The ABIM Foundation Appoints Mr. Glenn Hackbarth as Chair of its Board of Trustees

The ABIM Foundation announces the appointment of its first Chair from the public sector, Glenn Hackbarth. The first non-physician to serve as Chair, Mr. Hackbarth's experience as a health care executive, government official and policy analyst will provide a valuable perspective to the Board of Trustees as they direct the Foundation in its efforts to advance the understanding of "professionalism." Foundation Trustees elected Donald Wesson, MD, Vice Dean of Texas A&M Health Science Center to serve as Vice-Chair, and Holly Humphrey, MD, Dean for Medical Education, Pritzker School of Medicine and the University of Chicago Hospitals to serve as Secretary-Treasurer.

Mr. Hackbarth currently serves as Chairman of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. Previously, he was Chief Executive Officer and one of the founders of Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, a multispecialty group practice in Boston that serves as a major teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Mr. Hackbarth was Senior Vice President of Harvard Community Health Plan and President of its Health Centers Division, as well as Washington Counsel of Intermountain Health Care. He has held various positions at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including Deputy Administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration (now the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services).

Prior to his current appointment as Vice-Chair of the ABIM Foundation, Dr. Wesson was a former member and Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Board of Internal Medicine. A board certified internist and nephrologist, he is also current Secretary-Treasurer of the American Society of Nephrology and a member of the American Association of Physicians. He was named Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at Texas Tech in 1999 and served until 2006, after which he assumed his current position of Vice Dean at the Texas A&M College of Medicine.

Dr. Humphrey was recently elected a Master by the American College of Physicians (ACP). In 2009, Crain's Chicago Business featured her as one of their "Women to Watch." Prior to her current position as Dean, Dr. Humphrey spent 14 years as Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program. She is board certified in internal medicine and an honors graduate of Pritzker School of Medicine.

"The appointment of Glenn Hackbarth, the first non-physician Chair of the ABIM Foundation, is an important reminder of the symbiotic relationship between the public and the medical profession," said Christine Cassel, President and CEO of ABIM and the ABIM Foundation. "Glenn's background and experience will be a tremendous resource for the Board as it continues its efforts to improve health care and build trust between physicians and the public."

John Rother, JD, another new member of the Board of Trustees, hails from the public sector as well. In his current position as Executive Vice President of Policy and Strategy for AARP, Mr. Rother is responsible for the federal and state policies of the Association, and for formulating AARP's overall strategic direction. He is an authority on Medicare, managed care, long-term care, Social Security, pensions and the challenges facing the boomer generation.

The ABIM Foundation is committed to the principles of medical professionalism as outlined in the Physician Charter, developed by the ABIM Foundation, the American College of Physicians Foundation and the European Federation of Internal Medicine. These principles redefine the role of physicians to include a commitment to quality improvement, a focus on equitable care across all populations and an obligation to be stewards of finite health care resources.

The 2010-2011 Board of Trustees includes:

Glenn Hackbarth, JD, MA, Chair
Donald E. Wesson, MD, Vice-Chair
Holly J. Humphrey, MD, Secretary-Treasurer
Richard J. Baron, MD
Christine K. Cassel, MD
David B Hellmann, MD
Sheila T. Leatherman, MSw
Deborah Leff, JD
Wendy S. Levinson, MD
Elizabeth McGlynn, MD
David B. Reuben, MD
John Rother, JD

The mission of the ABIM Foundation is to advance medical professionalism to improve the health care system. We achieve this by collaborating with physicians and physician leaders, medical trainees, health care delivery systems, payers, policy makers, consumer organizations and patients to foster a shared understanding of professionalism and how they can adopt the tenets of professionalism in practice. Connect with the ABIM Foundation on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.