Refers to a branch of medicine in which the practitioner specializes, and has received additional education. This information is provided by the physician’s application, and verified upon credentialing and re-credentialing, every three years through the American Board of Medical Specialties (www.abms.org), American Medical Association (www.ama-assn.org) or American Osteopathic Association (www.osteopathic.org). A physician's record may be updated at any time if their status changes. CHP members can visit these web-sites to obtain the most current board certification status for a particular physician.