News Releases

Chicago, IL, and Doylestown, PA

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME^®) and the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) are pleased to announce a new collaboration to expand opportunities for ABO-Certified ophthalmologists to earn Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credit for participating in accredited continuing medical education (CME) activities that meet ABO MOC requirements. 

The collaboration is designed to increase the number and diversity of accredited CME activities that meet the requirements for ABO MOC and to streamline the process for physicians and for accredited CME providers.  

The ACCME and the ABO share a commitment to promoting high-quality, safe patient care that is delivered with compassion, integrity, and respect for human dignity. With this collaboration, the ACCME and ABO aim to leverage the power of education to support physicians’ continuous improvement and their ability to practice at the highest professional level. 

The collaboration with the ABO continues the ACCME’s commitment to supporting physicians’ commitment to lifelong learning and to easing burdens on physicians by enabling them to meet multiple professional requirements by participating in accredited CME. The ACCME has also developed collaborations with these American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) member boards: the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA), the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), the American Board of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery (ABOHNS), the American Board of Pathology (ABPath), and the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP). 

A Simpler, Unified Process 

• All accredited CME providers in the ACCME System are now welcome to register their activities in the Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS) for ABO MOC. Activities with a start date of on or after January 1, 2018 are eligible. Accredited CME providers do not need to receive direct approval from the ABO. 

• Beginning in 2019, ABO-Certified ophthalmologists can earn MOC credit for Lifelong Learning (Part II), Self-Assessment (Part II), Patient Safety (Part II), and Improvement in Medical Practice (Part IV) by participating in accredited CME activities that meet ABO MOC requirements. 

• Physicians can browse activities registered for ABO MOC credit in the online CME Finder, a one-stop resource for physicians seeking to earn MOC credit by participating in accredited CME.  

Leadership Comments  

“Awarding MOC credit for approved CME activities will allow ABO Certified ophthalmologists to pursue individualized programs for learning and improvement based on their areas of practice focus and clinical interests. The collaboration between the ABO and the ACCME recognizes the power of physician participation in accredited learning and self-assessment activities to enhance clinical knowledge, improve practice, and advance excellence in patient care.” — George B. Bartley, MD, Chief Executive Officer, American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) 

“By working together, the ACCME and the ABO empower our community of educators to offer ABO-Certified ophthalmologists more flexibility in choosing effective, relevant education that meets their needs and supports their dedication to delivering the highest quality care. We celebrate this collaboration because it creates new opportunities for driving quality in our medical profession and for optimizing the care delivered to the patients and communities we all serve.” — Graham McMahon, MD, MMSc, President and CEO, Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME)  

Resources 

CME that Counts for ABO MOC webpage 
FAQ 

Questions 

Accredited CME providers: Please contact info@accme.org. 
ABO-Certified ophthalmologists: Please contact moc@abop.org. 

ACCME Media Inquiries 

Tamar Hosansky 
312-245-4066 
thosansky@accme.org 

Megan Peters Jovic 
312-245-4054 
mpeters@accme.org 

ABO Media Inquiries 

Meghan McGowan
610-664-1175 x. 12 
meghanmcgowan@abop.org 

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ABO 

The American Board of Ophthalmology is an independent, not-for-profit organization that grants board certification to qualified ophthalmologists (eye physicians and surgeons) in the United States and Canada. Through rigorous certification programs, the ABO strives to improve the quality of patient care by promoting excellence in practice and engagement in continuous learning. The ABO is one of 24 medical specialty certifying boards recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Patients can verify an ophthalmologist’s certification status online at abop.org. 

ACCME 

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME^®) is a nonprofit organization based in Chicago, responsible for accrediting organizations that offer continuing medical education (CME) and for recognizing state medical societies as accreditors of local CME programs. 

The ACCME sets standards for CME that reflect the values of the educator community and aim to accelerate learning, inspire change, and champion improvement in healthcare. These standards ensure that accredited CME is designed to be relevant to clinicians’ needs, evidence-based, evaluated for its effectiveness, and independent of commercial influence. Through participation in accredited CME, clinicians and teams drive improvement in their practice and optimize the care, health, and wellness of their patients. 

Accredited CME facilitates engagement with physicians and healthcare teams where they live, learn, and work. There are approximately 1,800 accredited CME providers within the ACCME System, across the country and internationally, representing a range of organizations including medical schools, hospitals/health systems, government/military agencies, specialty societies, and insurance/managed-care companies. Accredited providers offer about 163,000 activities each year, comprising more than one million hours of instruction and including more than 28 million interactions with physicians and other healthcare professionals. 

For more information, visit www.accme.org. You can also follow the ACCME on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.