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

CHICAGO (Feb 21, 2017) -

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has announced that the American College of Cardiology (ACC) has joined ABMS' Multi-Specialty Portfolio Program^TM (Portfolio Program). Under the program, ACC members who are Board Certified by one of the 21 of 24 ABMS Member Boards participating in the Portfolio Program can now earn Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Improvement in Medical Practice (Part IV) credit for their involvement in selected ACC improvement activities.

"The ACC is continually looking for ways to deliver more meaningful and relevant quality and process improvement experiences to its members, with the ultimate goal of improved patient care," said Richard A. Chazal, MD, FACC, ACC President. "As a sponsor, the College can now facilitate Part IV credit for ABMS MOC for its members including those with dual Board Certifications (i.e., pediatrics and thoracic surgery), as well as its growing number of Affiliate members involved in areas such as family medicine, radiology and emergency medicine. It also positions the ACC as a trusted source of patient safety, patient voice, and practice improvement activities for its members dedicated to quality improvement in their practices."

Physicians choosing to participate in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Quality Payment Program (QPP) under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) must take part in improvement activities ranging from offering expanded evening and weekend hours to participating in MOC. Participation in the Portfolio Program will also benefit ACC members by allowing them to earn MOC credit and credit toward QPP requirements.

"ABMS and its Member Boards are committed to creating MOC programming and processes that are relevant and meaningful to physicians, while at the same time meeting rigorous standards necessary for maintaining Board Certification," said Lois Margaret Nora, MD, JD, MBA, ABMS President and Chief Executive Officer. "Through our Portfolio Program, the ACC can offer its members the opportunity to earn MOC credit for their participation in a wide variety of quality and practice improvement activities and patient safety programs that have a direct impact on improving the lives of their patients and families."

David W. Price, MD, FAAFP, FACEHP, Executive Director of the Portfolio Program, noted, "The quality and practice improvement activities created by the ACC are relevant to and can positively affect physician practices in hospital, community, and private practice settings." He added, "The Portfolio Program encourages participation and recognizes meaningful physician engagement. ACC members certified by one of the 21 ABMS Member Boards participating in the Portfolio Program can improve their practice, receive MOC credit across specialty and subspecialty practice areas, and earn credit toward their QPP requirements."

To date, the Portfolio Program has helped engage more than 11,000 physicians in quality and practice improvement initiatives at hospitals and health systems across the country, with many showing improvement in care outcomes. Since its inception, more than 1,700 improvement efforts have been completed by Portfolio Program participants.

About ABMS

Established in 1933, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) continues to be the leading not-for-profit organization overseeing physician certification in the United States. ABMS establishes the standards its 24 Member Boards use to develop and implement educational and professional evaluation, assessment, and certification of physician specialists. More than 860,000 physicians are certified in one or more of the approved 37 specialties and 86 subspecialties offered by the ABMS Member Boards.  For more information about ABMS, visit abms.org or call (312) 436-2600.

About the American College of Cardiology

The American College of Cardiology is a 52,000-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 to 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, offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. For more, visit acc.org.

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