CHICAGO – April 11, 2017 – The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has announced that Miami Children’s Health System (MCHS), including its flagship Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, has joined the ABMS Multi-Specialty Portfolio ProgramTM (Portfolio Program). MCHS physicians who are Board Certified by one of 21 of 24 ABMS Member Boards participating in the Portfolio Program and are engaged in eligible activities can now obtain Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credit.
The MCHS Portfolio Program will be available to all of the health system’s physicians, including those employed by Pediatric Specialists of America, the system’s physician group practice, and all private and community-based doctors with medical staff appointment. In addition, the health system sponsors more than 128 residents and fellows in multiple specialties across 14 training programs. The Portfolio Program approved activities will be included in their quality improvement (QI) training, which is focused on the practice-based learning and improvement, as well as system-based practice competencies.
“Miami Children’s Health System believes that MOC for its physicians is key to their lifelong learning and their ability to provide quality care to its patients,” stated Rani S. Gereige, MD, MPH, FAAP, Director, Medical Education, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. “The ABMS Portfolio Program will be closely linked to our graduate medical education and continuing medical education programs. We see it as a valuable resource for faculty professional development, and a means to engage them in quality improvement (QI) work throughout our system.”
Nicklaus Children’s Hospital sees patients from across the country, 67 Florida counties, and due to Miami’s easy international access, 119 countries. The health system’s Portfolio Program will impact pediatric care for children from around the globe, improving the quality and safety of care delivered.
“Miami Children’s Health System’s involvement of multiple specialties illustrates one of the advantages of the Portfolio Program,” explained David W. Price, MD, FAAFP, FACEHP, Executive Director of the Portfolio Program. “In addition, Miami Children’s is using the Program to further foster their culture of quality across the continuum of training, by inviting their residents and fellows to be part of these system-wide QI activities.”
To date, the Portfolio Program has helped engage physicians in quality and practice improvement initiatives at hospitals and health systems across the country, with many showing improvement in care outcomes. Since its inception, more than 2,000 improvement efforts have been completed by Portfolio Program participants. For more information about participation in the Portfolio Program, visit the program website at http://mocportfolioprogram.org/become-a-portfolio-sponsor/.
About ABMS
Established in 1933, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) continues to be the leading not-for-profit organization overseeing physician certification in the United States. ABMS establishes the standards its 24 Member Boards use to develop and implement educational and professional evaluation, assessment, and certification of physician specialists. More than 860,000 physicians are certified in one or more of the approved 37 specialties and 86 subspecialties offered by the ABMS Member Boards. For more information about ABMS, visit abms.org or call (312) 436-2600.
About Miami Children’s Health System
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, part of Miami Children’s Health System, is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with more than 740 attending physicians and over 220 pediatric subspecialists. The 289-bed nonprofit hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine and routinely has many programs ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report. The organization has grown and evolved into the Miami Children's Health System (MCHS) which includes Miami Children's Health Foundation, the organization's 501c3 fundraising arm; a network of 10 nonprofit outpatient centers situated in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties; Pediatric Specialists of America, a nonprofit physician practice subsidiary; a management services organization, and an ambulatory surgery center, as well as an e-commerce line of children's wellness and safety products that support the hospital's mission of serving the region’s pediatric population. MCHS is the region’s only healthcare system exclusively for children.