Philadelphia, PA, March 22, 2017 – The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) today announces the appointments of Jeffrey Berns, MD, as Chair-elect of the ABIM Council; Olakunle Akinboboye, MD, as Chair of the ABIM Cardiovascular Board; and Mark Udden, MD, as Chair-elect of the ABIM Hematology Board.
ABIM Specialty Boards are responsible for the broad definition of the disciplines across Certification and Maintenance of Certification (MOC). Specialty Boards operate alongside the existing test-writing committees and are responsible for making Certification and MOC relevant vehicles in their discipline. Along with the ABIM Council, these groups lead innovation in assessment methods and standard setting in the disciplines of Internal Medicine. They also work to ensure that enhancements to Certification and MOC are informed by input from physicians and medical societies in each discipline.
As part of ABIM's governance structure, both ABIM's Council and Specialty Boards are comprised of physicians with academic and community practice experience as well as members from interprofessional health care teams and the public.
“We are honored to have Dr. Berns, Dr. Akinboboye and Dr. Udden—three highly regarded physicians with significant clinical experience– to serve the community in their disciplines and across specialties to offer more choice, relevance and convenience as they help to set the standards for excellent patient care,” said Richard J. Baron, MD, President and CEO of ABIM.
Jeffrey Berns, MD, is Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Associate Chief of the Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, and Director of the Nephrology Fellowship Training Program. Dr. Berns maintains a general nephrology practice at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a board certified internist and nephrologist and serves as the Chair-elect of the ABIM Council. He will become the Chair of the ABIM Council on July 1, 2018.
“I've had the privilege of working with Jeff Berns over the past few years on the ABIM Council and have witnessed his commitment to bringing the physician voice into the process of improving MOC,” said Jeanne M. Marrazzo, MD, MPH, Chair of the ABIM Council. “I'm certain that as the new Council Chair-elect, he will continue to advance ABIM’s forward looking initiatives.”
Other new leaders announced today:
Olakunle Akinboboye, MD, is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York. He is also the Medical Director of Queens Heart Institute/Laurelton Heart Specialist P.C. in Rosedale, Queens, New York. Dr. Akinboboye is board certified in Cardiovascular Disease and Sleep Medicine. Beginning immediately, he serves as Chair of the ABIM Cardiovascular Board and is a member of the ABIM Council.
Mark Udden, MD, is Chief of Benign Hematology and Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston, Texas, and is Chief of Hematology at the Ben Taub General Hospital and Harris Health Smith Clinic. He is also an Attending Physician in the Baylor Clinic and consults at Baylor Saint Luke’s Medical Center and the Texas Children’s Hospital Pavilion for Women. Dr. Udden is a board certified hematologist and internist and will serve as Chair-elect of the ABIM Hematology Board beginning his term as Chair on July 1, 2017. He continues to chair the ABIM Hematology Board Exam Committee.
If you have questions regarding these appointments, contact request@abim.org.
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Internists and subspecialists who earn and maintain board certification from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) differentiate themselves every day through their specialized knowledge and commitment to continual learning in service of their patients. Established as an independent nonprofit more than 80 years ago, ABIM continues to be driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world. Visit ABIM's blog to learn more and follow ABIM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. ABIM is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties.