ABIM Elects Naomi O'Grady, MD, Chair of its Subspecialty Board on Critical Care Medicine

(Philadelphia, PA), Naomi O'Grady, MD, a senior staff physician in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center's Critical Care Medicine Department and the Medical Director of the Clinical Center's Vascular Access and Conscious Sedation Services, has been named Chair of the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Subspecialty Board on Critical Care Medicine. As such, she becomes the subspecialty board's representative to ABIM's Board of Directors. Dr. O'Grady has been a member of the Subspecialty Board on Critical Care Medicine since 2007. ABIM sets the standards and certifies physicians practicing in internal medicine and its subspecialties who possess the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to provide high quality care.

The ABIM Board of Directors, composed of physicians who are board certified in internal medicine or one of its subspecialties, guides ABIM's overall mission and direction as it works to improve health care quality. All ABIM Directors participate in ABIM's Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. MOC recognizes that what was standard treatment a decade ago may have changed and that the public needs a process to know if their physicians have kept up-to-date in their field.

ABIM's subspecialty boards are composed of experts in both academic medicine and practice, all of whom must be ABIM certified in their particular subspecialty. Members of these boards apply their individual and collective knowledge toward the development of the policies, standards and requirements for certification and Maintenance of Certification in their subspecialty, with special focus on developing the cognitive exam that physicians must take to certify or maintain their certification in that field. The exam assesses essential diagnostic reasoning skills, evaluating how well a doctor can put together the patient's story and symptoms, make the right diagnosis and provide the appropriate care. Dr. O'Grady is board certified in infectious disease and critical care medicine.

"Naomi brings a wealth of knowledge about clinical practice, medical education and medical research at a critical juncture in the profession. She brings not only her top level research skills to the Board but her experience and expertise in critical care and infectious diseases to help create programs that are both rigorous and relevant," said Christine K. Cassel, MD, ABIM's President and CEO.

Dr. O'Grady's research focuses on strategies to reduce the incidence of antimicrobial resistant pathogens in the ICU, and catheter-related blood stream infections. Having chaired the Infectious Diseases Society's Guidelines Committee for three years, she is actively involved in guideline development and implementation. Dr. O'Grady has authored several guidelines related to fever in the ICU and catheter-related bloodstream infections.
A graduate of the University of Michigan, Dr. O'Grady earned her medical degree at Ohio State University, and completed fellowships with NIH and Johns Hopkins University. She is a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine and of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

For media inquiries, contact Lorie Slass at 215-399-4005.

About ABIM
For 75 years, Certification by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) has stood for the highest standard in internal medicine and its 19 subspecialties and has meant that internists have demonstrated – to their peers and to the public – that they have the clinical judgment, skills and attitudes essential for the delivery of excellent patient care. ABIM is not a membership society, but a non-profit, independent evaluation organization. Our accountability is both to the profession of medicine and to the public. ABIM is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties. For additional updates, follow ABIM on Facebook.