Sunday, April 14, 2019

The Powerful Counterrevolutionaries

There's an amazing thread developing on Doug Farango's Authentic Medicine blog post titled "The AAFP Loves the ABFM and Sleeps Right Alone Side Them." It started with Elizabeth Baxley's "Fact Check" comment suggesting the Family Medicine Certification Longitudinal Assessment (FMCLA) program was not another version of Maintenance of Certification (MOC). Dr. Baxley failed to disclose she served on the American Board of Family Medicine Board of Directors from 2013-2018. Here's the comment from "Steve O'" in response:
April 13, 2019 at 11:04 pm

C’mon. You got to compliment someone for running a shakedown racket, and they got pigeons to pluck who are easily intimidated and got a lot to lose. I like Dr. Baxley’s protest that FMCLA is a different word salad than MOC. She distracts us with irrelevant trivia about the differences.

Here’s what the big picture is. Doctors are worse than nuisances in the new industrial medical chain. They use their accumulated experience and independent principles to decide what to do for the patient. This is – counterrevolutionary behavior. Industrial Pharma makes it, Corporate Pharma distributes it, the Insurance/CME cabal creates the algorithms for every possible treatment. Doctors are the ISIS, the al Qaida of the system. They’ve got to be cleared out at any cost.

Making them memorize the rules and vomit them out on command is what doctors are for. And they should be paid like store clerks. In fact, once the FDA has blessed algorithmic prescribing, Doctor Watson, the driverless car of medicine, will be rolled out. Driverless cars crash. Algorithmically-driven planes have a serious gravity problem. No-brain prescribing will cause countless deaths. But since it’s computers, no more “human error,” right?

You ought to watch the timeline of the Chernobyl disaster. It shows some quite intelligent, experienced and insightful engineers bending to the rules, to avoid getting fired and sent off to Siberia. Only two went to prison for breaking the rules, and a few died. Not a bad outcome, eh? There were at least a dozen times when an engineer couldn’t hold it anymore, and said, “We have to stop this or the plant will blow up!” They were easily shut down by bullying and intimidation. Who can say which possible outcome is better – sticking with the system, or acting like a loose cannon? Mistakes were made – but mistakes happen. Sorry.

That’s the kind of doctors that the machine wants to install in American medicine. Thanks Betsy and Shawn. When the lid comes off, you can always run around like squirrels and say, “Why didn’t anyone let us know?” “It’s not my fault, my support personnel lied to me!” “We were only trying to do the absolute best for patients!” Thanks, comrades.
MOC, FMCLA, CMP, MOCA. The Machine's lucrative alphabet soup.

The physician counterrevolution is growing.

-Wes

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Family Medicine Certification Longitudinal Assessment (FMCLA) program is another version of Maintenance of Certification (MOC). It's part of the ABMS' strategy to obfuscate and confuse their captive customers.

Forbidden Games said...

Where does all this ABMS "longitudinal" bull-pudding actually come from? Has anybody looked into the origins of the ABMS newspeak/double-speak concerning MOC and its various iterations?

https://www.abms.org/initiatives/certlink/what-is-longitudinal-assessment/

Dr. OZ said...

CEO of the ABPN makes a million. https://www.abpn.com/
How many others with obscene paychecks at the ABMS romping all over their clinical peers.
ABIM CEO makes close to a million. Keeps silent or reads from a rehearsed corporate script.

Puddding the (MOC) bull before the servants' cart. said...

Longitudinal Lies of the Elites (conflicted recipes for disaster)

"L" (in the sense of "longitudinal") stands for "LONG-WINDED" lies.

"L" comes before "M" alphabetically, which stands for "MOC" and manipulation of medical science and making docs obey the MOC mandate for the sake of ABMS powerful stakeholders. Payouts to elite executives. It's all about "MONEY".

Don't be fooled by the ABMS MOC pudding-train and the "educational" testing/media conglomerates they serve - multi-billion dollar corporations such as Pearson Plc (Pearson Vue/KCI 2-year testing) and Wolters Kluwer (UpToDate, KCI Knowledge Check-in, etc. )

Don't be taken in by their longitudinal hot-air bubbles that defy the laws of science. It's all about muliti-million dollar contracts with their for-profit testing partners.

Bad idea to let them keep dumping endless longitudinal streams of dark pudding (slippery lies) all over physicians and patients.

They need the MOC money for their forbidden games.

Pouring it on thick: crude chocolate pudding recipe for ABMS MOC servants
https://www.google.com/search?q=british+chocolate+pudding&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS842US842&oq=british+chocolate+pudding&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l3.10802j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=1


Psycho_________what? said...



ABMS longitudinal assessment (theory and programs) and the vertical reality that intersects it

Essentially the ABMS is stirring up OLD_Dust® (unproven theories) with their trademarked HOT_AIR® (outdated psychometric MOC testing) and coercing physicians to buy their costly unproven metric.

Cashing In On (Bio)Ethics said...



ABIM's Executive Elites -- Where Are They Now (Christine Cassel and Bob Wachter)

From egregiously conflicted CEO of ABIM and NQF to "founding dean Kaiser School" to "presidential chair at UCSF"

Bio-ethics pays big dividends if you are willing to play monopoly with the stakeholders.

KA-CHING! KA CHING! KA-CHING! Cash-in! Thank you Bob Wachter!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Out_of_Jail_Free_card

Anonymous said...

“Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.” -- Chinese proverb

BIG SCARY COMPETENCY CHASM said...

Here's the rub; physicians and patients are in the quality ditch (chasm) cowing to the ABMS and their MOC demands. Healthcare is declining in quality and rising in cost in America. You get less for more money.

Why is MOC mandated? Why do doctors have less and less time with patients and with their families?

There is nobody assessing the ethics, competency, legality of what the ABIM/ABMS does. Plus none of the medical specialty boards including the umbrella organization ABMS are accountable to anyone. (Except to their profitable corporate stakeholders.)

And the executives who play often get highly paid executive positions at partner organizations in the quality cartel (like the ACGME) when scandals flair up.

Or other rewards and benefits from global partners.
http://www.acgme.org/Newsroom/Newsroom-Details/ArticleID/7777/Dr-Eric-Holmboe-ACGME-Senior-Vice-President-Milestone-Development-and-Evaluation-Receives-Honorary-Fellowship-from-the-Royal-College

Anonymous said...

Don't think they are in bed with corporate stakeholders? Ask them to see a copy of their tax filings for the past thirty years, which they should have voluntarily retained indefinitely.

Anonymous said...

Keeping up with assessments? (ABIM?ABMS and the IRS not-for-profit status qualification checklist.)

Ask ABIM, or any specialty board, for a copy of their IRS tax-exempt status letter. (If they even have one.) The IRS to the best of my knowledge has never put any of these non-profit corporations to the acid test of whether they actually qualify in today's America.

Ever wonder why the ABIM lied to the IRS on their tax forms about the domicile of the fairly recent creation of the ABIM Foundation, and why they lied about the date of creation?
Was it to hide their financial transactions from IRS scrutiny? Avoid taxpayers' wrath and physicians' questions about the real nature of the ABIM? (MONEY and Political Power!)
The ABIM Foundation avoided IRS scrutiny by claiming falsely to be domiciled in IOWA and not Pennsylvania.

Go ahead give them a call and ask for the tax exempt letter from the ABIM and ABIM Foundation. It is your right to see it as a taxpayer.
FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION C, LINE 19 ALL DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST AND OUR FORM 990 IS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE AT: WWW.ABIMFOUNDATION.ORG

Rex Tyranny said...

The ABIM is an insult to the First Amendment Rights under the United States Constitution.

With its illegal corporate/legal actions against physicians (and patients), the ABIM has been assaulting the freedom of speech, accurate flow of vital media information (smear campaigns), and right to assemble. And this organization continues to be injurious to every free member of our society.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Is the ABIM a law unto itself? They have also been limiting access to healthcare through control of the labor markets. Who do they work for?

TAX-EXEMPT SINCE DEC. 1946 EIN: 39-0866228 said...

FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION C, LINE 18 FORM 1023 WAS NOT REQUIRED AT THE TIME OF INCORPORATION (1936).

AMERICAN BOARD OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
510 WALNUT ST, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106-3619 | TAX-EXEMPT SINCE DEC. 1946
EIN: 39-0866228
Classification (NTEE)
Medical Disciplines (G95D) (Diseases, Disorders, Medical Disciplines)
Nonprofit Tax Code Designation: 501(c)(3)
Defined as: Organizations for any of the following purposes: religious, educational, charitable, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering national or international amateur sports competition (as long as it doesn’t provide athletic facilities or equipment), or the prevention of cruelty to children or animals.
Donations to this organization are tax deductible.

LOL$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ said...

Lifelong payments

ABMS "MOC MEN" are pissing all over physicians. For inexplicable reasons there are many doctors who still do not seem to mind. It is incumbent that all physicians revolt against this bane (MOC) to the healthcare educational system. MOC is a bogus metric!

ABMS member boards in the beginning (at various dates beginning in the 1930s) presented themselves to their respective state governments on paper at least (and allegedly later to the IRS as guardians of the public, when in fact this was never true.

"Of the money for the political power" is the ABIM's current motto. It used to be tongue in cheek, "of the profession, for the pubilc!"

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Public knows little to nothing about ABMS recertification programs or ABMS certifications, in spite of the fact that the medical specialty boards/ABMS spend physicians' money to try to brainwash the public.
https://www.abu.org/news/detail/abu-statement-against-anti-moc-certification-legislation

Does ABIM qualify as tax-exempt? said...

"Anonymous TAX-EXEMPT SINCE DEC. 1946 EIN: 39-0866228 said...
FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION C, LINE 18 FORM 1023 WAS NOT REQUIRED AT THE TIME OF INCORPORATION (1936)."

If the ABIM was incorporated as a non-pecuniary (non profit) organization in 1936, but they did not achieve tax-exempt status until 1946 from the federal government, what type of corporation were they operating as from 1936 to 1946. Why did it take ten years to get that status. Curious to see the archival paperwork when they actually applied for tax-exempt status with the federal government? And what was needed to prove they qualify under the lax federal laws at the time. Under what category did they apply? Bylaws stated that leadership was volunteer only and no compensation would be paid. Now we have what appears to be Wall Street style executive compensation and revolving door business prowess necessary to run the corporation?
The ABIM is not the same organization today with all their high finance political activities, social engineering projects in healthcare and secret lobbying (lied about that to the IRS also).
So, does the ABIM really qualify as tax-exempt today?

Look at all the markets the ABIM is in and what partnerships/alliances have been created such as Pearson PLC/Pearson Vue and Wolters Kluwer who bought out UpToDate.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

PEARSON PLC

England and Wales

(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

80 Strand

London, England WC2R 0RL

Stephen Jones

Telephone: +44 20 7010 2000

Fax: +44 20 7010 6060

80 Strand

London, England WC2R 0RL

(Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or Facsimile Number and Address of Company Contact Person)

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Class Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
*Ordinary Shares, 25p par value New York Stock Exchange
American Depositary Shares, each New York Stock Exchange
Representing One Ordinary Share, 25p per Ordinary Share

* Not for trading, but only in connection with the registration of American Depositary Shares, pursuant to the requirements of the SEC.

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/938323/000119312518106891/d525147d20f.htm

"In professional certification, revenues grew 2%. VUE global test volume rose 1% to over 15m. Revenues in North America were flat, with continued growth in certification for professional bodies, offset by modest declines in US teacher certification and the GED (General Educational Development, the high school equivalency test that is part of a joint venture with the American Council on Education), after strong performance last year, and by weakness in higher level IT certifications in the second half.

The Group signed over 50 new contracts in 2017 including a ten-year contract with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) to administer the MCAT, and contracts with ExxonMobil for five years and the Project Management Institute for four years. Its renewal rate on existing contracts continues to be over 95%. During the year, the Group renewed over 50 contracts including the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) for nine years, Florida Teacher Licensure Assessments for five years, Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) for five years, and The Institute of Internal Auditors for four years.

Clinical assessment sales increased 2% largely due to the effect of exchange and, at constant exchange rates, declined slightly on an absence of new major product introductions. Q-Interactive, the Group’s digital solution for Clinical Assessment administration, saw continued strong growth in license sales with sub-test administrations up more than 33% over the same period last year."

MOCSTERS LIKE US said...

The MOC lies have been repeated so many times by the ABMS paid propagandists that some of the executives and board members might still believe that MOC has legs (scientific merit) when everyone else knows that it does not. In fact, the MOC mandate is a longitudinal PONZI scheme based on an unproven metric, which inflicts grave harm on physicians and patients.

Mark Twain said, "A lie travels halfway around the world before truth has a chance to get its shoes on."

In the case of the MOC fable, truth has already caught up with the ABMS MOC fib obliterating it. But executives with moneyed interests are fighting (spending captive physicians' money on more disinformation, obfuscation, and deflection) in order to hold on to their big fat "MOC GRAVY TRAIN".

What for? All for the love of MOC MONEY forever poured into their personal investment portfolios. MOC money that has ended up feeding self dealing enterprises based on disingenuous social engineering and hypocritical political narratives.

Highly paid ABMS Cadillac/Mercedes executives and board members serve not the public or the profession! Instead they pimp for the testing industry, payers, quality assurance cartels, select medical industrial complex systems, and myriads of Wall Street/big five-type healthcare financial consultants that fawn over MOC's billion dollar baby. Even fluffy fox and fixit-fox (ex-ABIM CEO and chairman) don't believe the MOC lie anymore. Because they don't get paid to do MOC they choose not to participate, but they still pump up MOC and the billion dollar longitudinal Ponzi scheme for cash benefits from Fortune 500 companies and lick the shoes of Silicon Valley CEOs serving up physicians heads on a platter.

http://www.pfpsummit.com/brochures/PfPSummit2015.pdf


Doctors Like US said...

If anyone is getting behind the MOC lie, it is because they benefit $$$$$$$ from it. MOC as maintenance of cash and maintenance of control.

MOCSTERS LIKE US ("DOCTOR, DOCTOR" with the Penthouse view.)
https://medicine.ucsf.edu/chairs-corner/chris-cassel-selected-ucsf-presidential-chair-2018-19

Flashback on Kickbacks
https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2015/01/physician-investigates-american-board-internal-medicine.html

Anonymous said...

I'd like to know what the ABIM, a tax-exempt corporation, is doing with all that money they accumulated/transferred to ABIMF/invested secretly. They pay themselves to the hilt even dipping into the Foundation to pad the payouts. The board draws millions of bucks from their coffers.

Make Peace Not MOC said...

Do practicing physicians who win Nobel Peace prizes (twice 1985/2017) waste their precious time on MOC? The answer is no!

https://www.abim.org/verify-physician/Helfand-Ira-hsG0CPxAxDQ=.aspx

https://www.certificationmatters.org/practitioner/?pid=373502&ped=TmVTcC84OEp1S0VNa0FvZjU1TWhuNEtZMjJ6ZGpXY0RNWDkyVXMwY0h4ST0&qs=ZHNlYXJjaD0xJmZuYW1lPWlyYSZsbmFtZT1oZWxmYW5kJnN0YXRlPSZzcGVjaWFsdHk9

http://profiles.ehs.state.ma.us/Profiles/Pages/PhysicianProfile.aspx?PhysicianID=16284