Providing a Strong Voice and Leadership
The FSMB plays a crucial role in advocating for federal and state policies that positively impact the health and safety of patients and the medical regulatory system. From its advocacy office in Washington, D.C., the FSMB provides legislative, legal and communications services to assist its member medical boards and partner organizations.
The Compact streamlines the licensing process for physicians who wish to practice medicine in multiple states
The FSMB advocates for the safe use of telemedicine technologies in the practice of medicine
The FSMB is working with health organizations to address the nation’s opioid epidemic with guidelines for physicians and health professionals
From telemedicine to medical marijuana to PDMPs, the FSMB tracks laws, rules and regulations impacting the practice of medicine in all 50 states, territories and D.C.
Washington, D.C. (February 27, 2018) – Guam has passed legislation to become the first U.S. territory to join the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. It joins 22 states in offering an expedited pathway to licensure for qualified physicians wishing to practice in multiple states and territories.
Washington, D.C. (January 17, 2018) – Today, the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) announced that resources related to opioid prescribing and telemedicine are currently the most important regulatory issues to state medical boards. The announcement comes after analyzing responses from 51 state medical boards as part of the FSMB’s 2017 annual survey to its member boards.
Washington, D.C. (December 1, 2017) – On Wednesday, the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) testified before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, on the issue of “Examining VA’s Failure to Address Provider Quality and Safety Concerns.” Members of the committee called for the hearing after a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that in an audit of five VA medical facilities, eight of nine providers who had adverse privileging actions were never reported to the NPDB or state medical boards..
This report provides a detailed overview of individual state medical boards' structure, operation and requirements. It utilizes charts to allow readers to compare the activities and data of state boards as well as information about disciplinary and licensing trends nationally.
The FSMB issues an annual report each year, highlighting its activities and strategic priorities. The report contains information about FSMB leaders and includes photos and statistics.
JMR is a quarterly, peer-reviewed scholarly publication that explores trends and issues impacting the regulatory community and health care.
The FSMB’s biennial census is the most accurate assessment available of demographic and practice information about the nation’s actively licensed physicians.
In 2017, the FSMB hosted a summit meeting of representatives of medical organizations, government agencies and patient safety groups to discuss issues related to information sharing and reporting impacting patient safety. This report summarizes the meeting and makes recommendations.
The latest news releases from the Federation of State Medical Boards on news and events impacting the medical regulatory community.
Gregory B. Snyder, MD, was elected FSMB Chair in April 2017. A board-certified vascular and interventional radiologist from Minnesota, Dr. Snyder has served on a wide range of FSMB workgroups and committees in addition to his leadership as Chair and as a member of the Board of Directors.
A: We have made strong progress on a number of priorities this year – especially in the area of advancing policies and guidance aimed at emerging issues in health care. Just one example is the work we have done recently in the area of physician wellness and burnout. A major report on this issue is forthcoming at our April Annual Meeting. Other important guidance is moving forward on stem cell research and prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) – both of which will also be discussed at the Annual Meeting. And, of course our new policies on opioid abuse have been influential this year. We are developing many new resources for state boards as well.
A: The FSMB’s Workgroup on Board Education, Service and Training (BEST) has been hard at work on educational materials that will help future state board members be much more effective in their jobs. And our Workgroup on Education about Medical Regulation is doing similar work on materials for medical students and residents – to help them better understand the work of licensing authorities and how it impacts their careers.
A: We have made great progress in improving our ability to serve as a communications hub for state boards – via video-conferencing and website improvements – and our data and research services are more robust than they have ever been. Another example is technology improvements to our Federation Credential Verification Service, which are yielding great benefits for users of that service.
A: I think the continued growth of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact is a key development – it’s going to help usher in the era of telemedicine in a way that puts patient protection in the forefront. And the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision on antitrust impacting state regulatory boards will continue to have reverberations for us. The FSMB has to lead the way in protecting the autonomy of state boards to protect patients from harm – and that means advocating strongly for state-based regulation.
