June 2026

June 2026

President’s Message:
Professionalism – Shared Commitments, For A Stronger Future

The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) supports family physicians who pursue excellence through continuous board certification throughout their career. We commit to supporting Diplomates and our specialty as we serve patients, communities and society.

With the increasing presence of social media, corporatization of medicine, and the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, physicians can no longer easily rely on age-old medical traditions to navigate an uncertain future. Collectively, family physicians are shouldering the burden of administrative mandates, workforce shortages, the specter of medical misinformation, and the challenge of caring for an aging population with increasingly complex healthcare needs.

What allows us to move forward? It is professionalism that holds what we do together: It is professionalism that drives our desire to keep up to date, to improve our care continuously, to engage constructively in our practice and our community, and it is professionalism that helps us balance the pressures on us and maintain our commitment to service to patients and to our communities. Read the full President’s Message

2027 5-Year Cycle Registration Available June 30

Registration will open June 30 for ABFM Diplomates beginning the 5-Year Cycle in 2027

Is Your Next Exam Due in 2027? 

If you have an exam due in 2027, you can access registration in your MyABFM Portfolio after completing your current stage requirements.

Did You Earn Initial Certification or Complete Re-Entry in 2026? 

If you passed the April 2026 one-day exam and received your initial certification, or successfully completed the Re-Entry process to regain certification, you can register for the 5-Year Cycle beginning June 30 in your MyABFM Portfolio.

Registering early is strongly encouraged so you have the full amount of time available to complete your 2027 Q1 longitudinal assessment exam questions. Read more

ABFM Releases Second Edition of the Family Medicine Factbook

The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) today announced the release of the second edition of the Family Medicine Factbook, an interactive, publicly accessible resource that provides a clear, data-driven picture of family physicians and the essential role they play in the U.S. health care system.

The Family Medicine Factbook 2.0 brings together high-quality data drawn directly from ABFM-administered physician surveys, offering policymakers, researchers, family physicians, and the public a reliable and current view of the family medicine workforce. Read more

“For Whom Did the Bell of Liberty Toll?”
Juneteenth 2026

In recognition of Juneteenth, ABFM is sharing this article to reinforce its commitment to health equity as a core strategic priority, and to the ongoing, collaborative effort required to reduce health disparities.

The celebration of Juneteenth is imbued with stories chronicling humanities relentless pursuits of freedom and liberty. We must accurately remember and share these stories so that the treasured value of liberty is amplified – not diminished. What follows is one such story:

In late autumn of 2025, I had the opportunity to attend a meeting in the city nicknamed “The City of Brotherly Love.”  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is famous for its cheesesteaks, sports, Rocky, and its number one tourist attraction – the Liberty Bell. Read more

ABFM Welcomes New Board Members and Officers

We are pleased to announce the election of four new officers and four new board members to the ABFM Board of Directors. Christine A. Hancock, MD, MS, has been elected as Chair.  The other new officers elected in April are Stephen A. Wilson, MD, MPH, as Chair-Elect; Sabesan Karuppiah, MD, MPH, DFM, as Treasurer; and Grant S. Hoekzema, MD, as Member-at-Large of the Executive Committee.  Read more

A Legacy of Editorial Excellence: Honoring Dr. Marjorie Bowman

After 22 years of transformative leadership, Marjorie A. Bowman, MD, MPA, has transitioned to the role of Editor Emerita of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine (JABFM), bringing to a close one of the most consequential editorial tenures in the publication’s history. In her place, Dean Seehusen, MD, MPH, a trusted member of the editorial team since 2007, has assumed the role of Editor in Chief. Read more

How the National Journal Club Works: A Step-by-Step Guide to Staying Current in Family Medicine

Expand your evidence-based practice with new articles covering a variety of systems, such as cardiovascular, GI, gynecologic, obstetric, and psychological, plus key topics like diabetes, hypertension, infection management, and many more. Whether you’re maintaining certification or preparing for initial certification, NJC helps you stay current with the latest medical literature. Read more

Family Physicians Are Embracing AI, But Mostly to Tackle Documentation

A qualitative analysis of AI and machine learning adoption among board-certified family physicians reveals a dramatic surge in interest and a clear picture of what’s driving it. According to data from the American Board of Family Medicine’s Self-Directed Performance Improvement activities, submissions related to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) grew from just 60 in 2023 to 482 in 2024 and 925 in 2025, signaling that AI is no longer a curiosity in family medicine. Read more

How Oregon City Family Practice Used PRIME Registry to Turn Quality Care Into Quality Scores

The family physicians at Oregon City Family Practice (OCFP) knew they were delivering good care. Their payer scores said otherwise.

OCFP has served its community for over 80 years, caring for patients across suburban Portland and deep into rural Clackamas County — where it’s often the only option for miles. Chronic conditions were being managed, preventive care delivered, referrals going out. Yet quality incentive revenue was under $10,000 per year. The numbers didn’t add up. Read more

PCPCM Update: Your Measure, Your Patients’ Voices

A quality measure you may already use just got a vote of confidence — and a new home.

The Person-Centered Primary Care Measure (PCPCM) was built differently from most quality metrics. Rather than tracking what’s easy to count, it asks patients what actually matters to them about their care — things like feeling known by their doctor, getting help navigating the health system, and being cared for as a whole person. That’s exactly what family medicine does, and the PCPCM puts a number on it. Read more

Read the Latest ABFM Research

Check out ABFM’s latest research below and in our research library, or follow us on LinkedIn where we regularly highlight research relevant to family medicine.

Recent studies explore key issues shaping family medicine today, including how gaps in demographic data can affect population health assessment, new ways to measure primary care capacity and workforce needs, and the impact of burnout and turnover on physician sustainability. Complementing this work, a recent Family Practice study of ABFM Diplomates, led by ABFM Qualitative Scientist Annie Koempel, PhD, highlights how administrative burdens, such as reduced physician autonomy and highly structured work environments, can contribute to burnout, turnover, and concerns about the quality of patient care. Read more