ABMS Insights (04/09/25)

More than 100 Sponsor organizations participate in the American Board of Medical Specialties Portfolio Program, which provides a structured way for physicians and physician assistants to earn continuing certification credit for their quality improvement (QI) and patient safety work. Participants include academic medical centers, hospitals/hospital groups, community health centers, accountable care organizations, medical specialty societies, consortiums/collaboratives, physician organizations, and governmental agencies. "The ABMS Portfolio Program partners with healthcare organizations nationwide to recognize the work physicians are already doing to improve their practices and the care of their patients," explains Teena Nelson, MHA, Associate Director of the Portfolio Program. "It links organizational quality and safety goals to continuing certification, benefiting healthcare organizations committed to QI and physicians involved in those efforts." QI projects can focus on a variety of topics, such as processes, clinical care, provider wellness, administration/systems, and population health. Nelson notes that Sponsors often choose to coordinate their Portfolio Program QI efforts with their organization's strategic and quality goals, meaning that physicians can receive credit for participating in quality initiatives that are essential to their organization. Physicians may also take on a QI project that addresses necessary QI work within their own practice. In addition to improving patient care, Sponsors can also save money, according to a University of Michigan return-on-investment study. The 2020 study found that participation in the program led to the healthcare system saving nearly $900,000 annually in physician time alone. Meanwhile, the University of Utah Health Science Center, a Sponsor for more than a decade, found that physician engagement has brought about estimated productivity savings of more than $1.7 million.

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