Maintaining the Public Trust - The American Board of Radiology

Reports from ABR DivisionsTo provide readers with more information about ABRactivities, this year’s annual report includes reportsfrom several ABR divisions. Note that the CertificationServices Division is covered in the articles on initialcertification (Page 9) and Maintenance of Certification(MOC) (Page 12).Board AffairsKey governance activities of the ABR include strategicplanning, volunteerism, and professionalism, andtrustee committees oversee each of these. Trustee MattMauro, MD, chairing the Strategic Planning Committee,led the Board in 2010 through an extremely valuablescenario-planning process. Building on the conclusionsof that activity, he and the committee are presentlyfacilitating the development of a three-year strategicplan to guide and direct the ABR in 2012-2014.Trustee Duane Mezwa chairs the Volunteerism Committee.This committee creates systems and policiesdesigned to facilitate the relationship between diplomateswilling to volunteer their time and energy for theABR and the staff who produce examinations and otherelements of the Board’s initial certification and MOCprograms. He and his committee face the dauntingprospect of planning the 2013 “final diagnostic radiology(DR) orals” event in Louisville and determining howto continue to promote the camaraderie and collegialitythat have been the rewards valued by thousands of ABRoral examiners over the past 77 years.The Professionalism Committee has been chaired sinceits inception in 2010 by Trustee Kian Ang, MD, PhD, withTrustee Mary Mahoney, MD, as vice-chair. This groupaddresses certificate actions based on disciplinaryreports from state medical boards (subcommittee ledby Trustee and President-elect James Borgstede, MD);appeals (subcommittee led by Trustee Matt Mauro,MD); and conflicts of interest (subcommittee led byTrustee Kian Ang, MD, PhD). It also adjudicates allegationsof violations of exam security policies.In support of ABR volunteers, the Board Affairs Divisionhas begun piloting the use of electronic conflict of interestforms and, in tandem with other divisions, improvedthe volunteer service manual. Lastly, the ABR is in thefinal stages of trademarking “DABR,” or “Diplomate,American Board of Radiology,” allowing diplomates asimple and concise way to show their board certificationstatus on letterhead and business correspondence.The ABR will notify its diplomates when the new DABRdesignation is available for use.Considering the economic landscape the U.S. facestoday, efficient and effective use of resources is paramount.The Board Affairs Division serves an administrativerole in the organization, including providingreception, preparing agendas, scheduling meetings,managing external relationships, and facilitating legalmatters and contracts. In the past year, the divisionimproved ABR shipping processes to decrease costs;created extensive repositories to allow simplifiedsearches of minutes, policies, and procedures; and,most importantly, changed from using a national certificatevendor to a local one. This decreases costs and thewait time for diplomates to receive their certificates,while still maintaining excellent quality.FacilitiesSolar panels were recently installed on the roof of the ABRbuilding, taking advantage of Tucson’s sunny climate toproduce clean energy and reduce the ABR’s carbon footprint.At the Fall 2010 Board Retreat, ABR trustees approved aproject for installing a 75.9-kilowatt solar electric powersystem, furthering the ABR’s effort to “go green.” Theamount of solar electric power generated by the newsystem represents 20 percent of total office usage.Negotiating the contract, drafting plans, and obtainingcity permits began at the time of approval and continueduntil March 17, 2011, when construction began.On June 24, 2011—255 roof penetrations and 330 solarpanels later—the ABR’s power system was connected tothe grid, and the system became operational.During the past year, the ABR Board of Trustees alsomade three decisions that have led to plans for majorchanges in the ABR building:15