Join PAMED President, Dr. Kristen Sandel and National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS) Associate Director, Karen Schatten for an introduction to NBPAS!

Physicians founded the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS) as a fledgling, grassroots movement and certification pathway designed to provide relief and an alternative to MOC.  NBPAS now proudly certifies 13,000+ physicians at over 200 hospitals and health systems nationwide and provides the only alternative pathway for continuous board certification that is less expensive, less burdensome, specialty-specific, and designed to be clinically relevant to individual practice and unique patient populations.  

In the face of a severe and growing physician shortage, NBPAS' mission has taken on renewed importance and relevance and is on the leading edge of efforts to remove administrative burdens that contribute heavily to physician burnout.

PAMED supports the concept of viable alternatives to Maintenance of Certification (MOC) programs that align with PAMED’s MOC Statement of Principles. PAMED acknowledges that the certification requirements within the MOC process are costly, time intensive, and result in significant disruptions to the availability of physicians for patient care. To that end, PAMED is committed to educating members on alternatives, and welcomes the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS) to present to PAMED members.

"Maintenance of certification (MOC) has become a proprietary product that is required of many physicians by insurers, hospitals etc. There are significant concerns among physicians with regard to the current MOC process given the time, energy, expense, and stress involved. The National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS) offers a great alternative to the current MOC process. The main difference in my mind is how various certifying boards view physicians. NBPAS trusts physicians to stay current on their own and uses CME as a measure of physicians' due diligence to that end."

Dr. Mark Lopatin, PAMED Trustee and long time champion of alternative MOC programs

Wednesday, August 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
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Karen Schatten, MLS, MFA serves as the Associate Director of the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS) where she works to advance science-aligned policy within complex regulatory environments. With prior experience in public policy, planning, and project management, Schatten develops strategic policy and growth initiatives, cultivates external partnerships and communications, and leads state and federal advocacy. During her tenure at NBPAS, the organization notably achieved recognition from all major national accrediting bodies for health plans and hospitals including the National Commission on Quality Assurance (NCQA) and The Joint Commission (TJC), further cementing the organization’s reputation as an innovative changemaker and a positive force for change in the healthcare space. Schatten is passionate about advocating for physicians and physician-led medicine throughout the U.S. healthcare system with an eye towards removing burdensome requirements and obstacles to patient care.