HMD Maintenance of Certification—What We Heard

In HMDCB’s ongoing effort to encourage and reward certified hospice physicians for ongoing learning and development of knowledge in the practice of hospice medicine, the organization launched an invitation for public comment on August 31, 2016, about its proposed Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program to obtain feedback and gauge impact. Comments were accepted through September 19, 2016, and throughout the public comment period the organization received feedback on the four areas of the program: self-assessment, practice hours, continuing medical education (CME)/professional development, and an online examination.

The goals of HMDCB’s MOC program are to encourage ongoing learning in the practice of hospice medicine in changing regulatory and administrative conditions and managing professionalism in the workplace, and to focus on improving care for patients and their families. The program reflects the recommendations gathered from a diverse range of stakeholders about how to advance lifelong learning in the changing healthcare environment, focusing on learner-centric activities and relevancy to the hospice physician practice.