MOC Part IV

We are pleased to announce M Health Fairview has been approved as a Multi-Specialty Portfolio Program Sponsor through the American Board of Medical Specialties.

What this means:

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) offers healthcare organizations the opportunity to support and encourage physician involvement in internal quality improvement (QI) projects and initiatives while simultaneously supporting Maintenance of Certification (MOC) for physicians across multiple ABMS specialties. This program focuses exclusively on requirements for MOC Part IV "Practice Performance Assessment," and it approves institutions to award Part IV credit to physicians who participate in institutional quality improvement (QI) projects.

Who qualifies:

Twenty-one out of twenty-four certifying boards now participate in this national program which is called the "Portfolio Program." 

Any M Health Fairview employed practitioner (UMN, UMP, Fairview & Health East) who has completed a project involving a M Health Fairview hospital, clinic, or patient population would be eligible to apply for MOC Part IV credit through our committee. 

QI vs Research?

Expand all

What is Maintenance of Certification (MOC)?

The 24 American Board of Medical Specialty (ABMS) boards, under guidance of the ABMS, have each implemented an MOC process to help ensure physicians keep current in their specialties. This four-part MOC process involves continuous assessment of six physician core competencies and the integration of evidence-based medicine, national standards, and best practices.

The MOC programs of all 24 specialty boards have the same four general requirements:

  • Part I: Professionalism and Professional Standing
    (to include holding a valid, unrestricted medical license)

  • Part II: Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment
    (educational activities, including self-assessment of knowledge)

  • Part III: Assessment of Knowledge, Judgment, and Skills
    (primarily re-certification exam)

  • Part IV: Improvement in Medical Practice
    (participate in assessing and improving health care)

For general information on the standards guiding the MOC process, visit the ABMS website: https://www.abms.org/quality-improvement-support/.

For information from your specific medical board, follow this link to find your board's website: https://www.abms.org/member-boards/.

MOC Part IV Credit Criteria/Process

  1. Discuss your project with the department-specific representatives and/or general MOC contacts (listed below) to address any questions and confirm eligibility.
  2. Complete the streamlined application (available in fillable PDF format) forward it as an attachment to [email protected].
  3. In order to claim credit, submit your completed attestation to the M Health Fairview MOC Review Board (MMRB) at [email protected].
    Please note: A separate completed attestation must be submitted for all individuals who meaningfully participated in the project and wish to claim credit for their involvement (to include the Principal Investigator who submitted the application). 

What to expect next:

  • The M Health Fairview MOC Review Board (MMRB) meets monthly and reviews submitted applications, completed project results, and completed attestations. NOTE:  Given the timeline that exists, please plan accordingly when submitting your requests for credit (i.e., to allow sufficient time for review/approval and posting of credits, you should submit your requests and completed documentation 5-6 months prior to your recertification due date).
  • If the application is determined to qualify for the ABMS requirements for project design and scope, it will be approved for MOC Part IV credit. If additional information or clarification is required, you will be given feedback in that regard. In all cases, you will receive notification of the results of the review from the M Health Fairview MOC Review Board within a short time following the next monthly project review meeting.
  • The M Health Fairview MOC Review Board (MMRB) will enter the project completion data into the MOC Activity Manager. Those physicians who have meaningfully participated in the QI work will receive their MOC Part IV (QI) credit from their respective board.

Receiving credits from your respective board:

  • Once approved, the credit/points granted will appear in your online Specialty Board portfolio within 6-10 weeks (each Board’s timeline varies).  If the update does not appear within that timeframe, we ask you contact the M Health Fairview MOC Review Board ([email protected]) and they will follow-up with the specific board.

Templates

Templates currently available:

Examples

Sample MOC-IV applications that our M Health Fairview MOC Review Board (MMRB) has approved 

 

Scholarship - Presenting & Publishing QI Work

Publishing Quality Improvement Work

Listed below are several resources to help clinicians publish the results of their quality improvement work:

MOC4 Research Presentation

QI Basics, Tips, and Resources

Website with excellent QI Modules: Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) offers many online modules in their "Open School Curriculum"

Articles:

National QI Journal Clubs

Quality Improvement Collaborative Resources
MOC PART IV Frequently Asked Questions

Contact MOC representatives to:

  • have a question answered
  • request an application
  • discuss a specific QI project

Please contact your departmental MOC representative. All other departments without an identified representative should contact Cathy Centola [email protected] or Paul Hodges [email protected].

Find your department MOC representatives