On the eve of America’s celebration of Independence, ACPM also celebrates a major milestone that supports our Veteran population — reaching more than 1,000 healthcare providers certified in Military Environmental Exposures (MEE).
With the millions of Veterans who have proudly served our country, ACPM’s partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) underlines the tenets of our mission: saving lives, creating healthier communities, and transforming our healthcare system. In this case, transforming the healthcare system that supports our Veterans across the country.With many of our physician members serving in the military, we know all too well the challenges faced by our active-duty men and women. Through previous partnerships with the VA, ACPM helped to deliver cardiovascular preventive strategies and address risk factors in both active duty and Veteran populations within a virtual medical center. A key goal of that project was to broaden access to care. By building on that partnership with the VA, ACPM continues to demonstrate our expertise in population health, and most importantly, build on the goal to not only broaden access to care — but also broaden access to the right kind of care — for our Veterans. Through the free ACPM MEE Certification program, we deliver the skills and knowledge to physicians and providers across the country to ensure they are equipped to identify, treat and manage the effects of possible environmental exposures.
It was an honor to recognize this milestone and celebrate the MEE program in a ceremony with our partners at the VA, where I was joined by ACPM Director of Medical Education, Cara Molinari; long-time ACPM member Peter Rumm, MD, MPH, FACPM, Director of Policy, Health Outcomes Military Exposures; Steven L. Lieberman, MD, MBA, FACHE, FACP, Deputy Under Secretary for Health; M. Christopher Saslo, DNS, ARNP-BC, FAAN, Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer; and Maria D. Llorente, MD, Deputy Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Patient Care Services.
While we celebrate this milestone, we also celebrate the 1,000+ individuals who committed time to achieving this certificate in support of our Veterans. In the words of President Abraham Lincoln, “Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country's cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as best he can, the same cause.”
Thank you to our partners at the VA who worked tirelessly and closely with the ACPM team to build the program, both Level I and Level II, and create the MEE badge. And, thank you to the VA for trusting ACPM to move this initiative forward, make it a reality, and establish a platform where we can continue to grow and demonstrate our commitment to enhancing the health of our Veteran population.
Learn more about earning the free certification for both Level I and Level II MEE.
Melissa Ferrari, CAE
Vice President, Membership & Operations