Samaritan Long-Term Care Announces Certified Medical Director Credential

Published on: January 14, 2021

Samaritan Summit Village and Samaritan Keep Home are pleased to announce their Medical Director, Dr. Collins F. Kellogg Jr., has been credentialed as a Certified Medical Director in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. This certification comes from the American Board of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (ABPLM).

According to the ABPLM, Dr. Kellogg is one of more than 4,000 physicians nationwide who have received this designation since the program’s inception in 1991. Dr. Kellogg is a private-practice internal medicine physician at Watertown Internists.

A study published in the Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (JAMDA) found that having a Certified Medical Director contributes positively to a nursing home’s quality of care. Specifically, data showed that facilities with a Certified Medical Director saw a 15% improvement in quality scores.

“Dr. Kellogg’s commitment to our residents’ care and their quality of life is outstanding,” said Barbara E. Morrow, Samaritan’s Vice President of Long-Term Care. “We are very fortunate to have a dedicated, local and long-standing physician caring for our residents. Dr. Kellogg truly goes above and beyond to stay current with research, trends and what he can do better for our residents. His relationship with our team of caregivers is excellent as well. During this pandemic, it has been paramount to have Dr. Kellogg as our Medical Director for his expertise, team approach and proactive care for our residents.”

“The time and hard work that went into earning this designation better enables me guide and oversee the care provided at Samaritan Summit Village and Samaritan Keep Home, and also to lead our efforts toward continuous quality improvement,” Dr. Kellogg said. “I’m honored to be part of the team at both long-term care facilities and I am so very thankful for the dedication of all the employees caring for our residents during this pandemic.”

The Certified Medical Director (CMD) credential was established to enhance the profession of medical direction throughout post-acute and long-term care settings (e.g., nursing facilities, hospice, assisted living, home care, post-acute care) and to reinforce the leadership role of the medical director in providing quality care. Federal regulations and changes in the health care environment have established the role of the medical director as central to the delivery of quality care. The increased presence of managed care in post-acute and long-term care settings has emphasized credentialing, and CMD certification has taken on additional importance. The CMD designation provides an indicator of professional competence to post-acute and long-term care providers, government and other quality assurance agencies, consumers, and the public.

The ABPLM CMD certification program recognizes the dual clinical and management roles of the medical director and requires indicators of competence in both areas. The dual nature of the skills needed makes the position of medical director unique in medicine. The certification process is based on an experiential model that incorporates mechanisms such as fellowship programs, board certification in a medical specialty, comprehensive courses in medical direction, continuing medical education programs and administrative experience to fulfill certification requirements.

For further information about the CMD credential, visit https://www.abplm.org/certification-programs.