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program to a new and innovative Continuing Certification Program (CCP).  The transitional period will begin February 1, 2020 and continue through December 31, 2022 (Transitional Period).

The objective of ABPM’s Transition Plan is to provide Diplomates with a thoughtful, simple, well-organized and orderly transition from the current MOC requirements to the more flexible and relevant requirements of the new CCP.

During the Transitional Period, the requirements to maintain ABPM Certification will be as follows:

• ABPM will continue to require its Diplomates to maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted medical license in all states, territories or jurisdictions in which they are licensed to practice medicine.
• For each calendar year 2020, 2021 and 2022, Diplomates will be required to attest to the completion of twenty-five (25) AMA PRA Category 1^TM continuing medical education (CME) credits (or the equivalent). The required attestation will be available to Diplomates via ABPM’s Diplomate portal and will no longer require Diplomates to submit proof of completion. Instead, Diplomates will simply electronically sign the attestation confirming completion of the required CME courses.
• Diplomates whose ABPM Certificates expire between January 1, 2020 and January 31, 2023, will be required to take and pass the MOC exam in each Specialty or Subspecialty for which recertification is being sought.
• ABPM’s current requirements for MOC Part IV Improvement in Medical Practice (IMP) will remain unchanged. However, in addition to receiving current credit for IMP activities completed during the Transitional Period, the Diplomate will also receive credit for the first IMP (or its equivalent) that will be required by ABPM’s CCP. During the Transitional Period, ABPM will not require Diplomates to submit proof of completion by Diplomates of IMP activities during their current Certification Cycle. Instead, Diplomates who complete an IMP activity in their Specialty/Subspecialty during the Transitional Period will simply log on to ABPM’s Diplomate portal and submit an attestation of completion.
• Prior to February 1, 2023, Diplomates must attest to completion of a one-hour patient safety course (PSC) by using ABPM’s Diplomate portal. This requirement can be fulfilled in one of two ways: (1) Successful completion of an ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship in 2012 or later, or; (2) Successful completion of an ABPM-approved PSC.

Consistent with its current MOC program, throughout the Transitional Period ABPM will continue to audit up to five percent (5%) of the Diplomates with respect to fulfillment of their MOC requirements. These audits will require Diplomates to submit to ABPM proof of completion of CME activities including the IMP activity.

“Although the updated ABMS Standards for CCP may not be finalized for another year, we are already engaged in the planning process for our CCP which will be developed based on recommendations of the Continuing Board Certification: Vision for the Future Commission (Commission), not the least of which will include ABPM moving away from the every 10-year examination to an innovative longitudinal assessment model,” said Hernando “Joe” Ortega, Jr., MD, MPH, ABPM Board Chair. “The annual engagement with Diplomates that is part of the requirements during the Transitional Period is not only consistent with the recommendations of the Commission to engage with Diplomates annually but, equally important, allows Diplomates to become comfortable with the annual engagement before the launch of CCP.”  Dr. Ortega added, “We believe that by retaining the core requirements of our MOC program while increasing flexibility and providing credit toward our future CCP during the Transitional Period, Diplomates will view this change favorably and find it to be a positive first-step toward an increasingly relevant and less burdensome process.”

ABPM Diplomates can find specific requirements for maintaining their Certificate during the Transitional Period by going to the ABPM’s website at https://www.theabpm.org/maintain-certification/transitional-moc-to-continuing-certification-program/.

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The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) is a Member Board of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Founded in 1948, ABPM works with the ABMS in the development of standards for the ongoing assessment and certification of over 12,000 physicians certified by the ABPM in the Specialties of Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine, and in the Subspecialties of Addiction Medicine, Clinical Informatics, Medical Toxicology and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine.