AAPS Trys to Infiltrate NC

I got the following Email from AAEM as did many of you I'm sure.

The North Carolina Medical Board (NCMB) denied the request from the American Association of Physician Specialists (AAPS) to have their credential, ABPS/BCEM, to be recognized as equivalent to ABMS/ABEM or AOA/AOBEM and accepted as evidence of emergency medicine expertise for purposes of licensure.

After dealing with similar issues in Florida, AAEM contacted every single state
medical board requesting to be informed whenever EM board certification activity appears on their agenda. Upon AAEM's notification of the situation in North Carolina just three weeks before the NCMB meeting, AAEM notified NC-ACEP and national EM organizations. Howard Blumstein, AAEM Secretary-Treasurer and NC emergency physician, testified at the NCMB meeting joined by NC-ACEP representatives. Opposition letters were also sent on behalf of SAEM, ACEP, and influential EM leaders.

"This is a wonderful demonstration of the benefit of having a proactive approach to problem solving, commitment to EM Board certification by ABEM and AOBEM, and inter-organizational collaboration on such important issues," states Tom Scaletta, president of AAEM.

AAEM
555 East Wells Street, Suite 1100
Milwaukee, WI 53202-3823
800-884-2236
Fax: 414-276-3349
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.aaem.org

I'm glad that AAEM went to bat on this one. It sounds like (they make it sound like) AAEM took the point while ACEP was asleep at the wheel. Anyone closer to the situation know different? I had no idea that AAPS was trying to spread byone FL. Definitely and interesting situation that will affect the future of the specialty.