Tampa, FL – Debra Cascardo, MA, MPA, CFP, of Armonk, NY, has been appointed to the American Board of Disaster Medicine® (ABODM®) as a public member. Cascardo is a health care practice management consultant. She educates physicians and medical staffs on disaster preparedness and planning.

“Public members collaborate with medical professionals to bring critical insight to the physician certification process that contributes to the health and safety of patients,” said Martin E. Thornton, D.O., chair of ABODM.

A prolific writer and experienced national presenter, Cascardo educates physicians on practice management topics through print and electronic media. She consults physicians on identifying what a crisis is, maximizing business production during the crisis and creating a viable, expedient path to recovery. Cascardo demonstrated this through her work with victims of the 9/11 attack.

“That experience made me realize that every citizen regardless of education, background and political view, has the responsibility to be proactive about what is going on around them and to respond positively,” she said. “I love what I do and the value that I can bring to the public through my education, experience and insight.”

Cascardo, a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, has written extensively for the Journal of Practice Management and Medscape in an effort to prepare physicians for disaster scenarios. She has also been published in the Journal of Gerontology, the Journal of Ambulatory Care Management, Medical Economics, the Journal of Medical Practice Management, the Journal for the American Association of Office Nurses, the Journal of Health Care Finance, Pain Medicine News, Professional Medical Assistant, the Physician’s Advisory, managed care provider newsletters and other specialty newsletters.

ABDOM is a Member Board of the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS). ABPS was the first certifying organization to include public members on its member boards, representing the public’s interests in patient welfare. ABPS is the official certifying body of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc.® (AAPS) with headquarters in Tampa. For more information, visit http://www.abpsus.org.