After nearly 15 years, Earl J. Reisdorff, M.D., will be stepping down as the Executive Director of the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM). His retirement is effective December 31, 2024. Dr. Reisdorff joined ABEM in 2010 as its third Executive Director in 31 years. He actively sought innovations that would make certification more relevant and convenient for emergency physicians and implemented a system of physician-focused engagement and service. Among the activities he oversaw during his tenure were:
- The implementation of MyEMCert as a novel continuing certification process for emergency physicians
- The pivot of the Oral Certification Examination from an in-person assessment to a virtual one due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the introduction of the Structured Interview case as part of the Virtual Oral Exam
- The expansion of subspecialty opportunities for emergency physicians from five to 11
- The increase in the amount and types of research conducted by ABEM, including the hiring of a Director of Research
- The growth of visibility and reach of Emergency Medicine via the ABEM National Academy of Medicine Fellowship
- The establishment of a Strategic Framework to guide the priorities of the organization
- The development of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion action plan that included the creation of the Dr. Leon L. Haley, Jr., Bridge to the Future of Emergency Medicine Academy
Dr. Reisdorff also was active in the greater board certification community; he has served as Chair of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Member Board Executive Caucus, a member of the ABMS Board of Directors, and a member of the ABMS Governance Committee. He was also a member of the Continuing Board Certification: Vision for the Future Commission.
“Earl’s commitment to innovation, leadership development, collaboration with the specialty, and his dedication to organizational excellence has simply placed ABEM among the premier specialty boards in the country,” stated ABEM President Ramon W. Johnson, M.D., M.B.A. “He will be sorely missed.”
Dr. Reisdorff has authored multiple peer reviewed articles, chapters, and textbooks and served as a peer reviewer for multiple scientific specialty journals. He has presented over 300 scientific and didactic presentations and received several awards for excellence in teaching. In 2022 he received the Michigan College of Emergency Physicians’ Lifetime Achievement Award.
Prior to joining ABEM, Dr. Reisdorff was a practicing emergency physician and Director of Medical Education at Ingham Regional Medical Center in Lansing, Michigan; and an associate professor in Emergency Medicine and past Program Director of the Michigan State University Emergency Medicine Residency Program. He was an active ABEM volunteer, including serving as an Oral Board Certification Examiner for nearly 20 years and an item writer for ten years. In 2003, Dr. Reisdorff was appointed by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to the Council on Graduate Medical Education, an advisory group to both DHHS and the Congress on physician workforce and training.
A search for a physician to serve as Executive Director, Professional and Clinical Affairs, is underway, led by the search firm WittKieffer. The Executive Director, Professional and Clinical Affairs will serve in a recently created dyad model with the Executive Director for Administrative Affairs.
