U.S. Forms Disaster-Medicine Board

The American Board of Disaster Medicine has been formed in the United States to foster, coordinate, build, and facilitate partnerships between disaster medicine specialists and all levels of government and the private sector.

The American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS, Atlanta, GA, USA) announced the establishment of the American Board of Disaster Medicine. The certification in disaster medicine is being offered after two years of intense focus on the subject because of the need for responders to effectively organize and coordinate disaster planning. The board will begin accepting applications from physicians of various specialties on May 1, 2006, and plans to administer the first examination in the fall of 2006.

"Preparation is vital; coordination with other specialists would forever change the way our country responds to disaster,” said Dr. Maurice Ramirez, chairperson of the ABPS. "The initiative is deliberately focused on various clinical specialties; therefore, the collective board can provide a knowledge base and advice to various organizations that engage in preparedness planning.”

"Our country must be prepared for disasters every day, whether terrorist attacks, natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, or health crises such as a flu pandemic. This program is an integral step in preparing our nation's health system so when these disasters strike, we can work together as a team,” said William Carbone, chief executive officer of the ABPS. "Our goal is to foster, coordinate, build, and facilitate partnerships with all affected organizations and entities at all levels to communicate a new and advanced body of knowledge to physicians and other health-care professionals.

The ABPS is the third largest recognized physician multi-specialty certifying body in the United States, and is the official certifying body of the American Association of Physician Specialists (AAPS), overseeing the administration, development, and management of eight medical specialty boards of certification, representing fourteen medical specialties.



Related Links:
The American Board of Physician Specialties