President’s Message: A Year of Opportunities

“We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.”
[Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.]

As our nation looks ahead to its 250th anniversary, we are reminded that moments of reflection often reveal new possibilities. With the start of a new year, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words from his 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech invite us to consider what is possible – and our shared responsibility to recognize opportunity and act with purpose. Viewed through that lens, and despite troubling divides in our society and around the world, 2026 brings meaningful opportunities for the specialty of family medicine.

We remain committed to supporting you with relevant, flexible, and evolving opportunities throughout the year ahead. Our purpose is clear: to support you as you care for the essential health care needs of your patients and communities while upholding the highest standards of professionalism.

The Continuous Certification 5-Year Cycle offers flexibility and choice, including participation in the quarterly longitudinal exam assessment. What Diplomates tell us, over and over again, is that they learn as they go and change their practices as a result. ABFM is also enhancing Continuous Knowledge Self-Assessment (CKSA) by incorporating spaced repetition, an evidence-based learning approach shown to strengthen long-term knowledge retention. By revisiting key concepts over time rather than relying on one-time testing. CKSA supports meaningful, durable learning that aligns with how family physicians build and sustain clinical knowledge in everyday practice. Let us know what you think!   Additionally, Knowledge Self-Assessments are now available in the MyABFM Mobile App. Many of you asked for a mobile platform; the app makes it easy to begin or resume Knowledge Self-Assessments.

Innovation continues to open new doors. Later this spring, ABFM will publish the second edition of the Family Medicine Factbook, building on the success of the inaugural volume by providing updated insights into the discipline and the physicians who sustain it. Family Medicine Factbook 2.0 will include downloadable graphics and datasets designed to be shared with colleagues, health system leaders, medical educators, and learners. The goal is to empower all of you to explain and advocate for Family Medicine.

ABFM is also now offering expanded access to the PRIME Registry, through our partnership with Stanford University. PRIME supports MIPS payment, reduces administrative burden, and makes quality improvement work much easier. PRIME also gives family physicians a chance to advance primary care by providing information on what happens to patients at the front line of care – information frequently absent when clinical guidelines and recommendations are developed. The article in this issue of Phoenix gives you more information if you are interested.

We believe it is important to celebrate what family physicians do every day for their patients and communities. The Higher Standard campaign shares your stories to your peers nationwide on our webpage and communications. Thank you to all of those who have agreed to participate!

We also want to hear your voice. The ABFM Engagement Network provides you with an opportunity to shape the future of ABFM Board Certification. Participants will have an opportunity to share their insights and give perspectives on opportunities and issues facing ABFM Board Certification. Thank you for your input!

Finally, January marked an important leadership transition at the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine (JABFM) – we honor Dr. Marjorie Bowman for more than two decades of outstanding achievement as Editor. JABFM’s mission is to provide relevant clinical information for practicing family physicians; it is free to publish, and free to access and is delivered regularly to all family medicine residents and Diplomates. Dr. Bowman becomes Editor Emerita and will remain involved in manuscripts and special projects. We welcome Dr. Dean Seehusen as he assumes the role of Editor of JABFM. The next issue of the Phoenix will highlight Dr. Bowman’s many contributions and showcase Dr. Seehusen’s vision for JABFM.

As we move forward, ABFM remains committed to supporting you at every stage of your professional journey. Together, we will continue advancing the specialty of family medicine and promoting health equity so that all patients and communities have a shared opportunity to achieve equitable health outcomes.

Warren Newton, MD, MPH
President and CEO
American Board of Family Medicine