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Joel A. DeLisa, MD, MS as the 32nd Chair of its Board of Directors

American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) appoint Joel A. DeLisa, MD, MS as the 32nd Chair of its Board of Directors.

EVANSTON, Ill. - March 18, 2008 -American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the pre-eminent entity overseeing the certification of physician specialists in the United States, announced at its Annual Assembly Meeting today the appointment of Joel A. DeLisa, MD, MS as the 32nd Chair of its Board of Directors.

Dr. DeLisa most recently served as the Vice Chair of ABMS and previously was its Treasurer. As a member of the ABMS Executive Committee, Dr. DeLisa represented the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR), an ABMS Member Board, which he served from 1987 to 1999, and was its Chair from 1993 through 1998 and was an Emeritus member for an additional three years.

"Joel DeLisa is an inspiring and accomplished leader skilled in achieving a forward-looking agenda," said Kevin B. Weiss, MD, ABMS President and CEO. "He has a sense of deep commitment to ABMS and its mission. And our shared vision is to make the future of specialty medicine even more remarkable than our rich 75 year heritage by serving the public, physicians, healthcare professionals and the entire board enterprise."

In addition to his roles with ABMS and ABPMR, Dr. DeLisa is Professor and Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School and President of the Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Center. He is the Vice President of International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM). He served two years as the Chair of the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). Dr. DeLisa is Chair of the Council of Academic Societies (CAS) of the Association of American Medical Colleges and is a member of its Executive Council and Committee.

An accomplished physiatrist and experienced senior investigator, administrator and medical educator, Dr. DeLisa's distinguished career also includes service on the faculty of the University of Washington, a long-term affiliation with the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the publication of numerous published articles, abstracts, chapters and books.

Dr. DeLisa completed his medical degree at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He finished his residency training at the University of Washington Medical Center, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the St. Joseph Hospital and Medical Center.

He is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, including a subspecialty certificate in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine. His research interests include spinal cord injury, health delivery systems outcomes and the evaluation of physician clinical competencies, as well as undergraduate and graduate medical education.

About ABMS
Now in its 75th year, American Board of Medical Specialties is the preeminent medical organization overseeing physician certification in the United States. It assists its 24 Member Boards in their efforts to develop and implement educational and professional standards for the evaluation and certification of physician specialists. ABMS Member Boards provide physician certification information to ABMS for its certification verification service programs. ABMS is recognized by the key healthcare credentialing accreditation entities as a primary equivalent source of board certification data for medical specialists. Patients can visit www.abms.org or call toll-free 1-866-ASK-ABMS to see if their physician is board certified by an ABMS Member Board. For more information about ABMS visit www.abms.org or call (847) 491-9091.