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

WASHINGTON (Jul 01, 2015) -

A statement from American College of Cardiology President Kim Allan Williams Sr., M.D., FACC, on the American Board of Internal Medicine's decision to eliminate the "double jeopardy" provision for Maintenance of Certification that required physicians maintain certification in a foundational discipline in order to remain certified in a subspecialty:

"The 'double jeopardy' provision of Maintenance of Certification required physicians to maintain certification in their foundational discipline when practicing a subspecialty or sub-subspecialty. This provision was welcomed by a few, but perceived as unnecessary by most, in that it required cumbersome additional work and added costs, but less value in terms of clinical reverence. The American College of Cardiology welcomes the news that the American Board of Internal Medicine will eliminate this extra provision after hearing the concerns of the cardiology community and the broader internal medicine community," said American College of Cardiology President Kim Allan Williams Sr., M.D., FACC.

"All physicians seek to offer quality care to their patients and embrace professionalism, which is why Maintenance of Certification, in whatever form, must be a practicable and relevant process to the practice of medicine."

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.

< Back to Listings