ABIM Announces New Members of Governance

New Specialty Board Members Represent a Diversity of Voices and Perspectives Across the Health Care Spectrum

Philadelphia, July 21, 2022 – The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) announced new appointments to its Governance today, including new members of the Board of Directors, Board of Trustees, Council, and Specialty Boards.

ABIM's Board of Directors and Council are comprised of physicians with a variety of practice experience, as well as members of the health care team and public who provide important insights into what constitutes excellence in patient care. All physicians in ABIM Governance participate in Maintenance of Certification (MOC), and all members collaborate across the medical community to set strategy, lead innovation in assessment methods and explore opportunities to enhance Certification and MOC.
Board of Directors

Joining the ABIM Board of Directors is Megan Koepke, MHA, Vice President for Medicare for Aurrera Health Group, Sacramento, California, where she is responsible for Medicare policy and strategy consulting. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health with a Master of Healthcare Administration. Throughout her career she has played the part of connector – bridging the spaces between patients, healthcare delivery, and public policy.

Erica Johnson, MD, Chair of the ABIM Infectious Disease Board will also join the Board as Council Director. In her role as Council Director, Dr. Johnson will serve as a liaison between the Board of Directors and the ABIM Council, which consists of the chairs of each specialty board, as well as several at-large physician and public members. Dr. Johnson is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, and Associate Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Medical Education for the Johns Hopkins Department of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Disease Society of America.

C. Seth Landefeld, MD, is Professor and Chair, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He serves on the Board of Directors of the UAB Health System and the University of Alabama Health Services Foundation and is a member of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. He was named Treasurer of the Board and succeeds Sonia A. Madison, MS, who has completed her term as a Director. Dr. Landefeld is board certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics.

ABIM Council
Asher Tulsky, MD, Chair of the ABIM Internal Medicine Board is the new Council Chair. Dr. Tulsky is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine and he is Director of Resident Development at Boston Medical Center. He succeeds Bruce Leff, MD, who has completed his term on the Council. Laura Evans, MD, Chair of the Critical Care Medicine Board is the Council Chair-elect. Board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Dr. Evans is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington and the Medical Director of Critical Care at the University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, Washington.

Suresh G. Nair, MD, is the new Chair of the Medical Oncology Board, and in this role is also joining the ABIM Council. Dr. Nair is the Physician-in-Chief of the Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute and leads the Cancer Institute's membership in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology. He succeeds Robert Siegel, MD, as the Medical Oncology Board Chair.

Jorge G. Ruiz, MD, is the new Chair of the Geriatric Medicine Board, and in this role is also joining the ABIM Council. He succeeds Bruce Leff, MD, as the Specialty Board Chair. Dr. Ruiz is Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, and former Director of the University of Miami/Jackson Health System Geriatric Medicine Fellowship in the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida. He is also the Associate Director for Clinical Affairs, and Senior Investigator at the Miami VA Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC). He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine.

"We are incredibly fortunate to have so many talented individuals joining ABIM's Governance," said Richard J. Baron, MD, President and CEO of ABIM and the ABIM Foundation. "Our newest Governance members represent a diversity of voices and perspectives across the health care spectrum, and will help us continue to improve our programs and lead the profession. We know medicine changes quickly, and it's through our programs that ABIM provides a way for physicians to demonstrate they are keeping their knowledge current so they can provide the best patient care possible."

Specialty Board Members
Specialty Boards are composed of physicians from a diverse range of practice types as well as members of the interprofessional healthcare team and public who provide important perspectives on what constitutes excellence in patient care. Specialty Board members work with physicians and medical societies to develop Certification and MOC credentials to recognize physicians for their specialized knowledge and commitment to staying current in their field.

Critical Care Medicine Board
Alexander Sy, MD, MBA, MSL is a full professor at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He is staff physician at Jerry L. Pettis VA Medical Center in Loma Linda California. He is Board Certified in Pulmonary and Critical Care and is an American Board of Sleep Medicine Certified Sleep Specialist. Dr. Sy has consistently been actively involved in the pulmonary and critical care and sleep education and training of house staff, advance practice providers and students.

Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Board
Raul Ruiz Esponda, MD, is an endocrinologist at Sanford Health in Fargo, North Dakota and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of North Dakota School of Medical Sciences. He is certified in both Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. He has a clinical practice of general endocrinology with a particular focus on thyroid disease and thyroid malignancies. He has multiple leadership roles, including serving as Chair of the Endocrinology Department at Sanford Health.

Mara Schwartz, RN, BSN, CDCES, has been a nurse for 14 years and has been a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) for 9 years. As a CDCES, she works with people with diabetes in research, inpatient, outpatient, and community settings. Since 2016, she is the Diabetes Education Program Coordinator at Self Regional Healthcare, Greenwood, South Carolina. Ms. Schwartz received her bachelor's degrees from Roger Williams University and the University of Colorado College of Nursing. She is joining the Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Board as an inter-professional member.

Gastroenterology Board
Divyanshoo R Kohli, MD, is an interventional endoscopist working at Providence Digestive Health Institute in Spokane, Washington. Prior to his current position, he served as the Director of Endoscopy at the Kansas City VA Medical Center, Missouri, and as an adjunct faculty for the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship Program at Kansas University School of Medicine. Dr. Kohli has served ABIM in multiple roles, including as a member of the Standard Setting Panel and the Item-Writing Taskforce. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology.

Geriatric Medicine Board
June McKoy, MD, MPH, JD, LLM (hons), MBA. is a board certified geriatrician and Professor of Medicine, Preventive Medicine, and Medical Education at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. She holds a joint appointment in the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University where she serves as the Assistant Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Jorge G. Ruiz, MD, is the new chair of the Geriatric Medicine Board. (See his bio in the Council section above.)

Internal Medicine Board
Stefanie Brown, MD, is Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, and her career has focused on postgraduate medical education. She is currently the Internal Medicine Residency Program Director at the University of Miami/Jackson Health System and the Med-Peds Division Chief. Dr. Brown is a board certified internist and pediatrician and has spent her career as a clinician educator and lifelong learner.

Medical Oncology Board
Michael Gary Martin, MD, is a board certified medical oncologist at the West Cancer Center and Research Institute in Memphis, Tennessee. He is interested in international medical education and is Visiting Professor of the Department of Oncology and Medical Radiology, Tashkent State Dental Institute, Uzbekistan; Visiting Professor of Internal Medicine at B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dhuran, Nepal; and Volunteer Associate Professor of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Suresh G. Nair, MD, is the new Chair of the Medical Oncology board. (See his bio in the Council section above.)

Nephrology Board
Janice P. Lea, MD, MSc, FASN, is Professor of Medicine at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, and is board certified in Nephrology and Hypertension. Dr. Lea is the Clinical Director of Nephrology and of Telenephrology, as well as Chief Medical Director of Emory Dialysis. She has been designated as a Master Clinician at Emory Healthcare and serves as Chief of Staff at Emory University Hospital Midtown.

Pulmonary Disease Board
Kathryn Louise Bilello, MD, is HS Clinical Professor of Medicine at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and is the Program Director for the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine fellowship at UCSF-Fresno. She is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Diseases, and Critical Care Medicine.

ABIM Board Certified Doctors Make a Difference

Internists and subspecialists who earn and maintain board certification from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) differentiate themselves every day through their specialized knowledge and commitment to continual learning in service of their patients. Established as an independent nonprofit more than 80 years ago, ABIM continues to be driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world. Visit ABIM's blog to learn more and follow ABIM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. ABIM is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties.

Media Contact
Lisa Finnegan 215.399-3992
lfinnegan@abim.org