American Board

American Board
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Name	American Board

American Board

The American Board is a term applied to several prominent United States organizations that set standards, award credentials, and regulate professional practice across United States institutions such as Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Mayo Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital and Stanford University Medical Center. These boards interact with federal and state frameworks including United States Congress, Supreme Court of the United States, Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Food and Drug Administration while collaborating with private organizations like American Medical Association, American Bar Association, American Psychological Association, American Nurses Association and Association of American Medical Colleges.

Overview

Many American boards function as independent non‑profit corporations, professional societies, or quasi‑regulatory bodies associated with networks such as Association of American Law Schools, Association of American Medical Colleges, National Board of Medical Examiners and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. They often issue specialty certification recognized by institutions including Cleveland Clinic, Mount Sinai Health System, UCLA Health, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Interaction with policymaking entities like Office of Management and Budget and Congressional Research Service shapes standards that affect stakeholders such as American Hospital Association, Kaiser Permanente, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and Aetna.

History

The concept emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries amid reform movements influenced by actors and events including Flexner Report, Abraham Flexner, John D. Rockefeller Jr. and Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Early examples followed models used by professional organizations such as American Medical Association and American Bar Association and were shaped by landmark developments like Sheppard–Towner Act and Social Security Act. Post‑World War II expansion paralleled growth of institutions like National Institutes of Health, Veterans Health Administration, World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization, while later regulatory milestones included actions involving Medicare and Medicaid.

Structure and Governance

Boards typically adopt corporate governance frameworks used by organizations such as National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, American Association of Orthodontists, American Osteopathic Association and American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Governance features may mirror bylaws from entities like American Council on Education, with trustees or directors often drawn from academic centers including Yale School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System, University of Chicago Medical Center and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Compliance officers work with legal standards set by Securities and Exchange Commission and Federal Trade Commission in some contexts, and ethical guidance frequently references codes from American Psychological Association, National Academy of Medicine and Institute of Medicine.

Certification and Accreditation Processes

Certification processes use examinations, peer review, and maintenance programs modeled after systems at National Board of Medical Examiners, Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, American Board of Surgery and American Board of Internal Medicine. Accreditation procedures may align with practices from Liaison Committee on Medical Education, Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, Council on Education for Public Health and Joint Commission. Credentialing impacts licensure administered by state bodies like New York State Department of Health, California Medical Board and Texas Medical Board and informs privileging at centers such as Brigham and Women's Hospital and Hospital for Special Surgery.

Major American Boards and Organizations

Prominent examples encompass specialty certifying entities and related organizations: American Board of Surgery, American Board of Internal Medicine, American Board of Family Medicine, American Board of Pediatrics, American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, American Board of Radiology, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, American Board of Anesthesiology, American Board of Emergency Medicine, American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists, American Board of Pathology, American Board of Preventive Medicine, American Board of Plastic Surgery, American Board of Nuclear Medicine, American Board of Ophthalmology, American Board of Urology, American Board of Neurological Surgery, American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics, American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, American Board of Allergy and Immunology, National Board of Medical Examiners, Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Liaison Committee on Medical Education, Joint Commission, Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, Council on Education for Public Health, National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, American Nurses Association, American Association of Medical Colleges, Association of American Medical Colleges, American Bar Association, American Psychological Association, American Dental Association, American Veterinary Medical Association, American College of Surgeons, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American College of Radiology, American Academy of Family Physicians, National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, Federation of State Medical Boards, American Health Lawyers Association, Association of American Law Schools, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Kaiser Permanente, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Aetna, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, Johns Hopkins Hospital, UCLA Health, Mount Sinai Health System.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critiques have targeted fee structures, exam validity, board governance, and market power, drawing attention from organizations such as Federal Trade Commission, American Civil Liberties Union, Public Citizen, Congressional Research Service and academic critics at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Yale School of Public Health. Disputes have arisen over issues linked to Medicare reimbursement policies, antitrust allegations, conflicts involving professional societies like American Medical Association and legal challenges adjudicated in courts including United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and Supreme Court of the United States.

Impact on Professions and Public Policy

Boards influence workforce composition, continuing professional development, and standards used by hospitals, insurers, and regulators such as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Institutes of Health, Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Department of Labor. Their certifications affect hiring at institutions like Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital and inform policy discussions in forums hosted by American Medical Association, Association of American Medical Colleges, National Academy of Medicine, Brookings Institution, Kaiser Family Foundation and Commonwealth Fund.

Category:Professional certification in the United States