The American College of Preventive Medicine is a professional society for physicians dedicated to prevention. ACPM provides leadership in research, professional education, development of public policy, and enhancement of standards of preventive medicine for and on behalf of our members.
Preventive medicine is practiced by all physicians to keep their patients healthy. Preventive medicine specialists are trained in both clinical medicine and public health, and are equipped to understand and reduce the risks of disease, disability, and death in individuals and in population groups.
Dr. Boris Lushniak (former Acting Surgeon General)
Dr. Paul Jung (ACPM Board Member)
January 19, 2017
"What is preventive medicine? Specifically, what is the specialty of preventive medicine, and how should it best be described? The specialty of preventive medicine is poorly understood, not only by the medical profession and the general public, but even among some of its practitioners. Currently, there is no unifying, vernacular explanation of the specialty of preventive medicine, to its detriment. This paper presents the argument that preventive medicine is the medical specialty for public health, which should be the preferred identity for the specialty."
A commentary published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine describes the utility and importance of the recently-released Lifestyle Medicine Core Competencies Program, a first-of-its-kind curriculum that teaches physicians how to incorporate lifestyle medicine into practice and establishes a new standard for primary care focused on disease prevention, health promotion, and care coordination.
Prevention and Public Health Fund
January 9, 2017
ACPM joined 333 organizations on a letter to Congress warning that repealing the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF), authorized under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), would leave significant funding gaps for essential public health programs. The letter urged congressional leadership to protect funding for prevention and public health programs.
HHS Secretary Nomination
December 19, 2016
ACPM sent a letter to Representative Price on his nomination to be the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACPM urged that, "Congress to join ACPM as an ardent supporter of the requirement that all insurance products provide first-dollar coverage for clinical preventive services recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the Women's Preventive Services Initiative, and Bright Futures. Furthermore, we ask that you retain the funding provided by the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which supports a broad range of public health activities including community and clinical prevention initiatives; research, surveillance and tracking; public health infrastructure; immunizations and screenings; tobacco prevention; and public health workforce and training."
ACPM and the CDC are hosting three in-person listening sessions to explore the role of providers in implementing the CDC's 6|18 Initiative. If you are involved or interested in preventing or addressing any of the initiative's six priority health conditions—asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, healthcare-associated infections, tobacco, and unintended pregnancies—we want to hear from you! This is a rare opportunity to share your expertise, engage with fellow providers, and be a voice for prevention in your community. Space is limited to 40 participants for the listening sessions to be held in Atlanta, Houston and New York City.
Join us this summer in Baltimore for this one-of-a-kind opportunity to prepare for the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) certification examination. The course features a comprehensive review of the ABPM study guide for individuals seeking certification or re-certification in preventive medicine.
The Preventive Medicine 2017 conference theme is "Achieving Health Equity through Prevention." The annual meeting will explore the many ways we are working to achieve health equity through the diverse programs that are encompassed by the specialty of preventive medicine and public health.
Developed by ACPM and ACLM, the Lifestyle Medicine Core Competencies Program is an evidence-based online program designed to provide a comprehensive foundation for doctors as well as nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dietitians, health coaches, and other allied health professionals with an interest in learning the basic foundational principles of lifestyle medicine. Maintenance of Certification (MOC) is available for select medical specialties.
