ABMS Announces New Staff Appointments

CHICAGO – May 19, 2011 – The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the organization overseeing the certification of physician specialists in the United States, has appointed Carol Clothier as Vice President for State Health Policy and Public Affairs and Jennifer Michael as Chief Information Officer (CIO).

Carol Clothier – Vice President for State Health Policy and Public Affairs

Ms. Clothier, who brings over two decades of communications, strategic planning and health policy experience to ABMS, will be responsible for overseeing the State Medical Board Outreach Program, which she helped guide the ABMS Board of Directors to create in her previous work as a consultant to ABMS.  She will also manage a network of ABMS- and Board-affiliated representatives in target states to represent ABMS policy positions in state health policy debates that affect certification.  In addition, Ms. Clothier will support a new ABMS Health and Public Policy Task Force and Committee.

“Carol will be able to make an immediate impact at ABMS.  Her knowledge of licensure and evolving Maintenance of Licensure will be invaluable to ABMS as we develop our relations with state medical licensing boards,” said Tom Granatir, ABMS Senior Vice President for Health Policy and Strategic Partnerships.  “She has deep experience in state health policy and strong relationships across the country that will help us to develop our response to state health policy challenges.”

Ms. Clothier’s professional experience includes 15 years with the Federation of State Medical Boards.  She also worked for the American Hospital Association in Irving,
Texas, Cornerstone Health Management in Dallas, Texas, and Horizon Health
Management Company in Oak Brook, Illinois.  Ms. Clothier received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Communications from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas.

Jennifer Michael – Chief Information Officer

As CIO, Ms. Michael will be responsible for developing information technology solutions that align to the strategic vision of ABMS.  She will have overall leadership and accountability for information systems and technology and current information services staff.  Ms. Michael will oversee the technology strategic plans, policies, programs and schedules for business data processing, operations, integration and implementation, and develop information technology solutions for registries credentialing and certification-related requirements.

“Jennifer’s strategic health care IT experience, along with her strong leadership skills and problem-solving abilities, will be an asset to ABMS,” said Margaret Jung, ABMS Chief Operating Officer.

Ms. Michael most recently served as Director of IS Applications at The University of Illinois Medical Center, where she led a staff of 40 employees responsible for all clinical and financial applications supporting the Medical Center and associated clinics.  She also worked at The University of Chicago Medical Center and the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC.  Ms. Michael received her Master of Health Services Administration degree from the University of Michigan School of Public Health and Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington University.

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About ABMS
For more than 75 years, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has been the 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 health care credentialing accreditation entities as a primary equivalent source of Board Certification data for medical specialists.  Patients can visit www.CertificationMatters.org or call toll-free (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.

The 24 Member Boards that make up the ABMS Board Enterprise and cover over 150 medical specialties and subspecialties include the: American Board of Allergy and Immunology, American Board of Anesthesiology, American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery, American Board of Dermatology, American Board of Emergency Medicine, American Board of Family Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine, American Board of Medical Genetics, American Board of Neurological Surgery, American Board of Nuclear Medicine, American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, American Board of Ophthalmology, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, American Board of Otolaryngology, American Board of Pathology, American Board of Pediatrics, American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Board of Plastic Surgery, American Board of Preventive Medicine, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, American Board of Radiology, American Board of Surgery, American Board of Thoracic Surgery and American Board of Urology.