Education Services provides educational tools and resources to help improve the quality of medical regulation and enhance the sharing of best practices among our member boards.
In 2022, FSMB continued to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, transforming our educational content delivery. We accredited 16 activities, including two hybrid events, nine live-streamed events, and five online courses, totaling 42.5 AMA PRA Category 1 credit hours. Through our FSMB learning hub, we expanded our Virtual Education program, offering eight live webinars on diverse topics such as the impact of medical board-required CME on physician discipline and the new national standards of practice by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. These webinars were later converted into on-demand digital courses, ensuring convenience and accessibility for our members. Additionally, FSMB collaborated with the Idaho Board of Medicine, the North Carolina Medical Board, the Washington Medical Commission, and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) to jointly provide supplementary CME activities.
Annual Meetings Inspire Collaboration and Advance Regulatory Excellence
After two years of hosting virtual events during the COVID-19 pandemic, FSMB hosted its first in-person gathering of member boards at the 2022 Annual Meeting, held April 28-30 in New Orleans, LA. This hybrid event offered both in-person and virtual participation options, with nine sessions live streamed for the virtual audience. The in-person meeting attracted more than 400 attendees and covered diverse topics, including the ongoing opioid epidemic and emerging trends in telemedicine. Virtual attendees enjoyed access to an online poster hall showcasing state medical boards' latest research and a Candidates Forum introducing candidates for elected office. Additionally, Sarvam P. TerKonda, MD, assumed the role of Chair of the FSMB Board of Directors for 2022-2023.
Continuing the hybrid approach, the 2023 Annual Meeting took place from May 4-6 in Minneapolis, MN. This well-attended event saw 445 in-person participants, including attendees from Canada, Ghana, New Zealand, and South Africa. Centered around the theme "Building on Essentials," the meeting exemplified FSMB’s commitment to supporting a robust regulatory framework for public protection. The program highlighted key issues such as new opioid prescribing guidelines, advancements in digital credentialing and regulation, and navigating state legislatures. We introduced dedicated forums tailored for investigators, executive directors, board attorneys, and other roles, allowing attendees to explore subjects pertinent to their responsibilities with colleagues from across the country. A notable addition was the Spotlight Poster Reception, presented in partnership with Administrators in Medicine (AIM), which showcased research from nearly two dozen state medical boards, educational institutions, and healthcare organizations. Concluding the event, Jeffrey D. Carter, MD was installed as Chair of the FSMB Board of Directors for 2023-2024.
Workshops and Events Highlight Key Legal Topics
In November 2022, FSMB organized the Board Attorneys Workshop in San Diego, CA. This annual event brought together 64 participants from 26 state medical boards for two days of focused discussions on legal topics in medical regulation. Key areas of exploration included free speech and COVID-19-related misinformation, the Dobbs Decision and its implications for licensing boards, prosecuting physician sexual misconduct cases, and strategies for effectively utilizing expert witnesses. This marked the 14th consecutive year of FSMB hosting this workshop, highlighting our ongoing commitment to legal education.
In line with our mission to facilitate continuous learning and knowledge exchange, FSMB staff launched an online forum for board attorneys through Microsoft Teams. This innovative platform has proven instrumental in enabling board attorneys to sustain the momentum of shared insights and resources beyond the workshop, further enhancing the collective expertise of the community.
In April 2023, FSMB took another step in promoting professional development for government attorneys by hosting our first-ever Continuing Legal Education (CLE) activity, a webinar led by Sreenivasa Dandamudi, JD, former general counsel for the Missouri State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts. The webinar was designed to provide guidance and share best practices tailored to the needs of government attorneys representing state medical boards. Drawing upon his extensive experience as the former general counsel for the Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts, Dandamudi explored the role of government attorneys, the ethical obligations they uphold, and the crucial insights offered by relevant case law.
Tri-Regulator Symposium Promotes Collaboration and Knowledge Exchange
The 2022 Tri-Regulator Symposium, co-hosted by FSMB, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, was held on October 13-14 in Alexandria, VA. The event brought together regulators from the medical, pharmacy, and nursing professions to discuss a range of issues, including stress, burnout, and suicidality in health professionals; lessons learned from the pandemic; the political challenges of misinformation; legislative and judicial actions and their impact on health care; and regulatory strategies to address the opioid epidemic. The symposium was a valuable opportunity for regulators to share information and best practices, and to develop strategies for addressing the challenges facing the health care system.