This program report highlights the progress made during 2024–2025. ABPS staff collaborates with outstanding physician leaders, volunteers and subject matter experts to move the organization forward. These efforts result in the advancement of ABPS Member Boards.
Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) play an important role in the exam development process and help us achieve test development goals.
ABPS recently implemented a new policy that rewards SMEs who participate in exam development activities over the course of their 8-year certification period with a waiver of the examination for recertification.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE
Dear Fellow Diplomates,
I have spent over two decades in service of our organization as a Subject Matter Expert, the past five years on the Executive Committee and the past twelve months having the privilege of being your President.
Over the years I have watched the continuous evolution of ABPS, but none as great as we have seen in the last five years. Under the leadership of our CEO, working with our Government Affairs Strategist and advisor, our growth and recognition efforts continue to reach new heights, with more state leadership, regulatory bodies and federal agencies working with us to ensure patient access to care. We have launched a new media relations campaign in support of our external affairs efforts – building greater awareness of ABPS not only as a choice in physician board certification but an absolute need in 21st century care, especially in the rural areas of our country and in support of our military.
We have exponentially grown program fellowship partnerships in emergency medicine and in family medicine obstetrics –answering the true needs of 21st century care that ensures greater patient access to physician care. Our boards of certification are essential to meet the needs of patient access to quality care and we are successfully and continuously working to expand our efforts. Despite ABMS claims, many rural or critical access hospitals, such as the one I just retired from, are staffed by both family medicine physicians practicing obstetrics and emergency medicine physicians who are our Diplomates providing expert care.
As we continue to grow, we are even more committed to the new organizational structure implemented two years ago and are completing the new charter and bylaws that have helped to finalize this transition. This very path has led to stronger leadership, and a stronger ABPS. Together we are working to
foster leaders for tomorrow; ones that are committed to the organization’s growth and mission, while developing themselves as the leaders in medicine.
Our CEO, certification team and physician leaders have worked tirelessly to streamline our certification processes, providing greater opportunity with continued competency in board certification. Through the use of technology, many of your fellow Diplomates have spent countless hours volunteering as Subject Matter Experts, without having to leave the comfort of their homes. Through a new program developed by me, our CEO, and the Certification team, the SME's efforts have not gone unnoticed. Doctors who have participated actively in various exam development activities during their recertification cycle can now obtain credit towards their recertification. The continued invested involvement of our SME's ensures that we have the highest standards in physician board certification that meet the needs of 21st century medicine.
Working with our CEO Jeff Morris, JD, our Executive Committee and ABPS Board of Directors, our wish is to foster greater leadership and to have you be part of that. Please always ask your board leaders how you too can be a part of the future of ABPS.
Being part of this organization and its leadership has been an honor, one I hope that many of you will take the opportunity to be a part of. I sincerely thank you all for allowing me to be your President and I look forward to watching our continued success and growth. This has been one amazing year!
Sincerely Yours,
Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
The past year has brought its normal challenges, but most of all, it has brought multiple opportunities. These opportunities lie mostly within our growth and recognition, not only before the medical community but before legislators both at federal and state levels.
Thanks to the continued dedication and hard work of our ABPS team, influencers and decision makers at the highest levels of hospital organizations, federal agencies and legislators recognize the impact ABPS has on 21st century medicine. More often than not, these decision makers have been seeking out our expertise and guidance on specialty certification and patient access to care.
Our government affairs team has been closely working with physician leadership to assist state surgeon generals in improving patient access to care through the development of a family medicine obstetrics medical center model established by one of our very own, Dr. William Rodney. Additionally, we have been assisting multiple congressional committees to break down the barriers to physician care by building awareness of the damage the monopoly has wrought upon patient access. All of these efforts can also be seen in the recent media coverage of ABPS and interest of mainstream press who are, more than ever, looking into how monopolies and bureaucracies in medicine are impeding patient access to quality physician care.
Our marketing team continues to attend key conferences that have increased recognition of our boards of certification, while simultaneously growing the interest of recruiters who now include our ABPS boards in their outreach efforts. The team’s efforts have resulted in increased traffic to the ABPS website and the growth of multiple key relationships. Our Tampa team’s close work with one another has enabled an easy workflow and coordination between departments.
Over the past year, our certification team has been working tirelessly to assist in the building of new boards of certification sorely needed for 21st century medicine. Areas that include gastrointestinal endoscopy and the cutaneous oncology and Mohs micrographic surgery specialties are in the process of being developed by leading experts in the country. In addition, outside organizations have begun to approach us to open discussions on the possibilities of coming under the ABPS umbrella. All of this is thanks to the diligent work of our team to increase recognition of our boards of certification.
Working as a team and the nurturing of the ABPS family culture is what has allowed us to succeed in such a positive way. None of this is possible without the dedication we all have to one another and to our great organization. Physician participation and leadership have been key to this success. As we move forward, we encourage all to participate and become subject matter experts and part of our leadership.
Thank you for your continued support of ABPS.
Jeff Morris, JD, Chief Executive Officer
THANK YOU TO OUR
Thank you to all of our Diplomates who volunteered in 2024!
Maintaining our rigorous board certification standards and strengthening the role of ABPS in the healthcare community would not be possible without your unparalleled dedication.
ABPS uses LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and Facebook to connect with and educate healthcare leaders, decision makers, physicians, and patients.
The Texas Medical Board approved ABPS Board of Certification in Integrative Medicine (ABOIM) and Board of Certification in Internal Medicine (BCIM) applications for the Medical Board’s recognition for purposes of advertising in Texas, pursuant to Board Rule §164.4.
This decision grants our ABOIM and BCIM Diplomates the ability to advertise their board certification in Texas, reinforcing the value of our certification. Recognition by the Texas Medical Board is a crucial step forward for both the integrative and internal medicine boards.
This significant achievement was made possible by our external affairs team and your generous donations to the National Initiative Fund (NIF).
In June 2024, representatives from the ABPS Board of Directors, Certification Council, and other ABPS committees met in Tampa, FL, for two productive days of business meetings and leadership training focused on setting up the organization for future success. We would like to thank everyone who attended for their dedication and contributions.
AAPS Degree of Fellow requirements have been updated to reflect recent organizational changes. The Degree of Fellow is awarded by AAPS Academies of Medicine to recognize Academy members for merit and outstanding accomplishments in the specialty or outstanding service to the Academy.
We’re pleased to introduce a new feature to our online donation platform—monthly giving. You can now set up recurring donations to provide ongoing support for our mission effortlessly.
This option allows you to make a lasting impact with a contribution that fits your budget, ensuring sustained support for NIF.
We’re excited to introduce a new toolkit feature that allows Diplomates to upload their organization's bylaws that recognize ABPS. This powerful addition helps build a growing database of organizations that accept ABPS while enabling Diplomates and leaders to access and share this important information.
By uploading your bylaws, you contribute to a comprehensive resource that supports transparency and collaboration within the community.
The American Academy of Emergency Physicians (AAEP) recognizes select fellowships that meet rigorous training standards, allowing physicians to demonstrate expertise in the field. Currently, AAEP acknowledges 13 programs nationwide with 2 new program applications in progress and continues to receive inquiries about program establishment and recognition.
Similarly, the Board of Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics (BCFMO) oversees a fellowship recognition program, currently recognizing 64 programs. Interest in BCFMO recognition has grown significantly among both physicians and institutions.
Completion of these fellowships, along with meeting additional eligibility requirements, enables fellows to apply for board certification. The success of these specialized programs has played a key role in the organization's expansion.
ABPS representatives have been actively participating in medical industry conferences once more, aiming to enhance the organization’s brand by interacting with healthcare leaders. We promoted and showcased ABPS at 10 events, thereby fostering greater recognition of our certification options.
In 2024, ABPS experienced steady digital growth, driven largely by strong organic performance and consistent user acquisition across the year. Website sessions grew by 8% year-over-year, totaling 266,000 sessions, while total users rose to 206,000. Organic traffic remained the dominant acquisition channel, contributing to over 75% of sessions. SEO efforts delivered impressive results with a 782% increase in clicks and over 7.3 million impressions, showing clear improvements in visibility and engagement. With strong search rankings and audience growth, ABPS is well positioned to improve conversion efficiency and on-site engagement through strategic optimizations.
Total Sessions: 266,000 ( 8% YoY)
Total Users: 206,000 ( 6%)
New Users: 203,000 ( 7%)
Page Views: 462,000 ( 7%)
PERFORMANCE
Organic Sessions: 201,000 ( 2%)
Organic Users: 159,000 ( 3%)
Organic Views: 334,000 ( 1%)
Top Traffic Sources: Google (185K), Bing (12.7K), Yahoo, DuckDuckGo
Organic Clicks: 175,000 ( 782% YoY)
Impressions: 7.37M ( 770%)
Click-Through Rate (CTR): 2.38% ( 2%)
The past year has brought with it great advancement in our public affairs efforts. Our Government and External Affairs Expert, Monique Tapie, continues to work with our CEO Jeff Morris, JD. With the passing of the AMA Resolution that recognized ABPS as a choice in physician board certification, we have been able to garner greater coalitional partnerships with state, and federal agencies. This has allowed us to finally position ABPS as the organization it truly is – physician board certification meeting the needs of 21st century medicine.
The team is actively working and coordinating with multiple congressional committee members, state leaders and antitrust think tanks to expose the institutional control that, for far too long, has been placing barriers to patient access to care throughout the country, all of which contribute to physician shortages. With the new presidential administration prioritizing ending the bureaucracies and monopolies in medicine, ABPS is now presented with a great opportunity to exponentially advance our recognition and ensure patients have access to the highest quality of care across the country, especially in rural America. Ms. Tapie continues to work tirelessly with decision makers both in Washington and in states across the country on behalf of your boards of certification.
During this year’s legislative session, ABPS lobbied on 51 bills in 15 states. Our national lobbyist, Linda Murphy, successfully killed 8 of these bills and prevented ABMS from being listed exclusively in law. ABPS was also able to successfully defeat the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact bill in 1 state. Many of these bills are still in the beginning stages of the legislative process. We will continue advocating for your ABPS board certification.
ABPS certified its first Diplomates in interventional pain management in November 2024. The interventional pain management certification is under the administration of the Board of Certification in Anesthesiology (BCA).
The Board of Certification in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy is currently building their exam item bank and will soon be accepting applications, with the goal of offering their first exam in 2026. This certification is being developed by and for primary care endoscopists who provide high-quality gastrointestinal endoscopy services primarily in rural and underserved areas. Qualifications include completion of an ACGME-, AOA- or RCPSCaccredited residency with identifiable training or experience in gastrointestinal endoscopy during residency, after residency, or fellowship.
A new Board of Certification in Cutaneous Oncology and Mohs Micrographic Surgery is currently in development, with the goal of offering their first exam in 2027.
ABPS is seeing an increase in the number of Diplomates participating as subject matter experts, in part due to the recently implemented Recertification Exam Waiver Policy for Subject Matter Experts, a new policy that rewards subject matter experts (SMEs) with a waiver of the examination for recertification for participating in exam development activities over the course of their 8-year certification period. The policy establishes a system of credits that are awarded, in lieu of CME, for participation in activities such as new exam item writing, review and approval of new items and exam forms, review and approval of oral cases, serving as oral examiners, etc., and the waiver is awarded once the SME has earned a minimum number of credits required and met all other requirements for recertification in their specialty.
ABPS is also exploring other alternative options to the high-stakes examination currently required once every eight years for recertification.
ABPS experienced another good year in 2024. Financial results for the year ending December 31, 2024 include a surplus of over $550,000 and a cash and investments balance of almost $3.9 million. The surplus for 2024 exceeded the prior year results due to consistent revenues year over year accompanied by lower expenses. Annual revenues remained around $3.2 million while expenses decreased by 9% to $2.7 million. These surpluses continue to be used to reinvest in the organization and our Diplomates for increased recognition, growth and the sustainability of our Boards.
$550,000 $2,700,000 CASH AND INVESTMENTS BALANCE
$3,900,000 $3,200,000 9% Decrease from 2023
In 2025, the ABPS Leadership Academy continued the Leadership Academy Webinar Series with additional leadership training opportunities. In January, Diplomates learned about the mission and organizational structure of ABPS, as well as key challenges facing the organization from Introduction to ABPS: Mission, Structure, & Challenges. In April, Servant Leadership & Leading With the ABPS Message covered aspects of servant leadership, how to prioritize the ABPS mission and organizational goals for the benefit of those we serve, and the role leaders can play in growing ABPS recognition. These webinars have been well attended and well received by ABPS Diplomates.
The Emerging Leaders Incentive Program was developed to encourage potential future ABPS leaders to attend the 2025 ABPS Leadership Meeting and increase leadership participation. Accepted applicants are eligible for reimbursement of travel expenses for attending the meeting which gives them an opportunity to learn about the inner workings of the organization, network with ABPS leaders, and participate in leadership development training.
E. O. MARTIN AWARD
THOMAS EBNER LEADERSHIP AWARD
STEVEN G. CARIN, JR., DO, "GIDDY-UP” LEADERSHIP AWARD
DAVID G.C. MCCANN, MD, DEVOTION AWARD
Arthur Cooper, MD, MS, FACS, FAADM
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DISASTER MEDICINE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Donald A. Donahue, Jr., DHEd, MBA, MSJ, FACHE
PhD
LESLIE MUKAU, MD, EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AWARD
Jack V. Greiner, MS, OD, DO, PhD, FAASS
Loren J. Chassels, DO, MST, FAAIM, FAWM Internal Medicine
Royce M. Joseph, MD, FAAEP, FAAFP Emergency Medicine
Karyn J. Condie, MD, MPH, PhD, FAAFP, FAADM Disaster Medicine
Leonard Lamsen, MD, FAAEP Emergency Medicine
Debjeet Sarkar, MD, FAAEP Emergency Medicine
James M. Andriole, DO, MBA Administrative Medicine
Stuart G. Rasch, MD Emergency Medicine
Frederick L. Slone, MD, FAADM Disaster Medicine
Dermatology
Melinda R. Ring, MD Integrative Medicine
Bhanumathy Vinayagasundaram, MD Family Medicine
Orthopedic Surgery (Awarded Posthumously)
Wm. MacMillan Rodney, MD, FAAFP, FACEP – Surgery
Margaret I. Williams-Thirston, MD Anesthesiology
Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP President
Ann Marie Chiasson, MD, MPH President-Elect
Leslie Mukau, MD, FAAEP, FACEP Vice President
Jeffrey B. Stricker, DO, MBA, FAASD Secretary/Treasurer
Robert A. DeSimone, MD Member
Lance Luria, MD, FACP Member
Jonathan S. Simmons, DO, MS, FCCP, FACOI, FAADM Member
Lingappa S. Amernath, MD, FAAEP Certification Council Chair
Leslie Mukau, MD, FAAEP, FACEP AAPS Education Committee Chair
Jerry A. Allison, MD, MSH, CPE, FAAEP Strategic Planning Chair (Non-Voting)
Arthur Cooper, MD, MS, FACS, FAADM Basic Documents Chair (Non-Voting)
Elizabeth P. Maxwell-Schmidt, MD, FAAEP, FACEP Presidential Advisor (Non-Voting)
Jeff Morris, JD Chief Executive Officer (Non-Voting)
Jeff Morris, JD Chief Executive Officer
Jacquelyn Hopkins Director of Finance & Operations
Keely Clarke Director of CME, Meetings & Membership
Debi Colmorgen CME, Meetings & Membership Coordinator
Lauren W. Henrichsen Director of External Affairs
Erica Cuesta Marketing & External Affairs Specialist
Susan LoBianco Director of Certification
Christine Marascio Certification Coordinator
Vidya Hahn Certification Coordinator
Christina Stebbins Director of Test Development
Angela Brumley Certification CoordinatorTest Development
The National Initiative Fund (NIF) was created to strategically advance awareness and recognition of ABPS Member Boards as a choice for physicians. NIF contributions enable the organization to advocate for ABPS Board Certifications with influential stakeholders, including the U.S. Congress, state legislators, state medical boards, hospital systems and health plans.
ABPS is becoming a recognized option for physician board certification in the healthcare industry. This is the result of hospitals, health plans, online databases and communication platforms updating their policies and bylaws to include ABPS. Please
www.abpsus.org
