President’s Message: ABFM’s Unwavering Commitment to Diplomates and the Specialty

As we settle into the new year, I want to highlight ABFM’s new 2025-2029 strategic plan, which was approved by the ABFM Board of Directors in early February. Seven years ago, amid a dramatic transformation in health care, ABFM published a bold strategic plan, proposing change in almost every part of what we offer Diplomates and the public.  We did what we promised. Those goals have largely been met, and now we move forward to 2025-2029.

I invite you to review our strategic plan and send me any comments or questions you may have. As all of us understand, the environment today is deeply partisan and conflictual – in health care, in society and in politics. Given that context, ABFM’s commitment to the public, to Diplomates and the patients and communities they serve, remains the same. We believe family medicine is the optimal foundation of health and health care – and we will do everything in our power to support that goal.

Much of the 2025-2029 strategic plan follows up on our recent initiatives – the 5-Year Cycle with longitudinal assessment as its foundation, an updated blueprint for ABFM examinations, the ABFM National Journal Club, Competency Based Board Eligibility,  continuing our scholarship on the development of our specialty, quality measures that capture better what primary care does, and advocating for policy changes in support of improving the clinical environment for family physicians.  We plan major new initiatives in the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to create a next generation of high stakes knowledge assessments, broadening the application and usefulness of performance improvement, a recommitment to professionalism, and launching two new major leadership development programs for the specialty.

We also look forward to working with the “family of family medicine” to build the future of our specialty, through our collaborative efforts in residency redesign, research capacity, and to explore a new model of clinical care for family medicine. Family medicine is stronger when all our organizations work together.

These are ambitious goals. We are aware that many, acknowledging the tumultuous times we live in, would say “let us pause” or “let us save our energy.” ABFM believes, however, that it is important to have ambitious goals for the organization and for the specialty. There is opportunity as well as risk! We look forward to working with you to make a positive difference.

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

Read the 2025-2029 Strategic Plan