NEWS

Drs. Maura Brennan and Christine Bryson Among First to Be Certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine by ABMS

Of the 1454 physicians who took the first Hospice and Palliative Medicine (HPM) exam administered by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) in November 2008, about 1260 passed and achieved certification. Among them were the Department of Medicine's Christine Bryson DO, Associate Medical Director of the Hospital Medicine Program, and Maura Brennan MD, Director of Geriatric Consultation and Hospice Medical Director.

Between 1996 and 2006, 2800 physicians were certified in HPM through testing administered by the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. In 2006, HPM was formally recognized as a distinct medical specialty by the ABMS, the osteopathic organizations followed suit in 2007. This places the field on par with cardiology, critical care, renal and other specialties.

2010 & 2012 Exams Last Opportunity for "Grandfathering"

HPM certification exams will be offered every other year with the 2012 exams being the last opportunity for "grandfathering" into the field without formal training. Starting in 2014, only HPM fellowship-trained physicians will be eligible to sit the exam. Those interested in pursuing certification should check with their boards for details about qualifications and the application process. There are 10 co-sponsoring boards: Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology, Family Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Psychiatry and Neurology, Surgery, Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine, Radiology and Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Paul Jodka MD, Program Director of Baystate's Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, Has Been Appointed to the Society of Critical Care Medicine's Ethics Committee

Dr. Jodka had served as a member of SCCM's Patient and Family Support Committee before being invited to join the Ethics Committee. The charge of the Ethics Committee is to evaluate the ethical implications of all aspects of the practice of critical care and make recommendations regarding appropriate behavior, identify areas needing more research or debate in order to clarify ethical implications, and educate SCCM members regarding ethical practice and principles. Dr. Jodka is also a fellow in the Division of Medical Ethics at Harvard Medical School. He started his 3-year term in February.

Sandra Bellantonio MD, Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics, Has Been Accepted into AAIM's Executive Leadership Program

The Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) Executive Leadership Program facilitates the building of leadership and management skills among physician leaders within departments of internal medicine. Dr. Ballantonio's participation in the program, which takes place July 27 - August 1, 2009 in Cambridge, MA, will be funded by the American Geriatrics Society's Hartford Geriatrics Leadership Scholars Program for which she was selected 2 years ago. Dr. Ballantonio is Program Director of Baystate's Geriatric Medicine Fellowship and Chief, Section of Geriatrics.