President’s Message: Enduring Commitments in a Time of Change

In these times of dramatic change and bitter partisanship, one constant remains – the steadfast commitment of family physicians to their patients and communities with compassion and commitment to excellence.

We hear daily about the challenges you face, from patients and communities at risk to increased need for care and rapid changes in the organization of practices.  So, as we near the end of 2025, I want to take a moment to recognize the incredible work that you are each doing across the country. Thank you for remaining the cornerstone of health care, adapting thoughtfully while never losing sight of what is important. Your commitment to patients, communities, life-long learning, and professional development continues to inspire us at the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM).

In this issue of the Phoenix, we are excited to share several important updates and initiatives designed to support your journey and reduce burden.

The 5-Year Cycle registration is now open for all Diplomates beginning the new certification cycle in 2026. This streamlined process ensures you have the flexibility to complete your longitudinal assessment exam questions when it is convenient for you. No need to take time off to prepare and take the exam in a testing center—unless you want to!  In addition, in partnership with the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), we recently added five new health equity knowledge self-assessment activities. These optional activities address social determinants of health, vulnerable populations, climate change, and more.  We hope they will empower you to lead change in your communities.

We also share an update from the PRIME Registry, which makes the submission process for Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) easy and allows CMS-submitted improvement activities to count automatically for ABFM Performance Improvement credit. This is a service free to you; our hope is to help those practices which suffered reduction in Medicare payments in the last year—and to give recognition for the quality improvement work you are already doing without extra paperwork.

We are proud to announce the 2025 Pisacano Scholars — ten exceptional medical students committed to the specialty of family medicine. Their commitment and achievements are inspiring! And we congratulate Drs. Kirsten Austad and Jonathan Staloff, who were selected as 2025 National Academy of Medicine Puffer/ABFM Fellows. Their leadership will help shape the future of our specialty.

ABFM continues to produce impactful research on certification, training, and the role of family medicine and primary care. From tracking AI innovations to reducing pajama time and improving care, to celebrating independent practices that are thriving, to studies to track burnout and to support increased payment for taking care of patients with social risk, our findings are helping to shape policy and practice nationwide. We invite you to read our latest research included in this issue.

As in years past, let me again thank the hundreds of Diplomates and residents who visited our exhibit booth at this year’s FMX conference in Anaheim, California. We are always appreciative of your thoughtful questions and insights. If you are interested in helping ABFM improve what it does on a regular basis, I invite you to join ABFM’s Engagement Network. Learn more about this opportunity in this issue of the Phoenix. Your feedback will help us get better.

And, finally, thank you for your continued commitment to the specialty of family medicine and for the countless ways you make a difference every day.

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