Maintenance of Certification at BCM
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MOC QUICK LINKS
PROJECT TRACKING & DOCUMENTATION
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ABMS Portfolio Program Sponsor
Baylor College of Medicine is an approved and recognized Program Sponsor of the American Board of Medical Specialties Portfolio Program™ (ABMS Portfolio Program).
This achievement was coordinated through the Institute for Continuing Professional Development in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (I-QIPS), in partnership with the Division of Continuing Professional Development, which oversees Program Sponsor responsibilities, as conducted through the BCM Maintenance of Certification Program (BCM MOC Program), operated under the I-QIPS.
The BCM MOC Program
More opportunities. Less paperwork. Improved patient care.
Overview
In working directly with the ABMS Portfolio Program, the BCM MOC Program serves as an institutional resource for BCM and affiliated physicians and physician assistants (PA) to help them maintain certifications in their medical specialties.
Physicians and PAs are required to maintain their medical specialty expertise through continuing certification or maintenance of certification (MOC). The ABMS MOC process is comprised of a four-part framework (see Figure 1), with each participating ABMS Member Boards (and the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants [NCCPA], where relevant) having its own specific requirements for each part, along with options for meeting them and the timeframes within which they must be met in order for credit to be earned.
The ABMS Portfolio Program focuses on physician certification efforts for MOC Part 4 - Improvements in Medical Practice, which requires engagement in ongoing assessment and quality/process improvement activities to improve patient outcomes. Further, the ABMS Portfolio Program has an "interprofessional collaborative agreement" with the NCCPA. Under this agreement, eligible physician assistants can earn Category 1 Performance Improvement CME (PI-CME) credit from the NCCPA for their engagement in qualified QI activities through a recognized Program Sponsor organization.
With this in mind, the ABMS Portfolio Program operates through a network of recognized Program Sponsor organizations (such as BCM), and each Program Sponsor is tasked with assisting their respective physicians/PAs earn credit for their qualified QI work.
As such, the BCM MOC Program was created to:- manage and coordinate the responsibilities and essential tasks required of the Program Sponsor, and
- serve as an institutional resource (as reflected by the program benefits noted below) to assist physicians/PAs with maintaining their certification requirements.
Credit for Qualified QI Work
PHYSICIANS |
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS |
|---|---|
| CERTIFYING BODY: Participating ABMS Member Boards |
CERTIFYING BODY: National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) |
Benefits
As an institutional resource, the BCM MOC Program assists physicians and PAs in the areas described below.BCM MOC PROGRAM BENEFITS
Navigating Requirements for MOC Part 4 Credit/Points and NCCPA Category 1 PI-CME Credit:
Structured guidance to help physicians/PAs understand and meet QI activity/project eligibility criteria, participation qualification criteria, and documentation requirements.QI Project Tracking & Documentation:
Web-based QI Project Registry* to help physicians/PAs track their QI work for required credit documentation purposes.QI Coaching:
I-QIPS QI Coaches to provide physicians/PAs with customized guidance in QI tools/methodologies and data collection strategies.Streamlined Processes for Earning Credit:
Various pathways (QI Effort Types) available for physicians/PAs to advance their QI efforts, while also earning credit for their improvement work.
*The QI Project Registry, designed and operated by the I-QIPS, is a web-based application designed for healthcare professionals across the College and its affiliated institutions to develop, manage, and publicize their improvement projects, as well as to discover and learn about other (registered) projects being conducted by their colleagues. All QI activities for MOC Part 4/NCCPA Category 1 PI-CME credit consideration must be registered and updated/maintained in the QI Project Registry. The BCM MOC Program utilizes the QI Project Registry for tracking and documenting various requirements of the credit submission process.