Annual Report 2014 - 2015 ABR CERTIFICATION Partners in Evolution “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” - Helen Keller Contents 2 A Message from the ABR President 4 A Message from the ABR Executive Director 6 Certification Statistics 7 Examination Statistics 8 Maintenance of Certification Report 10 Changes in Board Governance 11 Diagnostic Radiology Report 12 Radiation Oncology Report 14 Medical Physics Report 16 Interventional Radiology Report 18 Board of Governors and Executive Staff 19 Board of Trustees and Staff Division Directors 20 New Trustees 2015 ABR Mission To certify that our diplomates demonstrate the requisite knowledge, skill, and understanding of their disciplines to the benefit of patients. ABR Vision The ABR will be the recognized leader in advancing patient care by continuously improving the professional standards of our disciplines through certification of our diplomates. A MESSAGE FROM THE ABR PRESIDENT Evolution of ABR Certification: self-regulatory mission: ensuring that programs Professional Organizations. It is a simple during ABR update sessions and at ABR kiosks at successfully meet the ABR’s foundational goals to truth that professions cannot survive without multiple national meetings throughout the year. Process and Partnership protect patients and the public while also provid- strong professional organizations. ABR leaders These efforts have already borne fruit as evi- ing program components that are sufficiently meet regularly with the leaders of many national denced by the recent improvements in ABR MOC nnual reports can reasonable, understandable, and easily achievable specialty and subspecialty radiology professional Part 4 (Practice Quality Improvement), based on be prosaic reading, by practicing diplomates. The Board considers societies to share thoughts on mutual areas of in- diplomate feedback. This change, which offers even for those who A setting an appropriate balance between adequate terest within the ABR’s programs. As partners in credit for quality activities already performed by have a thirst for details. requirements and diplomate support to be central serving our profession, their disparate viewpoints diplomates in the course of their practices, has By tradition, they offer to its mission. This task is not as simple as it may provide windows on the expectations placed on been very well received. And, as always, there is articles with tidbits of ef- seem. However, 80 years of evolution in societal radiologists from many perspectives, both inside more to be done. forts expended and mis- expectations, self-regulatory philosophy, and ABR and outside the radiology community. In turn, sions accomplished. This experience have given rise to better options for this influences the requirements and standards Already begun is a focused evaluation of MOC year is no exception as a advancing such an equilibrium. developed by the ABR to help radiologists meet Part 3 through consideration of options for pos- number of significant ABR those expectations. Further, professional societ- sible replacement of the current 10-year “recer- accomplishments of inter- Milton J. Guiberteau, MD In the not-too-distant past, medical self-regulation ies’ creation of products and projects in support tification” examination. Because MOC is now a est to our diplomates are bodies were regarded as ivory tower academes— of ABR programs has allowed participants easy ac- continuous process, it makes sense that a mecha- described in this report. However, often missing spouting requirements in isolation from a real cess to tools for meeting ABR requirements while nism for ongoing assessment of knowledge and are explanations of the motivations, practical world of growing external mandates and remote fostering their satisfaction with the process itself. judgement be sought. This also has the potential assumptions, and processes that underlie these from the everyday challenges and stresses of to eliminate the time, travel, cost, and anxiety of efforts. In this time of frequent change in our practicing radiologists. However, with respect to Certification and Accreditation Organizations. the current exam-center testing model, as well as professional landscape, it seems reasonable that today’s ABR, nothing could be further from the To align with the broader medical community to link the discovery of any diplomate knowledge I provide you, our stakeholders, with more than truth. Our Board of Trustees is populated by 24 beyond our own specialty, the ABR participates gaps with remediation through CME required for a presidential summary of information already practicing radiology professionals from all cor- in an exchange of ideas with our partners in the MOC Part 2. available on the pages that follow. ners of our community with a collective practice ABMS board community, as well as accreditation experience approaching half a millennium. Many organizations such as the Accreditation Coun- The Bottom Line. Board certification represents In a number of significant ways, the past year has are heads of their practices and leaders in local, cil for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). a radiologist’s personal commitment to provide a been a pivotal one. As documented in this report, regional, and national radiology organizations. Certainly, in the past year, we have learned a lot high standard of quality patient care and is an the year included (1) completion of transitioning All are subject to the same MOC requirements from our fellow certification boards’ successes acknowledged benchmark of public trust. The the diagnostic radiology (DR) oral certification and processes (including random audits) as other and missteps in their own programs, offering us ABR’s challenge in providing Continuous Certifi- exam to a fully computer-based process; (2) the diplomates and are not shy in expressing their processes to emulate as well as to avoid. Fortu- cation is to achieve the delicate balance of creat- final steps in converting ABR Maintenance of personal concerns and those of their colleagues nately, the ABR’s MOC program has proved to be ing rigorous and meaningful programs that are Certification (MOC) to a Continuous Certification regarding perceived flaws in our programs. All are a virtual role model for adapting requirements to also relevant and appropriate for performance process; (3) the culmination of a near decade- well connected to the realities of practice and the the concerns of practicing diplomates. In addi- by busy practicing radiology professionals. This long process to establish a new medical specialty ever-expanding obligations placed on practitioners tion, the ABR continues to stress the critical need means avoiding the pitfalls of either overdiluting of interventional radiology/diagnostic radiology from every quarter, including the universal calls for ABMS to persist in seeking data for external our requirements or overreaching them by setting (IR/DR) through the formal implementation of a for professional accountability and transparency. validation of MOC programs’ impact on improv- the bar too high. fourth ABR discipline; and (4) a major restructur- As such, ABR trustees understand the importance ing the quality and safety of patient care. ing of ABR governance to better meet the chal- of our Board’s own transparency to diplomates While the Board must guard its privilege to lenges of the future. To say that these significant by disclosing the decision-making processes and Our Diplomates. The introduction of MOC and operate without interference with its mission to achievements, along with numerous more mun- sources of input we rely upon to establish and Continuous Certification fundamentally changed protect the public, it also must be open to the dane issues, have consumed much of the Board’s evolve ABR programs. the ABR-diplomate interaction from a one-time perceptions and feedback of our relevant commu- time, attention, and resources over the past few encounter with the Board to a professional nities and those who delegate to us the awesome years is an understatement. However, with mis- Three of the most important sources of guid- lifelong relationship. Thus, diplomate input into responsibilities of self-regulation. These interac- sions accomplished come new opportunities. ance are input from the radiological community this partnership has become a valuable ongoing tions ensure that our Board is operating within through fellow radiology organizations, col- requirement for development and assessment acceptable limits in reaching the program balance With full implementation and maturation of the laboration with the broader medical community of our programs. As the collective membership it hopes to achieve. Employing these methods, ABR’s MOC program, 2014-15 has represented through other specialty boards, and focused feed- of our specialty, we place our trust in the ABR the past year has enabled us to successfully re- a welcome occasion to re-evaluate MOC compo- back from our diplomates. Obtaining this input to perform the vital function of certification in evaluate and improve problematic portions of our nents regarding practicality of requirements and means we must continue to develop and build on a manner that is as robust, yet as nonintrusive, MOC program. I am convinced that through using facility of process. This included a healthy dose of our working partnerships with these resources by as possible. We obtain feedback from our diplo- the same methods, the coming year will provide Board introspection