Annual ABO Board Meeting Focuses on Growth and Education

On June 24^th, ABO Directors gathered in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the annual ABO Board of Directors meeting. The day-long meeting kicked off with the installation of a new chair, Dr. Matthew Gerstberger, and the appointment of four new directors: Dr. Kim Castleberry from Plano, Texas; Dr. Kimberly Woideck from Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Beverly Black from Charleston, South Carolina; and Patti Phillips from Birmingham, Alabama. Former board chair Dr. Diane Adamczyk assumed the role of immediate past chair and will serve two additional years. Dr. Adamczyk made significant contributions to ABO during her term as chair, and we look forward to her continued guidance and support in fulfilling ABO’s mission.

As the board reviewed performance over the last year and looked toward new initiatives for the coming year, its focus centered on the value of board certification, the quality and distinction of the current program, and the growth and recognition of board certification in optometry. In the last issue of On Board, we provided a snapshot of the growth of board certification across allied healthcare professions. We noted a concerning observation that optometry, as a profession, lags far behind other allied healthcare fields in both support for board certification and growth in the number of board-certified providers.

Board certification provides all healthcare professions, including optometry, a means to self-regulate by establishing high professional standards, assessing continued competence, and maintaining public trust through rigorous assessment and maintenance of certification programs. Within this system, we are given a degree of autonomy in defining and upholding our own educational requirements and ethical conduct, while maintaining a commitment to public interests, including patient safety and high-quality care. 

“Board certification is important to optometry,” said ABO chair Dr. Matthew Gerstberger. “If we want to maintain our professional standing and match the standard set in all other healthcare professions, we need to embrace board certification. ABO has developed a fantastic program that provides optometrists with a robust and relevant education platform for maintaining competency while also providing the flexibility, convenience and affordability that busy ODs need. Everyone benefits. And that is the message we need to get out.”

Growth in board certification has increased among certain demographics: recent residents, federal service optometrists, and ODs working in large healthcare systems where board certification may be required. And with the introduction of the new student candidate program in early 2025, we hope to see an increase among young ODs within the next several years. However, persuading the broader optometry profession of the merit of board certification remains challenging.

To address this challenge, the board agreed to focus on three key areas in the next 12 months. The first is increasing awareness and communication about the value of board certification. As a voluntary credential, earning and maintaining board certification is another tool an optometrist can choose to build their career and stay up to date with ever-changing clinical knowledge. Many ODs choose to complete a residency or earn a fellowship to enhance skill and further their career but, unlike residency or fellowship, board certification isn’t always an included in discussions and often does not receive the same level of recognition.

A second area of focus is maintaining and growing relationships with other optometric organizations. Collaborating on continuing education, visiting schools and colleges of optometry, creating mutually beneficial initiatives and sharing resources are all important means of growth and awareness. ABO Diplomates are some of the best and brightest in practice with a vast range of knowledge and experience. Working in partnership with organizations that share our mission can be a win for all involved.

And finally, it is important to help our Diplomates communicate the value of being a board-certified optometrist to their patients. This fall, ABO will launch a survey to better understand how Diplomates share their board certification, how ABO can help with that effort, what Diplomates value most about their board certification and ways in which board certification has helped to advance their career. The survey is scheduled for early October, and results are expected to be available before the end of the year.

With a clear agenda and a talented, engaged board of directors, ABO is excited to share our program and encourage participation among the profession.  We look forward to working with other organizations and finding creative new ways to inspire students, residents and optometrists to embrace board certification.

 Dr. Cathy Hines, ABO’s Director of Education and Assessment, summed up the meeting focus in simple terms. “We really offer something for every stage of an optometrist’s career,” said Dr. Hines. “It begins with instilling the importance of lifelong learning in students, before patient care even begins. Then it continues in a convenient, structured path for ODs to maintain knowledge and competence and beyond that, offers a means to demonstrate expertise and experience in a focused clinical area through a Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ). Board certification is an outstanding way to demonstrate a commitment to quality care, benefiting the optometrist, the patient and the profession.”