Contact: Katie Glenn, kglenn@acc.org, 202-375-6472

WASHINGTON (Aug 04, 2015) -

A statement from American College of Cardiology President Kim Allan Williams Sr., M.D., FACC, regarding today's American Board of Internal Medicine announcement to reverse its policy tying together board certification and enrollment in Maintenance of Certification:

"By tying together board certification and enrollment in Maintenance of Certification, the American Board of Internal Medicine appeared to devalue the secure examination passed by recently certified physicians, by setting different standards for them compared to those certified in previous years. The ABIM should be commended for recognizing the negative impact of this policy on current and future employment opportunities, particularly for those in the early stages of their careers, and taking the steps necessary to reverse it," said American College of Cardiology President Kim Allan Williams Sr., M.D., FACC.

"The ACC will continue to engage with ABIM and other stakeholders in helping physicians ensure their professionalism in a way that assures physicians continue to stay abreast of the rapidly changing field of medicine in neither an overly cumbersome nor excessively costly way."

The American College of Cardiology is a 49,000-member medical society that is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College is to transform cardiovascular care and improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, provides professional medical education, promotes cardiovascular research and bestows credentials on cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. For more information, visit acc.org.

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