Cardiovascular Organizations Pursue New, Independent Medical Board

American College of Cardiology (09/21/23)

A number of U.S. cardiovascular organizations have proposed establishing a new medical board that is independent of the American Board of Internal Medicine. The collaborating consortium includes the American College of Cardiology (ACC), Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA), Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) and Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions. The American Heart Association and other organizations have helped formulate the application. "It's time to have a dedicated cardiovascular medicine board of our own; cardiology is a distinct medical specialty and physicians want — and deserve — a clinical competency and continuous certification program that is meaningful to their practice and patients," said ACC President B. Hadley Wilson, MD, FACC. The consortium will submit the application to the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), asking for an independent board that provides a new competency-based continuous certification model as a replacement for the "Maintenance of Certification" approach. "The priority of this proposed new board is to ensure the requirements truly benefit the cardiology community and the patients we serve," said HFSA President John Teerlink, MD, FHFSA. "The new board's focus on competence in the pursuit of continuous certification is a needed paradigm shift for the field." The board's mandates will de-prioritize timed continuous certification exams in favor of learning evaluations to detect skill or knowledge gaps to be addressed through continuing medical education learning resources and activities. Physicians in the field of cardiovascular medicine will develop and manage the new board. "The time is now to create a board of cardiovascular medicine that can offer our U.S. physician members an innovative approach to maintaining specialized certification that measures the true clinical competence of our diplomates and physicians with relevant educational support," said HRS President Jodie L. Hurwitz, MD, FHRS.

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