APMA's mission is to defend our members' ability to practice to the full extent of their education and training to best serve the public health. In fulfilling that mission, APMA recognizes and relies on the rigorous certification processes established by the two recognized boards, the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery (ABFAS) and the American Board of Podiatric Medicine (ABPM). These certification pathways help to demonstrate our members' education, training, experience, and ongoing commitment to quality care.
Board certification signifies that a podiatrist has demonstrated a cognitive knowledge of a defined area of practice. However, in the context of credentialing and privileging, APMA firmly maintains that board certification must not be the sole criterion for determining hospital privileges or for membership in managed care or other health-care organizations. Individual qualifications vary and must be evaluated on a case by case basis which is consistent with CMS and Joint Commission. This long-standing position is codified in APMA House of Delegates Resolutions 70-95, 7-05, and 20-15. As further affirmed in Resolution 20-15, "[s]pecialty boards are not educational institutions. Board certification does not denote accomplishments of an academic or professional degree, nor does it confer an additional legal qualification or privilege."
In recent years, Certificates of Added Qualification (CAQs) have been a topic of concern within the profession as they relate to board certification and hospital privileging and credentialing. The Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME)—the body responsible for the specialty board and subspecialty certification approval and recognition process on behalf of the podiatric medical profession—does not recognize, accredit, or approve any Certificates of Added Qualification (CAQs) within its policies and procedures for specialty board recognition.
CAQs are not equivalent to board certification or subspecialty certification, nor can they lead to certification or subspecialty certification in any specific content area. CPME's position on CAQs remains unchanged and consistent with its longstanding practice. Recent revisions to CPME 220, Standards and Requirements for Recognition of a Specialty Board for Podiatric Medical Practice, and CPME 230, Procedures for Recognition of a Specialty Board for Podiatric Medical Practice, do not alter this position.
APMA's position is grounded in the authority delegated to CPME by the profession, and remains consistent across multiple House of Delegates resolutions. APMA continues to support and encourage its eligible members to pursue specialty board certification, though such certification should not be the sole criterion to be a provider in a hospital, other health-care organization, or insurance program.