EVANSTON, Ill. - February 21, 2008 -American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) announced that Collaborative Fusion, Inc., a leading provider of responder management solutions for emergency preparedness, is the latest subscriber to the ABMS Direct Connect Select web-based certification verification service. ABMS Direct Connect Select allows credentialing professionals to conduct primary source verification of physician specialty certification within the ABMS database through authorized credentialing systems.

First developed as part of a state-based initiative for emergency credentialing, ABMS Direct Connect Select was also employed by the United States Department of Health and Human Services for emergency verification of volunteers to support Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts in 2005.

The Direct Connect Select service is being made available to Collaborative Fusion customers as part of the company’s Community Response System (CORES). Reports from the CORES system, containing complete certification histories and effective and expiration dates for certification, are designated as valid for credential verification purposes under the ABMS Official Display Agent program. The Display Agent program authorizes specific products or services to supply ABMS data for Primary Source Verification (PSV) and non-Primary Source needs.

“Quick, efficient access to primary source physician certification information is essential to emergency response and public health authorities who must verify the credentials of the many physicians that volunteer after a natural disaster or other major health event,” explained Atila Omer, President of Collaborative Fusion. “Adding ABMS Direct Connect Select as a verification service provides for unprecedented transmission, retrieval and management of data needed by the credentialing process and relief agencies.”

 “ABMS is pleased to work with Collaborative Fusion in responding to this particular need in the credentialing process,” said Barb Rosenthal, ABMS Director Products and Business Development. “We
are committed to providing the most efficient means to access primary source data. Integrating Direct Connect Select technology will expedite the credentialing process by streamlining data acquisition and reducing the number of sources to consult for this information. That means qualified physicians can be on the ground working as soon as possible in the event of an emergency.”

About ABMS

The American Board of Medical Specialties is the preeminent medical organization overseeing physician certification in the United States. It assists its 24 Member Boards in their efforts to develop and implement educational and professional standards for the evaluation and certification of physician specialists. ABMS Member Boards provide physician certification information to ABMS for its certification verification service programs. ABMS is recognized by the key healthcare credentialing accreditation entities as a primary equivalent source of board certification data for medical specialists. The public can visit www.abms.org or call toll-free 1-866-ASK-ABMS to see if their physician is board certified by an ABMS Member Board. For more information about ABMS visit www.abms.org or call (312) 436-2600.

About Collaborative Fusion, Inc.

Collaborative Fusion, Inc. is a strategic consulting and technology firm serving the homeland security and emergency response needs for state and federal government clients. Its focus is on developing emergency credentialing and identification systems for medical, public health, and emergency response personnel. Collaborative Fusion, Inc. is dedicated to working with the nation's principle public and private agents to develop innovative solutions that meet the nation's emergency preparedness and response needs.