ABPM Semi-Annual UPDATE January 2024

President's Message

First off, thank you for allowing me to serve as president of this prestigious organization. 2023 was the year of the win. A victory in Oregon now allows this state’s citizens improved access to qualified podiatrists. Over 400 podiatrists sat for board certification with ABPM in 2023, in line with recent trends for the board over the past decade.

The American Board of Podiatric Medicine is now the fastest growing certifying board in our profession. But don’t expect the wins to stop. 2024 looks to be an amazing year! The goal is clear, and it is resonating within our profession: One Board for All.

This is not a new goal. Parity with our allopathic colleagues was recognized as critical to our profession and a five objective blueprint entitled Vision 2015 was developed in 2005 by the APMA. The primary objective presented was single board certification for the profession to remove “any lingering confusion about the definition and scope of podiatric medical practice” (APMA News, February 2014). While the APMA was unable to overcome the barriers of that generation’s status quo; with the rise of today’s new gold standard, the American Board of Podiatric Medicine, the finish line is in sight.

As advised by our bold leaders in 2005, a single tier, single board in podiatric medicine and surgery must be objective one. To reach parity with our allopathic colleagues that we work with side-by-side, we must align with them. Our education, training and experience must guide our privileging. ABPM will carry the torch forward and remove the divisions in our profession that has led to artificial barriers and variations in scopes. We owe it, not just to ourselves, but to our communities to ensure that everyone has access to qualified podiatric physicians!

I look forward to the privilege of working for you, our diplomats, on making podiatry better for the next generation!

Adam R. Johnson, DPM

President, ABPM

Editor's Note

Stephanie Hook, DPM

Happy 2024!

Last year, I let you all know that New Year’s is my favorite holiday. Although I enjoy the spirit and feeling of so many holidays during the year, I especially appreciate the idea of a fresh start. Mind you, I don’t mean the idea of starting over- that can be challenging and scary! I mean accepting the idea that things change. Moving into these changes with an open mind (and heart) describes how I interpret a fresh start.

This issue is a great opener for 2024. We share the first President's Message of Dr. Adam Johnson. We update you on our recent activities, budget, and MOC information.

We remind you here of the mission of ABPM, celebrate our incredible Diplomates, and invite you to join us in education through the year. You will find ABPM at more conferences than ever this year. Your Board of Directors and your Headquarters Staff continue to work to serve you to the best of their ability. We are always also looking forward to working with more of our Diplomates as several of our committees' welcome new members.

Whatever you're feeling about this New Year, we are proud to have you as a Diplomate of ABPM and wish you a peaceful and prosperous 2024!

ABPM Holds Annual Membership Meeting at Desert Foot

The ABPM recently held its Annual Meeting of Members at PRESENT Podiatry's Desert Foot conference in Phoenix, Arizona. The Board inaugurated new Board Member Kiana Trent, DPM, and swore in the 2024-2025 Executive Board under President Adam R. Johnson, DPM. At the same meeting, Lee C. Rogers, DPM assumed the post of Immediate Past President, while the previous occupant of that seat, William E. Chagares, DPM, rolled off the board after ten years of Board of Directors service to ABPM Diplomates.

Prior to the Annual Meeting of Members, Board members Gina M. Painter, DPM, and Adam R. Johnson, DPM, gave the influential "Why Certify" lecture to approximately 70 podiatrists and podiatric medical students in attendance. This lecture covers the advantages of Board Certification, including increased access to insurance panels and higher reimbursement potential, along with the marketing benefits provided to the Diplomate by virtue of being Board Certified.

Thank you to Michael Shore, DPM and Daryl Ehrentreu of PRESENT Podiatry for accommodating the Board during Desert Foot, and to everyone who attended, we'll see you all again later this year!

Residency Program Evaluator Spots are Open for 2024!

One of the most important components of the CPME residency approval process is the team site visit. The site visit is a peer-review process that helps to enhance the quality of education by assessing a program’s compliance with CPME standards and requirements. CPME is committed to ensuring each evaluator possesses appropriate experience and skills essential to the evaluation process. CPME residency evaluators must be certified by one or both of the specialty boards recognized by the SBRC and should be either program directors or active faculty members of CPME-approved residencies. Prior to participating as a member of a team, evaluators complete a training program and are assigned to a team as trainees under the tutelage of the team chair and the specialty board representatives.

The Residency and Fellowship Visits - Invitation for Comments Become a CPME Residency Program Evaluator council pays all expenses incurred during the site visit and a per diem for each travel and on-site visit day. Individuals interested in becoming residency evaluators should submit a letter of interest and current curriculum vitae to their certifying boards. Contact information for the American Board of Podiatric Medicine (ABPM), as well as a description of the ABPM-certified evaluator criteria, can be found at CPME.org/residencyevaluators.

If you are interested in being nominated to serve as a site visit evaluation team member, please submit your CV along with a letter of interest to admin@ABPMmed.org.

Welcome, President Adam R. Johnson and New Board Members

Katerina Grigoropoulos, DPM

The American Board of Podiatric Medicine, the nation's premier podiatric certifying board, recently inaugurated Adam R. Johnson, DPM, of Minnesota, to President of the Board of Directors. Stephanie Hook, DPM, of New York, has been elected to her first full term with the Board of Directors after completing her appointed term and assumes the position of Vice President.

Newly elected Kiana Trent, DPM, of Maryland, also joins the Board of Directors. Dr. Johnson attained board Diplomate status in 2013, following a three-year podiatric medicine and surgery residency at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His service with the Board began in 2016 with a role on the exam committee as a field tester and later as a founding member of the ABPM's Certificate of Added Qualification in Amputation Prevention and Wound Care, for which he currently serves as an exam committee SubChair. Dr. Johnson is a graduate of Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center's College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery and practices at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center.

“I am honored to lead the ABPM at a critical time for the Board and for the profession of podiatry as a whole,” Dr. Johnson said after swearing in. “I am committing to ensuring ABPM sticks to its priorities, including financial strength and stability, effecting meaningful change for our diverse diplomate pool, and developing and deploying the most effective primary board certification exam available for today’s podiatrist.”

Dr. Stephanie Hook practices with Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists and has long been a leader among her fellow podiatrists within and beyond the State of New York. Dr. Hook is a graduate of the Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine in Cleveland, OH, and was a resident at Catholic Health System in Buffalo, from 2004 to 2007 then served as Chief Podiatry Resident there from 2006 to 2007. She is a past member of the Board of the New York State Podiatric Medical Association. She is a member of the ASPS and earned her board certification with ABPM in 2012 and serves on the Communications Committee as Chair, and the Credentials Committee, as chair.

Dr. Kiana Trent is a podiatrist in the Baltimore, Maryland – area and earned her Board Certification from ABPM in 2019. She is a graduate of the Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine and completed her residency at the Baltimore Department of Veterans Affairs, where she was Chief Resident in her third year. Dr. Trent is a member of the American Association of Women Podiatrists and the American Society of Podiatric Dermatology. Dr. Trent also holds ABPM’s Certificate of Added Qualification in Amputation Prevention and Wound Care and in her spare time, volunteers in the D.C.-area.

Adam R. Johnson, DPM

Kiana R. Trent, DPM

Stephanie Hook, DPM

Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Update

Garrett Moore, DPM

Greetings! Since taking over our Maintenance of Certification program, I'm excited to share news of some updates and opportunities within every diplomate's membership dashboard.

Many of our MOC-enrolled members may not know that there are opportunities to earn MOC points available to our members every month!

Primarily, these take the form of lectures provided by CFAR or the Complex Foot and Ankle Reconstruction series. These lectures typically occur on the last Thursday of each month and are completely free of charge to ABPM diplomates!

n addition to counting towards your MOC reporting, each of them are also good for 1 to 2 Continuing Medical Education points with your state licensing board.

Additionally, two free MOC points are available on your MOC dashboard in the form of a brief didactic-style online assessment that members can complete once every three years. A couple of things you should keep in mind about this point pathway are:

• You have two attempts to pass with a score of 60% or higher.

• Upon completion of the test, you will be able to see a breakdown of your scores by category type.

• If you pass the test, you will earn two MOC Evidence points in Category 1.

We hope you find the MOC Evidence Assessment informative and challenging, and importantly, convenient as you work to maintain your Board Certification with ABPM.

Finally, always keep in mind that many of the conferences and trade shows out in the podiatry universe can be attended for both Maintenance of Certification and for meeting your state's CME requirements. If you'd like to stay abreast of developments and opportunities within MOC, so that you never miss a point, conference, or opportunity, contact peter@podiatryboard.org to add you to our MOC monthly mailings!

For remaining questions or concerns please visit your member dashboard at our website https://podiatryboard.org/ or contact ABPM Headquarters.

Upcoming MOC Opportunities

January 24-28, 2024 | FPMA's SAM Symposium | Orlando, FL
February 8-11, 2024 | NCFAS Winter Scientific Seminar | Greensboro, NC
February 8-10, 2024 | 31st Annual Cutting Edge Topics and Techniques in Foot & Ankle Surgery
February 24-25, 2024 | PRESENT Treasure Hunt | Los Angeles, CA
March 7-10, 2024 | French Quarter Conference | New Orleans, LA
April 4-7, 2024 | Superbones Superwounds East | Teaneck, NJ
April 18-21, 2024 | Valley of the Sun Conference | Phoenix, AZ
April 25-28, 2024 | Surgical Pearls by the Sea | Newport, RI
June 13-16, 2024 | Footprints in the Sand Conference | Hilton Head, SC
June 20-24, 2024 | The Western Foot & Ankle Conference | Anaheim, CA
August 8-11, 2024 | APMA National Scientific Conference | Washington, DC
September 26-29, 2024 | Update 2024: 43rd Annual Reconstructive Surgery of the Foot, Ankle and Leg | San Deigo, CA
October 31-November 3, 2024 | The 34th Annual Sanibel Conference Hallux Valgus and Related Forefoot Surgery | Fort Myers, FL

The ABPM MOC Committee is actively looking to increase participation regarding educational content. If you would like to request a review of materials to be considered for approval in Category 2 of the MOC Program, please scan the code below and fill out the subsequent form for visit podiatryboard.org/pages/forms/moc-participation

ABPM Diplomates in Practice: Karen Langone, DPM

Dr. Karen Langone has been an ABPM Diplomate for over 30 years, certifying in 1993, and in continuous practice on Long Island since the day she graduated from medical school. Back then, the Board was the newly christened American Board of Podiatric Orthopedics and Primary Podiatric Medicine, or, ABPOPPM. An athlete and lifelong New Yorker, Dr. Langone maintains her Southampton podiatric medical practice with a specific focus on sports medicine and the biomechanics of the foot and ankle.

Dr. Langone completed her residency with NYCPM and has taught a specialty course in sports medicine at the College.

"The education and training I received at NYCPM were second to none," Dr. Langone said of her time there.

A lengthy history of public service also distinguishes Dr. Langone's career as a podiatrist and advocate for the profession. She spent seven years as a trustee for the New York State Podiatric Medical Association. During the majority of her time with NYSPMA, Dr. Langone served as Chair of their Legislative Committee and Public and Population Health Committee, roles she continues in today. She has also represented New York State's APMA members as a Delegate to the APMA's House of Delegates, the profession's highest legislative body.

Dr. Langone also has a 12-year history with the American Association of Women Podiatrists, serving on their executive board and as President for the last four years. Her involvement with AAWP culminated two years ago in a recognition from the APMA, which honored her with their DEI Hero Award in 2022. She is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, serving on several committees before taking the helm of President of that organization.

In the clinic, Dr. Langone treats a wide variety of podiatric complaints and conditions, including, but not limited to, ankle instability and Achilles tendon pathologies, and hammertoes to heel spurs and everything in between. She reserves particular specialization in gait analysis and even continues to make house calls to some patients who require care but cannot come into her office.

That same focus also took her to serve on the medical teams of a wide variety of athletic events and beyond. She's leveraged her biomechanics expertise on the 7 Day Race, the Boston Marathon, the New York City Marathon, the Easthampton Marathon, and the Long Island Marathon. When the twin towers fell on New York City's most fateful day, Dr. Langone was among thousands of medical practitioners to answer the call of duty for the survivors, working as part of the World Trade Center Rescue Workers Podiatry Team.

Dr. Langone maintains a private practice on Long Island with hospital privileges at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital.

ABPM is proud of our large and accomplished pool of diplomates and seeks to highlight these individuals and their achievements wherever we can.

ABPM Takes Action to Support AACPM's Student Recruitment Initiative

The American Board of Podiatric Medicine (ABPM), the nation's premier certifying board for Doctors of Podiatric Medicine, recently contributed toward the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine's new "Feet on the Street" campaign. As such, ABPM was recently recognized as a Strategic Partner in the initiative, one of six, a group of leading organizations in the profession that helped AACPM generate over half a million dollars toward the campaign.

“Feet on the Street” creates purposeful engagement opportunities for undergraduate advisors, undergraduate students, DPM faculty, and local DPMs to visit 220 colleges across the country. A key component of the initiative is having the mentoring/shadowing local DPM present at the presentations and events. Appropriate website content, www.explorepodmed.org, social media interface (YouTube Shorts, TikTok and Instagram), and continued podcasts (www.deanschat.com) and blogs will supplement these visits.

ABPM has long recognized the need for meaningful leadership to develop and foster the next generation of podiatric physicians. The future of the profession can only be secured by the actions of today's leaders. ABPM has been certifying leaders in podiatry since 1978 and remains committed to bright and sustainable future for the profession.

More information on ABPM's advocacy can be found at www.podiatryboard.org.

Coming Up in Exams

Gina M. Painter, DPM

The last six months have been quite busy for the examinations department here at ABPM!

October saw us deliver our annual Board Certification exam, to well over 400 podiatrists, many of whom finished residency earlier this year. It is a perennial honor to play a vital role in shaping the early careers of podiatrists in the workforce. Our certification is valid in every state and hospital system in the country, and respected by many podiatric providers around the world.

Standard setting for results from October took place just a few weeks ago, and we look forward to sharing them soon.

Our staff and examinations committee have been hard at work on CAQ exams, which are still open for applications through the end of the month.

We are looking forward to administering our second round for the CAQ in Podiatric Surgery. That particular exam has undergone some changes to its eligibility criteria, becoming more rigorous for applicants while streamlining the workload the Exams Department staff must undertake to process those applications.

Key changes to CAQPS include a requirement for ALL applicants to submit a 12-month, HIPPA-compliant case log regardless of residency completion date. This accomplishes two things, first, it presents a universal threshold for all applicants to meet where the previous system separated applicants into different pathways depending on residency completion date, creating confusion and a clunkier process for many applicants who often had more experience than those who had the requirement waived. Now, all applicants will be held to the same clearer, fairer standard. Second, requiring a 12-month log of surgical cases from everyone provides a simple way for applicants to demonstrate the volume and diversity of cases they are familiar with.

Additionally, our CAQ in Podiatric Sports Medicine (CAQPSM) also experienced an eligibility overhaul. Applicants for this CAQ are now eligible if they can verify one of the three following criteria:

• The applicant has completed a CPME-approved fellowship in podiatric sports medicine;

• The applicant is a FELLOW or MEMBER of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine;

• The applicant can provide proof of clinical work on behalf of any high school or college sports team, a Special Olympics team, or for any branch of the United States Armed Forces. Applicants to be eligible. Choosing this category MUST demonstrate a minimum of three years of clinical work to be eligible.

Starting in the 2023-2024 ITE exams cycle, results reporting will be accompanied by detailed score explanations corresponding to each of the ten subject areas tested in our In-Training exams. These are reﬂected in our broad overhaul of the ITE page on the site at www.podiatryboard.org.

Exams is at the core of everything we do here at ABPM. From our In-Training Examinations offered to every resident of a CPME-approved podiatric residency program, to our Certificates of Added Qualification for accomplished practicing DPMs, there is something for every podiatrist at every stage of their career. For more information on ABPM's exams and the latest news and updates, visit www.podiatryboard.org.

ABPM, Growing By Miles

The American Board of Podiatric Medicine is growing, and with it, the responsibilities of the entire staff and management team at TPC. Recent developments abroad between ABPMi and the International Federation of Podiatrists (FIP) has brought management of FIP under the umbrella of TPC, which also manages ABPM.

FIP and ABPMi will collaborate further in the future to better serve podiatrists across the world, whom the American Board of Podiatric Medicine International also serves. ABPMi's partnership with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow remains strong.

ABPM remains a half-owner with ABFAS of Podiatry Residency Resource, through which residents are evaluated during the course of their training.

Note that while ASPS and ACPM are not managed by TPC in any capacity, their relationship with ABPM continues.

Treasurer's Report

Brian Lepow, DPM

The American Board of Podiatric Medicine (ABPM) continues to thrive financially as we enter 2024. Our estimated year-to-date (YTD) income has hit close to the $4 million mark, demonstrating over all a very healthy financial outlook for the organization. Our investment portfolio which is managed by DA Davidson also remains stable and secure.

The number of Board-certified Diplomates continues to steadily grow, reassuring the community at large of the value of the ABPM board certification certificate. As an organization we continue review, update, and streamline our processes and the budget to ensure the continued financial viability of our organization.

This allows us the opportunity to best serve our membership and plan for the future of the organization. I’d like to thank each for your continued support of the boards efforts and I will continue to work hard to maintain a healthy financial picture for the ABPM.

I look forward to working together to continue our success through 2024 and beyond.

Brian D. Lepow, DPM