2018 NEWS

Racial and ethnic minority physicians are more likely to practice primary care in impoverished areas and in regions experiencing shortages. The Association of American Medical Colleges has worked for several years to improve access to primary care for underserved populations.

Researchers from the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) aggregated racial and ethnic demographic data provided by family physicians and found that efforts to increase diversity among the physician workforce seems to have been effective for some racial and ethnic groups but not all.

A recent study by researchers at the American Board of Family Medicine found Practice Transformation Networks (PTNs) enrolled a higher proportion of rural family medicine practices than are represented across the general workforce.

We are pleased to announce the examination option Longitudinal Assessment Pilot has been approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties' Committee on Continuing Certification. All family physicians who are in their 10th year of their certification cycle in 2019 and in good standing with continuing certification will be eligible for the pilot.

Eligible Diplomates will be able to sign-up for the pilot beginning December 7, 2018. The last day to begin a new application for FMCLA is March 1, 2019. More details will be available soon.

ABFM is pleased to provide you access to the October issue of The Phoenix newsletter. To view the online version, click here. You may have interest in the following pieces included with this newsletter:

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has selected Kameron Matthews, MD, JD, FAAFP as the 2018 James C. Puffer, MD/American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Fellow. Dr. Matthews currently serves as Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Health for Community Care at the Veterans Health Administration in Washington, DC. She is one of three outstanding health professionals selected for the class of 2018 NAM Fellows.

The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) is pleased to announce a pilot program to begin in January 2019 that will assess the value and feasibility of a longitudinal assessment option to the 10-year secure examination. Jerry Kruse, MD, Chair of the ABFM Board of Directors, announced this news today to family physicians attending the 2018 American Academy of Family Physicians Congress of Delegates in New Orleans.

A recent study conducted by researchers from Michigan State University and the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) indicates family physicians with high debt ($150,000-$249,999) are less likely to pursue jobs with government organizations, such as work for Federally Qualified Health Centers. Those with high or very high debt (>$250,000) were also less likely to choose academic practice or a geriatrics fellowship.

The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) and the ABFM Foundation are pleased to announce the establishment of the Center for Professionalism and Value in Health Care based in Washington, D.C. The Center will be led by Robert Phillips, MD MSPH, who has been named as its founding Executive Director.

The ABFM knows your time is valuable, and we want to share information with you in a concise way. To assist with this, we’ve changed the format of our newsletter from a 16-page, twice yearly printed newsletter, to a shorter (6-page max) email-only delivered informational news piece. We hope to save both your time and the environment.

The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) is pleased to announce the election of four new officers and three new board members.

The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) is pleased to announce the selection of Elizabeth G. (Libby) Baxley, MD, to become its next Senior Vice President beginning July 1, 2018.

As Senior Vice President, Dr. Baxley’s major initial focus will be to lead all aspects of ABFM activity that relate to the experience of board certified family physicians with ABFM, including residency, the early clinical years, credentials, and communications.

Among physicians, family physicians report some of the highest levels of burnout. According to a new study, however, early career family physicians who provide a broader scope of practice report significantly lower rates of burnout.

Studies have shown that poor access to maternity care has attributed to maternal and infancy mortality in the United States. Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the American Board of Family Medicine found that almost 60% of recent family medicine residency graduates reported that the opportunity to do deliveries was not available in the practice they joined and/or that lifestyle considerations influenced their decision not to include deliveries.

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) today launched the Clinician Well-Being Knowledge Hub, a comprehensive resource repository that provides clinicians and health system leaders with valuable resources to combat clinician burnout in their organizations and personal lives.

A recent study from researchers at the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) and the Robert Graham Center in Washington, DC indicates early career family physicians reported much higher preparation to practice all clinical activities and procedures queried than what they reported providing.

A recent study conducted by researchers from the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) indicates rural family physicians who work in a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) practice have a broader scope of practice than those not in PCMH practices.

A recent study conducted by researchers from the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) indicates rural family physicians have a broader scope of practice than urban family physicians.

The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) are now accepting applications from academic units to be sponsoring institutions in a Precepting Performance Improvement Pilot Program.

In 2010, fewer than 10% of family physicians provided maternity care, citing lifestyle, financial and liability concerns. A recent study from researchers at the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) demonstrated that family physicians who are trained to provide advanced maternity care (which includes surgical obstetrics) in their practices face additional challenges beyond lifestyle impact and the cost of insurance.

Using feedback collected from American Board of Family Medicine Diplomates, the authors analyzed quantitative and qualitative data from 320,500 surveys of family physicians who completed a Self-Assessment Module (SAM) between January 2004 and April 2013. Currently, to maintain board certification, physicians must meet standards that revolve around the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Program for maintenance of certification (MOC).

The American Board of Family Medicine obtained data from the inaugural National Graduate Survey in 2016 revealing symptoms of burnout from emotional exhaustion and callousness at 39.8% and 23.7%, respectively.