Improving patient outcomes, increasing efficiency, and complying with regulatory requirements are the primary reasons why physicians engage in quality improvement (QI) efforts. Those practicing at a health care organization that is a Sponsor of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Portfolio Program™ have the added benefit of receiving continuing certification credit for their improvement work.
“The ABMS Portfolio Program partners with health care organizations nationwide to recognize the work physicians are already doing to improve their practices and the care of their patients,” stated Teena Nelson, MHA, Associate Director of the Portfolio Program. “It links organizational quality and safety goals to continuing certification, benefiting health care organizations committed to QI and physicians involved in those efforts.”
Sponsor Organizations
Currently, more than 100 Sponsor organizations participate in the Portfolio Program. They include academic medical centers, hospitals/hospital groups, community health centers, and accountable care organizations. Medical specialty societies, consortiums/collaboratives, physician organizations, and governmental agencies are also in the mix.
To become a Portfolio Program Sponsor, a health care organization must offer QI opportunities for their physicians. “That entails having an oversight process for those QI initiatives, leadership support, and the ability to monitor and track physician participation,” Nelson said. To encourage and support interprofessional, multi-disciplinary, and cross-departmental collaboration within an organization, physician assistants (PAs) are awarded continuing certification credit from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants through an agreement with the Portfolio Program.
Program Operations
Sponsor organizations often administer their Portfolio Programs through the continuing medical education/continuing professional development (CME/CPD) or QI departments, Nelson said. If housed in the CME/CPD office, program staff may closely collaborate with their counterparts in the QI department to determine which initiatives are eligible for credit. Oftentimes, program personnel coordinate with staff in credentialing to ensure outreach to physicians and PAs who need certification credit each year. Program staff frequently work with individuals in the information technology department to identify available data and publicly reported measures for incorporation into QI projects.
Most Sponsors have one full-time employee implementing the program, according to a recent Sponsor survey. But those numbers can range from one-quarter of a full-time employee to six staff members, depending on the size of the organization.
“Organizations that have a mechanism in place to address QI work save their physicians valuable time searching for meaningful QI projects and engaging in administrative work to complete them,” Nelson noted. Sponsor organizations handle essential tasks including sending activity submissions, attestation approvals, and confirmation of activity completion to the ABMS Portfolio Program.
QI Projects Target Many Topics
To receive continuing certification credit, a physician must identify a gap in practice, figure out what metrics they’re going to use, take a baseline measurement, implement an intervention for a specified period of time, measure again, and then attest that they did that work. QI projects can address nearly any topic including processes, clinical care, provider wellness, administration/systems, or population health. (See list of top ranked topics.)
The Portfolio Program offers activity templates that can be used to submit QI work related to health disparities, opioids, and telehealth. “Topics for additional templates are being considered as the templates have been popular among participants,” she said. Additionally, the Portfolio Program continues to identify new ways to expand its offerings to better serve physicians engaged in QI work. As an example, physicians can now receive credit for serving in QI/patient safety leadership roles as well as using education as a sole intervention for a QI activity.
Top Ranked Topics of QI Projects
- Communication
- Documentation
- Preventive Care
- Teamwork
- Efficiency
Many Sponsors align their Portfolio Program QI initiatives with their organization’s strategic and quality goals, enabling physicians to receive continuing certification credit for engaging in quality work that is critical to their organization’s mission, Nelson explained. Additionally, physicians can identify QI work within their own practice that can be addressed through a QI project.
Quality-Centric Organizations
The ABMS Portfolio Program has been pivotal in cultivating a community of quality-centric organizations that spans the country. Sponsors consistently state that having access to colleagues nationwide is one of the greatest benefits of the program, Nelson said.
The Portfolio Program staff at ABMS host monthly calls, webinars, and office hours, the latter of which is a new opportunity for Sponsors to openly ask questions of ABMS staff as well as their Sponsor colleagues. The Portfolio Program provides a quarterly e-newsletter and periodic updates. Sponsors also have access to a shared web-based tool called Sponsor Central that allows them to continue conversations and share documents with each other. These touchpoints offer Sponsors numerous opportunities to share resources and camaraderie, make strategic connections, and receive advice and feedback from other Sponsor organizations. In addition, Sponsors have unique opportunities to periodically connect with staff from the ABMS Member Boards through various calls, meetings, and conferences throughout the year.
Boosts Productivity
Being a Portfolio Program Sponsor not only can improve patient care, but it can also save an institution money. The University of Michigan, a Sponsor since 2011, conducted an extensive return-on-investment analysis in 2020 and determined participating in the Portfolio Program saved the health care system nearly $900,000 annually in physician time alone. Since becoming a Sponsor in 2014, physician engagement at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center has resulted in an estimated productivity savings of $1.73 million. Nemours Children’s Hospital determined that the organization saved more than $350,000 in 2024 by being a Sponsor.
Participating in the Portfolio Program has had a significant impact on QI at Sponsor organizations. More importantly, it has helped encourage physicians to engage in meaningful practice changes that have improved the care provided to patients and communities across the country.
ABMS Portfolio Program Featured in Journal Article
The development, evolution, and impact of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Portfolio Program was highlighted in a recent issue of the Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. The article, which is entitled Engaging Physicians in Improvement Priorities Through the American Board of Medical Specialties Portfolio Program, discusses why the ABMS Portfolio Program™ was created and its success in engaging physicians in QI and patient safety work. Read more.
© 2025 American Board of Medical Specialties
Read the latest issue of ABMS Insights and sign up to receive future updates about board certification.
