This past year at the FSMB we have continued to focus on engagement with our member boards and partner organizations. Our engagement initiative is principally led by our Vice President of Engagement and Member Services, Andrea Ciccone, JD. Andrea liaises with all FSMB departments and many constituencies and is doing an excellent job of identifying and implementing strategic initiatives that ensure valuable, high-quality engagement experiences for our member boards and targeted stakeholders.
The FSMB continues its very active engagement and collaboration with the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), on two critical issues for public protection and health care: the worsening drug overdose epidemic, and the need to support clinician wellness. FSMB Past Board Member Barbara Walker, DO, now serves as FSMB's board liaison to NAM's Action Collaborative on Combatting Substance Use and Opioid Crises. The Collaborative aims to facilitate a cohesive, systems-based response to better meet the needs of those most impacted and improve outcomes for all. It is working in parallel with the Opioid Regulatory Collaborative pioneered by the FSMB that includes our regulatory colleagues in nursing, pharmacy, and dentistry.
On a related note, the FSMB Workgroup on Opioid and Addiction Treatment, chaired by FSMB Past-Chair Sarvam TerKonda, MD, continued its work in 2023 to evaluate all current FSMB policies, terms, and definitions related to opioids and develop a report and policy recommendations for consideration by the House of Delegates in 2024. The draft recommendations include an update and finalization of Strategies for Prescribing Opioids for the Management of Pain. This document reflects comments received during the first comment period in 2022 and strengthens language related to health equity and the importance of medical recordkeeping. The Workgroup also created a document related to OUD Treatment that provides information on major legislative and regulatory changes that have occurred in the OUD treatment space since the formation of the Workgroup, including the removal of the “X-Waiver” and updated DEA telemedicine prescribing rules. The document also provides a list of principles that can be utilized when evaluating treatment for patients with OUD and an extensive set of resources for state medical boards and prescribers.
We are also continuing our involvement with NAM's Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience. FSMB's Past Chair Art Hengerer, MD, has served as FSMB's liaison to the Collaborative from the beginning, in 2017, and the effort relies on a network of more than 200 organizations committed to reversing trends in clinician burnout. In 2022, the group created a meaningful National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being.
Given the pace of advancement in generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the fact that some physicians are already using AI tools in their practices, it will be challenging for state medical boards to stay current on key AI trends while also advancing thoughtful legislation to better protect the public. The FSMB hopes to fill knowledge and regulatory gaps in this dynamic space in a variety of ways. Our Ethics and Professionalism Committee, chaired by Board Member Mark Woodland, MD, has been tasked by FSMB Chair Jeffrey Carter, MD, with identifying ethical principles to help inform potential medical regulatory considerations for state medical boards as they begin to encounter the application of AI in clinical practice. We held a successful symposium for our member boards on “AI in Health Care and Medical Regulation” in Washington, DC in January, to discuss AI with stakeholders from government, industry, and academia. The FSMB will keep a watchful eye on developments in AI for state medical boards and continue our own analysis of how AI might advance quality health care while limiting patient harm.
After a robust search, I am pleased that Mark A. Bechtel, MD, a Professor and Chair of the Department of Dermatology at Ohio State University College of Medicine, was appointed as the next Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Medical Regulation. Dr. Bechtel began his 5-year term of service on May 1, 2023, and is working diligently to ensure that JMR continues to serve as a primary vehicle through which the US and international medical regulatory community exchanges new knowledge and best practices about physician licensure, discipline, and regulation.
In November 2023, alongside several FSMB leaders and staff, I had the privilege of attending the 15th Biennial Conference on Medical Regulation in Bali, Indonesia, the first in person meeting of the International Association of Medical Regulation Authorities (IAMRA) since the COVID-19 pandemic. The theme of the conference was “Regulation in a Disrupted World: Challenges and Opportunities.” IAMRA members and partners from around the world came together to share their experiences in a disrupted world. The conference marked the first time that a member of the staff of a state medical board in the United States was elected Chair-elect. We extend our heartiest congratulations to Nicole Krishnaswami, JD, Executive Director of the Oregon Medical Board, as she undertakes this exciting role.
In 2023, the FSMB initiated a strategic communications and branding project to enhance our messaging to more clearly articulate the resources and services we offer our member boards and customers. This work was done in tandem with the work of FSMB's Strategic Planning Committee to ensure that the mission, vision, and future direction of the organization are reflected in the recommendations about messaging and communications for the organization. Over the course of 2024, FSMB will be delivering a revamped brand platform and messaging to better meet the needs of our members, as well as a refreshed visual identity to ensure a seamless experience across all FSMB service areas, communications materials, and digital platforms.
The FSMB and Administrators in Medicine (AIM) have collaborated to develop a Certified Medical Board Licensing Specialist (CMBLS) training program. The program was developed for licensing specialists in our state medical and osteopathic boards. It is comprised of six virtual modules and one in-person, full day meeting that culminates in participants earning a certificate as a Medical Board Licensing Specialist. The content includes education on various aspects of the licensing process, including licensing related documentation (eg, primary source verification credentials), and organizations that support the licensing process (eg, NME, FSMB, and NBOME, and accreditation organizations for UME and GME in the US and Canada). Participants have the opportunity to network with their counterparts in other states and have monthly assignments that require collaboration with a partner in another jurisdiction. The inaugural program began in November 2023 and concludes in July 2024. Currently, there are 22 participants from 17 different member boards.
The FSMB recognizes that physicians may take a temporary leave from practice for a variety of reasons, and that physician re-entry can be a normal part of a physician's career. Decisions about re-entry, however, are often challenging for state medical boards as questions arise about how long a physician can be away from practice before needing additional training, what type of processes should be involved in each individual case, what factors are relevant for maintaining competence while out of practice and many more. To address these challenges, Dr. Carter established the Workgroup on Physician Reentry to Practice, chaired by Board Member George Abraham, MD, to review and update current FSMB guidance, bringing it in line with the experiences of state medical boards and making sure it is informed by expert opinion, while also removing stigma around physicians’ decisions to take leaves from practice.
Resident training licenses were the subject of another workgroup created by Dr. Carter, the Workgroup on Physicians in Training, that was chaired by Board Member Andrea Anderson, MD. Not every jurisdiction requires licensing of medical residents and fellows, but the workgroup has made some helpful draft recommendations about their value. The workgroup is also recommending support for the advancement of resident training licensure portability, to enable residents to cross state lines and obtain knowledge and skills otherwise not available in their training programs.
Finally, I'd like to take this opportunity to say that I am very grateful this past year to Dr. Carter, who has worked tirelessly in his role as FSMB Chair to champion actions and services that directly and indirectly benefit our member boards and the public they protect. It has been an honor to work along-side him with our passionate and energetic board of directors and staff.
