The American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) and the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine (AOBEM) will now provide letters of support that may be submitted to hospital credentialers to forego the need for additional short courses or certifications in the use of Emergency Ultrasound by emergency physicians. Physicians must be participating in the ABEM continuing certification process or the AOBEM Osteopathic Continuous Certification Program to obtain the letter.
The letter, signed by the ABEM, AOBEM, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American Academy of Emergency Medicine/Resident and Student Association, American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine, Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, states that board certification supersedes the need for any additional certifications sometimes requested/required for medical staff privileges, such as the Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST) examination; the determination of the presence of cardiac activity and/or pericardial effusion; or, to assist with placement of central venous access catheters. ABEM-certified physicians can download the letter from their Personal Page in the ABEM secure portal (Instructions). AOBEM-certified physicians can obtain a letter upon request to AOBEM.