CSOEMA Connection (Summer 2024)

Welcome to the CSOEMA Connection, a quarterly e-newsletter for members, associates, and friends of the Central States Occupational and Environmental Medicine Association.

Table of Contents

President’s Insights Around the States OEM Images of the Month Welcome to CSOEMA: S. Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska OEM Clinical Practice Highlightshttp://member OEM Research Rounds Recap: 100th Annual 2024 CSOEMA Spring Seminar 2024 CSOEMA Award Winners Dr. Alice Hamilton Award 2024 CSOEMA Fall Seminar Update on Future CSOEMA Seminars

OEM History Spotlight CSOEMA History Project Member Highlights ACOEM Update Upcoming Events Milestones Resident’s Corner T-Shirts & Other SWAG Get Engaged Support the CSOEMA Foundation

Dear CSOEMA Members and Colleagues,

While we are in the thick of Summer’s heat and we eagerly anticipate the vibrant colors and abundant harvests of Fall, I am delighted to welcome you to the Summer issue of the CSOEMA Connection. This newsletter edition is packed with insightful articles on various aspects of occupational and environmental medicine (OEM). The topics covered in this issue range from the current news impacting workplace health and safety to the latest OEM research relevant to clinical practice to innovative approaches in clinical and preventive medicine. These articles are designed to keep you informed and engaged with the latest developments in our field. There is so much information to share.

First, I want to thank Dr. Laura Breeher, CSOEMA Immediate Past President, and Spring Seminar Co-Chairs, Dr. Melanie Swift and Dr. Kim Hargis, and all of the excellent speakers and organizers for the amazing 2024 Spring conference celebrating our milestone 100^th Spring Seminar held in Lisle, IL this March. The conference was a momentous occasion that showcased the rich legacy of the CSOEMA and the profound impact of Occupational Medicine on society. The event was a resounding success, featuring outstanding speakers and leaders in occupational medicine who shared their expertise and insights. For those who attended, I say with confidence that we witnessed an amazing presentation and documentary on the history and development of CSOEMA by Dr. John Kuhnlein. He and his staff spent countless hours researching the history of CSOEMA and our predecessor organizations to uncover many important gems of historic events and leaders in OEM. So many advances in the field of OEM over the years trace its origins to the Central States!  We are very excited to announce that Dr. Kuhnlein will continue his research to create a more complete documentary with support from CSOEMA and the CSOEM Foundation.  Please consider supporting this effort by making a contribution to the CSOEMA History Project and the development of the OEM documentary by reaching out to CSOEMA Executive Director, Susan Rittenhouse ([email protected]).

Informed by the feedback from the CSOEMA membership, we will be rolling out the new Seminar format for delivering continuing medical education (CME) this year. We are changing from the traditional two in-person conferences per year to hosting one (1) in-person conference in the Spring and one (1) virtual/asynchronous seminar in the Fall. This year’s Fall Seminar will be a full-day live virtual event held on October 31, 2024 plus there will be additional offerings of asynchronous presentations viewable at your own pace. The Spring Seminar will be held as an in-person hybrid event on March 13-15, 2025 in Coralville, IA. This change in conference format will allow us to continue delivering state-of-the-art occupational and environmental medical education sustainably while meeting the educational and professional needs of our members. Also, we are committed to creating a robust environment that allows us to gather, network and grow in the OEM field. We encourage you to give us feedback on this new platform for providing the best quality OEM CME so that our region continues to foster leaders in the OEM field. Please take a moment to check out the Fall Seminar agenda and register for the conference.  

Next, I want to extend a hearty welcome to the new members of CSOEMA. CSOEMA grew in size this year and CSOEMA now covers ten Midwestern states with the addition of South Dakota, Kansas, and Nebraska to the Central States family. Read about how these changes came about in this edition of the CSOEMA Connection. We welcome all the new members to CSOEMA with open arms. We encourage you to get involved and stay connected with us. We look forward to seeing you at the Annual CSOEMA Seminars!

To mark the 100th Spring Seminar, we established the CSOEMA Dr. Alice Hamilton Award to encourage and celebrate physicians with exemplary contributions to the fields of occupational and environmental medicine research, education, clinical occupational medicine, or occupational and environmental toxicology. Moreover, this award also serves as a tribute to Dr. Alice Hamilton, a pioneering figure in occupational medicine through the early 20th century. Her career was marked by excellence in research, education, clinical occupational medicine, and toxicology. She not only overcame the tremendous societal barriers for occupational medicine physicians at that time, she overcame the many obstacles for women in medicine. We look forward to awarding the CSOEMA Dr. Alice Hamilton Award to the first recipient at our 2025 Spring Conference. Additionally, the CSOEMA Executive Committee voted to posthumously award full membership status in CSOEMA to the late Dr. Alice Hamilton, a recognition she undoubtedly deserved for her remarkable career.

I look forward to welcoming you to the CSOEMA Fall Virtual Seminar and I encourage you to reach out and get involved. Together, we have the power to shape the future of OEM and make a lasting impact on the health and well-being of workers and communities across the region.

Warmest regards,

Francine

Around the States

National

• National COSH (April 25, 2024): National COSH Announces “Dirty Dozen” Unsafe Employers for 2024. Uber and Lyft, Tyson, Waffle House, and Walmart were among companies singled out for poor safety practices. The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) announced today the 2024 “Dirty Dozen” list of employers who put workers and communities at risk due to unsafe practices. The Dirty Dozen report is released each year as part of the observance of Workers’ Memorial Week, which takes place this year from April 21 through April 28. The Dirty Dozen 2024 report can be accessed here.
  
• The Hill (July 2, 2024): SCOTUS turns away OSHA challenge. The Supreme Court turned away a challenge on Tuesday that threatened to gut the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) despite opposition from two of its conservative justices. OSHA is the agency responsible for setting and enforcing workplace standards. An Ohio-based construction contractor backed by Republican-led states and anti-regulatory interests had argued that Congress unconstitutionally delegated its legislative powers to the executive branch when it gave the agency such broad authority. The court issued a brief order declining to take up the contractor’s appeal after a lower court rejected the challenge.
  
•  NBC News (July 18, 2024): Bill would require federal prisons to collect environmental health data. With limited data on how environmental stressors — from poor water quality to rising temperatures to contagious diseases — may harm people living and working in U.S. prisons, legislation introduced Thursday in Congress seeks to begin filling in the gaps.
  
• UPI/HealthDay News (April 10, 2024): ‘Gig economy’ jobs linked to higher risk of alcohol-related illness. The “gig economy” could be setting up many young adults for drinking problems later in life, a new study warns.  People who take poorly paid temp jobs as freelancers or independent contractors are 43% more likely to develop an alcohol-related illness than those with full-time permanent employment, researchers found. The link to the published study can be found here.
  
• Forbes (March 12, 2024): The Rural Health Conundrum is the first of a three-part series on rural health and the unique challenges that have historically been difficult to overcome. In this article, we define the problem, underscoring those issues that must be addressed to improve the health of over 60 million Americans who are falling further behind in access and quality health care.
  
• USAToday (August 16, 2024): COVID-19 variant KP.3.1.1 now makes up nearly 40% of cases, new CDC data shows.New data shows that KP.3.1.1 remains the dominant variant and rose by 14%. It previously made up 22.8%.
  
• USAToday (August 14, 2024): CDC says COVID is at ‘very high’ activity levels in some US states: See latest data. Newest CDC data shows over half of US states have ‘high’ wastewater activity levels and that several Midwestern states had the highest test positivity for the past week.
  
• NY Times (July 25, 2024): Planet Sets Record for Hottest Day Twice in a Row. Researchers with the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service said Sunday was Earth’s hottest day. Then it happened again on Monday.
  
• PBS News (June 20, 2024): Climate change made heat wave in U.S., Mexico, warmer and more likely.  Sizzling daytime temperatures that triggered cases of heat stroke in parts of the United States were 35 times more likely and 2.5 degrees hotter (1.4 degrees Celsius) because of the warming from the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas, World Weather Attribution, a collection of scientists that run rapid and non-peer reviewed climate attribution studies, calculated Thursday.
  
• Occupational Safety and Health (June 13, 2024): Heat Stress: A Growing Occupational Hazard.  Heat stress is increasingly threatening the health and productivity of millions of workers globally, necessitating urgent action from policymakers, employers, and workers.
  
• PBS News (July 2, 2024): WATCH: Biden proposes new rule to protect 36 million workers from potentially deadly heat.  President Joe Biden, on Tuesday proposed a new rule to address excessive heat in the workplace, warning — as tens of millions of people in the U.S. are under heat advisories — that high temperatures are the country’s leading weather-related killer. If finalized, the measure would protect an estimated 36 million U.S. workers from injuries related to heat exposure on the job — establishing the first major federal safety standard of its kind. Those affected by excessive heat in the workplace include farmworkers, delivery and construction workers, landscapers, and indoor workers in warehouses, factories, and kitchens. Read the proposed OSHA Rule on Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings here.
  
• Occupational Safety and Health (March 13, 2024): Florida Legislature Faces Backlash for Banning Heat Safety Measures. The bill would prohibit local governments from requiring employers to provide heat protection for workers. In a controversial move, the Florida Legislature has passed a bill that prohibits local jurisdictions from mandating employers to provide workers with heat safety measures, such as access to water, rest and shade. This decision has sparked outrage among safety advocates like the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH).
  
• Next City (July 16, 2024): Cities Want To Give Workers Heat Breaks. States Are Stopping Them. Op-ed: As the climate heats up, abusive state preemption is prohibiting localities from addressing climate change.
  
• PBS News (April 20, 2024): California Gov. Newsom offers compromise to protect some indoor workers from heat.  Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration has compromised on long-sought rules that would protect indoor workers from extreme heat, saying tens of thousands of prison and jail employees — and prisoners — would have to wait for relief.  The deal comes a month after the administration unexpectedly rejected sweeping heat standards for workers in sweltering warehouses, steamy kitchens, and other dangerously hot job sites. The rules had been years in the making, and a state worker safety board voted to adopt them on March 21. But in a controversial move, the administration upended the process by saying the cost to cool state prisons was unclear and likely very expensive.
  
• PBS News Hour (June 24, 2024): What to know about the devastating flooding in the Midwest. In a three-day stretch, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, received about 7 inches of rain. In Canton, South Dakota, roughly 30 miles to the southeast, 18 inches of rain fell. In Iowa, some areas since Friday got as much as 15 inches of rain.
  
• Washington Post (June 29, 2024): ‘Not prepared’: Why the Midwest floods are a warning for the nation.  More potential hazards loom even as the waters slowly recede across the upper Plains.
  
• The Associated Press, NPR (July 27, 2024): California’s largest wildfire explodes in size as fires rage across US West. California’s largest active fire exploded in size on Friday evening, growing rapidly amid bone-dry fuel and threatening thousands of homes as firefighters scrambled to meet the danger. The Park Fire’s intensity and dramatic spread led fire officials to make unwelcome comparisons to the monstrous Camp Fire, which burned out of control in nearby Paradise in 2018, killing 85 people and torching 11,000 homes.
  
• PBS News (June 15, 2024): Why U.S. domestic workers have fewer labor protections than other employees.In many American households, domestic workers like nannies, housekeepers and home health aides perform essential tasks. But they also have fewer rights and protections than most U.S. workers.
  
• Occupational Safety and Health (June 23, 2024): MSHA Completes Year-Long Mine Safety and Health Review.  The screening identified the industry’s chronic safety violators putting miners at risk. As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s effort to protect workers, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has completed an extensive 12-month safety and health screening of mines nationwide, targeting chronic violators showing a disregard for miners’ health and safety.
  
• Forbes (February 22, 2024): Is ‘Chronoworking’ Set To Be The Latest Workforce Trend?Whether it is hybrid working, a four-day working week, or job shares, there is no doubt that we are in a truly transformational time in the world of work and business.
  
• PBS News (April 19, 2024): Tennessee Volkswagen workers approve of joining UAW union in historic vote. Employees at a Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, overwhelmingly voted to join the United Auto Workers union Friday in a historic first test of the UAW’s renewed effort to organize nonunion factories.
  
• MSN.com (July 18, 2024): Wyoming man becomes first person in 30 years to catch dog disease.  A man in Wyoming has been infected with a rare disease spread through dog urine, prompting a CDC investigation. It’s believed to be Wyoming’s human case of leptospirosis in 30 years. The CDC and the Wyoming Department of Health believe the man was infected through his work, including exposure to three dogs who died mysteriously. Read the MMWR leptospirosis investigation report.
  
• Wyoming News Exchange (July 25, 2024): New law extends cancer benefits to firefighters.  The Aaron Booker Firefighter Cancer Screening Act, effective July 1, represents a significant advancement in protecting firefighters’ health. It mandates that firefighters with at least ten years of service in the industry may be entitled to undergo cancer screenings covered by workers’ compensation. It also states firefighters will be presumed to have been exposed to cancer-causing agents during the course and scope of their employment. Read more about the announcement from the WY Department of Workforce Services and the Aaron Booker Firefighter Cancer Screening Act.
  
• LA Times (July 11, 2024): Doctors said cutting countertops destroyed his lungs. He had to fight for workers’ comp. By the time Denny Rene Rivas Williams had fallen so ill that he needed new lungs, physicians at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center expressed little doubt about what was to blame for his sickness. Doctors had diagnosed the 36-year-old with silicosis: an incurable disease caused by inhaling tiny bits of lung-scarring silica. It was an affliction that had debilitated dozens of workers in Los Angeles County like him, who had toiled cutting countertops bound for kitchens and bathrooms. Yet as California sees surging numbers of young workers suffering from the disease, many have not successfully tapped workers’ compensation. Assistance can include medical care, disability payments, and death benefits for families.
  
• NBC Los Angeles (July 18, 2024): California bill on silicosis safety measures abandoned as cases rise. After a joint investigation by NBC4 I-Team and Telemundo, 52 Investiga revealed that doctors are now calling silicosis “an emerging health concern” in our communities, and a state bill proposal aimed at tracking shops not complying with new regulations is now off the table. Those in favor of the state bill said it was a way to hold shops accountable and keep workers safe. But the assemblyperson who authored the bill tells the I-Team some state regulators were not “receptive” to the idea.
  
• Occupational Safety and Health (June 17, 2024): Integrating Technology in Workplace Safety: The Role of AI and IoT.  Integrating AI and IoT into workplace safety enhances predictive analytics, real-time monitoring, and proactive risk management to significantly reduce accidents and improve overall safety.
  
• KevinMD (May 9, 2024): Why you should take a closer look at occupational and environmental medicine. Burnout and satisfaction are major issues for the physician workforce in the United States. Many feel trapped working in a specialty in which they are unhappy. One little-known medical specialty stands above the pack, with particularly high job satisfaction and low burnout compared to other specialties. This is occupational and environmental medicine (OEM), a lesser-known specialty that many remain unaware of even after years in practice.
  
• PBS News (April 3, 2024): Construction workers had little warning as Baltimore’s Key Bridge collapsed, raising safety concerns. In the moments before the cargo ship Dali rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge and sent it crumbling into the water, a flurry of urgent warnings crackled over radios and enabled police to block traffic from getting on the span, likely saving lives. But those warnings seemingly didn’t reach the six construction workers who were killed in last week’s collapse of the Baltimore bridge. Their deaths have raised questions about whether the construction company took proper precautions, including keeping a safety boat nearby that might have been able to warn them at least a few seconds before impact. Julio Cervantes Suárez is the only worker who survived a fall into the waters of Baltimore after a massive ship crashed onto the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, causing its collapse. He is the only worker to survive the fall and describes ongoing trauma (from MSN.com 7/1/2024).  ​​​The National Transportation Safety Board published an investigative update on 6/24/2024 for its ongoing investigation of the March 26 contact of containership Dali with the Francis Scott Key Bridge and subsequent bridge collapse.  The report can be accessed here.
  
• PBS News (March 7, 2024): Norfolk Southern alone should pay for the cleanup of eastern Ohio train derailment, judge says.A federal judge ruled in March 2024, that Norfolk Southern alone will be responsible for paying for the cleanup after last year’s fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio. The decision issued Wednesday threw out the railroad’s claim that the companies that made chemicals that spilled and owned tank cars that ruptured should share the cost of the cleanup. As a result, Norfolk Southern will pay a modest $15 million fine as part of a federal settlement over the Ohio train derailment. (PBS News, May 23, 2024) The federal government agreed to a modest $15 million fine for Norfolk Southern over last year’s disastrous derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and the railroad promised to pay more than $300 million to complete the efforts to improve safety that it announced after the crash and address community health concerns.  In its investigation, the NTSB reports Norfolk Southern botched call to blow open vinyl chloride tanks after the Ohio train derailment (PBS News, June 25, 2024).  Norfolk Southern and its contractors botched the decision to blow open five vinyl chloride tank cars after last year’s disastrous derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and trackside detectors that might have prevented the crash failed to accurately detect the temperature of a burning wheel bearing 20 miles (32.19 kilometers) beforehand, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB report issued June 25, 2024 identified that a Failed Wheel Bearing Caused Norfolk Southern Train Derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.  The National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday that a rail car’s defective wheel bearing caused the derailment and subsequent hazardous material release in East Palestine, Ohio, last year. NTSB investigators said that the derailment occurred when a bearing on a hopper car failed and overheated, leading to the fiery February 3, 2023, derailment in the center of this small Ohio town. NTSB investigators, speaking at an NTSB board meeting held Tuesday at East Palestine High School, said the decision to vent and burn hazmat tank cars “unnecessary”. The report can be viewed here. The Federal Railroad Administration released its 143-page Safety Assessment report on the Atlanta-based railroad’s safety culture in August 2023. The agency worked on the report for months since thousands of people had to evacuate their homes after the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment. 

Illinois

• Chicago Tribune (April 12, 2024): Unionized healthcare workers say staffing shortages compromise safety. Healthcare workers and advocates held a rally inside the Illinois State Capitol on Thursday to promote legislation aimed at enhancing the safety of hospital employees amid staffing shortages at some medical facilities.
  
• Safety & Health (June 17, 2024): Illinois lawmakers pass anti-retaliation bill for workers. Legislation intended to protect workers from retaliatory conduct by employers, as well as strengthen current protections under Illinois state law, is awaiting approval from Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D). Passed by the Senate (44-15) on May 23 and the House (71-38) on May 14, the bill also would codify the authority of the Workplace Rights Bureau to investigate and hold accountable employers who retaliate or threaten to retaliate against employees, according to a press release from the Office of the Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

• NPR Illinois (July 21, 2024): Trench collapses have killed hundreds of workers in the U.S. over the last decade. More than 250 people across the country died over the last decade when trenches they were working in collapsed, according to an investigation by NPR, Texas Public Radio, and 1A. In every instance, the deaths were preventable, experts say. All but one of the victims were male; the youngest was 16. In many cases, the companies failed to follow basic government rules for making trenches safe.  “There’s no reason, really, that any worker in this country should be dying in a collapsed trench,” said Jordan Barab, who was deputy assistant secretary for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) during the Obama administration. “All trench collapse deaths are preventable if the employer complies with well-recognized OSHA standards.”
  
• Occupational Safety and Health (July 18, 2024): OSHA Fines Illinois Contractor for Repeated Fall Protection Violations. Miller Building Systems LLC faces $354,912 in proposed penalties. A construction contractor in Illinois faces $354,912 in proposed penalties for repeatedly exposing workers to deadly fall hazards. OSHA inspectors cited Elmer Miller—operating as Miller Building Systems LLC—for four willful violations observed at sites in Mahomet and Savoy.
  
• Illinois State Democrats (April 19, 2024): Ventura passes a resolution to declare Workers’ Memorial Day in Illinois. To promote and highlight the importance of improving workplace safety and honor those who have been injured or killed from workplace accidents, State Senator Rachel Ventura championed a resolution to declare April 26, 2024 as Workers’ Memorial Day in Illinois.

• Journal Courier (April 23, 2024): Commentary: On Worker’s Memorial Day, let’s remember the Illinois workers lost.
  
• Riverbender (March 26, 2024): Illinois OSHA Releases Updated Fact Sheet For Fire Departments. The Illinois Department of Labor’s (IDOL) Division of Occupational Safety and Health (IL OSHA) has released an updated fact sheet detailing the top 20 fire department safety violations. IL OSHA inspects municipal fire departments and fire protection districts across the State due to the highly hazardous environments in which firefighters work. The Division focuses on identifying lessons from incidents and sharing those lessons with the Illinois Fire Service so the lessons identified become lessons learned. Read the fact sheet here.

Indiana

• Indiana Public Media (May 24, 2024): Indiana remains one of the states with the strictest cannabis rules. The reclassification would not legalize the substance. It takes cannabis off the DEA’s Schedule I list, which includes substances it said have the highest potential for abuse and psychological dependence. The US Justice Department submitted a proposed regulation change this month to move cannabis from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance.  Indiana is one of 12 states that does not have a comprehensive medical cannabis program and one of fewer than 20 where people can still be incarcerated for possession.
  
• State Affairs (June 5, 2024): Hoosiers support marijuana legalization. Will 2025 be the year?  Federal government plans to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous substance. Advocates and lawmakers will push for cannabis legalization in 2025. Opponents argue children, state budget at risk if marijuana is legalized

• WTTW (April 25, 2024): Coal Byproduct, Other Pollution Sources at Waukegan and Michigan City Power Plants Face Strict Regulations Under New EPA Rules. Environmental advocates in the Chicago area and northwest Indiana applauded a tough new slate of Environmental Protection Agency rules for coal-fired power plants — rules that cover local generating stations that are already offline or slated to be phased out. The EPA came out with four new regulations Thursday, including a sweeping regulation to sharply limit greenhouse gas pollution at coal-burning plants. Those facilities must cut 90% of emissions by 2039 or shut down.

• InkFreeNews (Jul 18, 2024): Local Fire Departments Urge Residents To Write To OSHA Regarding Proposed Regulations. Winona Lake Fire Department and other local volunteer fire departments fear new OSHA regulations will force them to shut down. Local fire departments are urging residents to write to OSHA before July 22, citing concerns that newly proposed guidelines will cripple small, rural volunteer fire departments. This is in response to the proposed new OSHA guidelines for increased safety measures that local firefighters/chiefs are worried they will not be able to comply with due to lack of funding and manpower. The US Department of Labor’s OSHA has unveiled a proposed overhaul of 29 CFR 1910.156, the Fire Brigade Standard. It is seeking input from the public prior to implementing the changes. Enacted in 1980 and not updated since, the Fire Brigade Standard has had a rather minimal impact on the fire service up to this point. That is about to change if the proposed changes to 1910.156 go into effect following the comment period that ends May 6, 2024.  To begin with, 1910.156 would no longer be titled Fire Brigades. Its new name would be: Emergency Response. The proposed changes turn OSHA heavily toward NFPA standards, with 21 standards being incorporated in whole or in part, and 14 other standards contributing to the new requirements to varying degrees.  Read more about the new OSHA proposed guidelines here.

Iowa

• Iowa Capital Dispatch (July 26, 2024): Iowa DNR: Ethanol plant pollution likely harmed public health for years near Shell Rock. The facility makes about 140 million gallons of ethanol each year, along with other products from the leftover materials of the fuel production. The excessive pollution was tied to one of those additional products.

• Fire Rescue 1 (July 24, 2024): Iowa fire chiefs worry about the impact of proposed OSHA standards. Colona Fire Chief John Swan said some of the changes can seem insurmountable for volunteer fire departments. A proposed workplace safety rule change could have significant impacts on local fire departments.
  
• KWQC (May 2, 2024): OSHA issues 3 ‘serious citations’ following death of worker at Deere in Milan. Investigators have cited Deere and Company in connection with an employee who died following an accident at the parts distribution center in Milan. Investigators have cited Deere and Company in connection with an employee who died following an accident at the parts distribution center in Milan.

Minnesota

• Safety & Health (July 3, 2024): New Minnesota law aimed at enhancing utility worker safety. Legislation recently signed into law by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) updates excavation safety statutes with utility worker safety in mind.

• Minnesota Reformer (June 28, 2024): Amazon warehouse cited for unsafe working conditions — and other labor news. Take a seat in the Break Room, our weekly round-up of labor news in Minnesota and beyond. This week: Amazon fined for violating new state labor laws; Minneapolis council uncommitted on police raises; Workers for large stone veneer company allege wage theft and racial discrimination; Minnesota offers free PPE to farmworkers as bird flu cases rise; Minneapolis Park and Rec Board faces looming strike; Kim’s restaurant workers vote to unionize; and jobs numbers.

• Occupational Safety and Health (June 27, 2024): Amazon fined $10,500 for labor violations. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry fined Amazon $10,500 for alleged worker safety hazards at its Shakopee distribution warehouse in violation of two new state laws, the agency announced on Thursday. The state’s ergonomics program went into effect in early 2024. Amazon’s warehouse in Shakopee, Minnesota, faces a $10,500 penalty following a recent inspection by Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA). Conducted in October 2023, the inspection resulted in two serious citations for the company in April 2024. The infractions include failing to protect workers from ergonomic hazards and not providing employees with written quotas.
  
• Star Tribune (June 21, 2024): Minnesota unions won new labor rules for broadband. Will it slow $652 million for rural access? A volatile rift over proposed wage and safety rules as unions pushed for higher standards made the telecom industry warn Minnesota would lose out on once-in-a-generation funding for fast internet in rural areas. What passed has raised its own debate.
  
• Minnesota Dept of Health (June 13, 2024): Climate and Health in Minnesota. From extreme heat to ecosystem threats, real changes in Minnesota’s climate are impacting the health of Minnesotans. Read through our Minnesota Climate and Health Profile Summary (PDF) for a little more detail. While climate change impacts everyone, certain populations are more vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change. Vulnerability means the characteristics of a person or group and their situation that influence their capacity to anticipate, cope with, resist and recover from the impact of a natural hazard of other climate hazard. Learn more in our Minnesota Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Summary (PDF)

• WCCO CBS Minnesota (May 23, 2024): A WCCO Investigation leads to new legislation on worker safety. For the past five years we’ve exposed the ongoing pollution problems at Water Gremlin, from releasing a cancer-causing chemical to hazardous waste violations and lead migration. The plant in White Bear Township now has new owners and a new name, but as Senior Investigative Reporter Jennifer Mayerle shows us, its past will mean a better future for workers across Minnesota.
  
• Star Tribune (May 15, 2024): Seneca Foods fined, faulted for major safety violation in Minnesota cannery worker’s death. Seneca Foods has been slapped with a flagrant work safety violation in connection with the October death of a Minnesota cannery worker. Jose Luis Alvarado, who worked at Seneca Foods’ plant in Montgomery, died after a stack of corncob-filled boxes collapsed and crushed him. The Minnesota Occupational Safety Administration cited Seneca for a “willful” safety violation in late March and fined the company $156,259, the maximum allowed.
  
• Minnesota Reformer (MAY 2, 2024): U.S. Senate Dems Smith, Markey to push warehouse worker safety bill. Two Democratic U.S. senators announced Thursday they plan to introduce a piece of legislation that would require large companies to disclose quota practices to workers and prevent those quotas from interfering with a worker’s health.  “The Warehouse Worker Protection Act would put an end to the most dangerous quotas that plague warehouses,” Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, a sponsor of the bill, said. Markey said the bill would require companies to notify workers of the quotas they need to meet and ban quotas that rely on 24/7 surveillance or are likely to lead to violations of health and safety laws. He added that companies that don’t comply would be investigated by the Department of Labor and could face fines and penalties.
  
• MPR News (April 11, 2024): Health department says 22 Minnesota water systems have PFAS above new federal limits water flowing out of a faucet. The Minnesota Department of Health says 17 communities, a veterans’ home and four mobile home parks have levels of so-called “forever chemicals” higher than new federal limits.
  
• Sahan Journal (April 9, 2024): Minneapolis foundry under fire for air pollution also failed to protect employees from hazardous chemicals. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Smith Foundry $15,300 for 10 “serious” violations. A south Minneapolis iron foundry that repeatedly violated federal law with its air pollution also failed to protect employees from exposure to hazardous chemicals, according to a federal inspection. The Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that Smith foundry improperly exposed employees to carbon monoxide and respirable crystalline silica, and didn’t provide them with the proper protective equipment or training to mitigate such exposure, according to a news release from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
  
• Minnesota Reformer (March 8, 2024): Strikes, settlements and civil disobedience during labor’s ‘Week of Action’. Take a seat in the Break Room, our weekly round-up of labor news from Minnesota and beyond. This week: Labor’s ‘Week of Action’ in review; Workers and activists march through Terminal 1 of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on March 6 in support of passenger service workers; Uber and Lyft minimum pay passes again; Evergreen Acres dairy farm denies everything; court interpreters suspend strike; and 3M rejects it was indifferent to safety after two worker deaths.

Missouri

• Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (May 8, 2024): Growing the next generation: Safety and occupational health professionals gather for annual conference. Springtime in the Midwest can be volatile as temperatures fluctuate and severe weather is common. This time of year often prompts safety drills across the region. Perhaps it was not a coincidence then that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Safety and Occupational Health Program’s community of practice gathered in the heartland — Kansas City, Missouri — for their annual community of practice meeting.  The theme of this year’s meeting was “growing the next generation.” Safety and occupational health professionals from across the USACE enterprise came to Kansas City, Missouri, to discuss all things safety and occupational health. The five-day community of practice meeting was a chance for staff from all districts, divisions and headquarters to convene in one location and discuss current operations and the future of the program in USACE.

North Dakota

• InForum (April 23, 2024): Letter: On Worker’s Memorial Day, let’s remember the 6 ND workers that did not come home in 2023. “A safe workplace isn’t a privilege; it’s every worker’s right,” writes Scott Overson, the area director for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Bismarck.
  
• CBS News (August 14, 2024): Marijuana legalization will be on the North Dakota ballot once again this November. A ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in North Dakota has qualified for the November election, the state’s top election official said Monday. That sets up another vote on the issue in the conservative state after voters and lawmakers rejected previous efforts in recent years.

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin Examiner (July 5, 2024): Worker advocates watch warily after loss of legal standard that bolstered agencies. Last week’s U.S. Supreme Court action throwing out a 40-year-old legal principle in how the courts assess federal regulations has sent federal worker protections into uncharted territory.  Under the best of circumstances, legal experts said this week, the change might have only a minor impact. But that’s far from guaranteed, and some observers see it as part of a larger project to roll back the power of federal agencies to enact new protections as new threats to health and safety arise. In a pair of decisions issued Friday, June 28, the Court’s six conservatives overturned the principle known as Chevron deference — a precedent that gave federal agencies broad discretion in developing regulations. The principle, which the Court enunciated in 1984, held that courts should defer to federal agencies when considering legal challenges to rules because of ambiguities that Congress left in federal laws undergirding regulations.
  
  
• Wausau Pilot and Review (July 22, 2024):Dairy workers on Wisconsin’s small farms are dying. Many of those deaths are never investigated. OSHA sometimes investigates deaths on small farms if they provide housing to immigrant workers. Other times the agency says it can’t take action.  Dairy farms are some of the most dangerous job sites in America. Much of the labor is done by immigrants working on small farms that operate with little safety oversight.

• Wisconsin Examiner (April 25, 2024): Work safety advocates list Wisconsin lumber mill where teen died among ‘unsafe’ employers. A northern Wisconsin wood processor where a 16-year-old died after an industrial accident in June 2023 was one of 12 employers listed for egregious workplace hazards by a national advocacy group Thursday.  The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (COSH) put Florence Hardwoods on its 2024 “Dirty Dozen” list of “unsafe and reckless employers risking the lives of workers and communities.” The organization produces the list annually ahead of April 28, designated Workers Memorial Day by labor advocates to draw attention to workplace fatalities and injuries. The 2024 report includes the privately owned Florence County wood processing business along with the hospital chain Ascension, SpaceX, Tyson Foods and the ride-share companies Uber and Lyft, among other employers
  
• Wisconsin Public Radio (April 30, 2024): More Wisconsin workers died on the job in 2022 than any year since 2006. New report finds Wisconsin had 125 workplace deaths in 2022, reversing a three-year trend of declining workplace fatalities. That’s according to a new report from the national AFL-CIO that examined workplace fatalities across the country.
  
• EHS Daily Advisor Jul 22, 2024: Wisconsin Waste Management Company Facing $367K OSHA Fine. John’s Disposal Service Inc. and John’s Recycling Inc., a Franksville, Wisconsin, waste management company, faces $367,401 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines after a temporary maintenance worker suffered severe injuries when their jacket sleeve was pulled into an engine as they serviced a vehicle, the agency announced July 18. OSHA cited the company with five repeat, five serious, and three other-than-serious violations. Agency investigators determined the employer hadn’t ensured energy control (lockout/tagout) procedures were in place and used before the worker began servicing the vehicle. During its accident investigation, OSHA also opened two follow-up inspections to verify whether the employer had corrected hazards the agency cited in 2023.

OEM Images of the Month

Welcome to CSOEMA: South Dakota, Kansas, and Nebraska OEM members!

OEM Clinical Practice Highlights

• Best Practices in Documenting and Coding High-Value Care in Workers’ Compensation Encounters—ACOEM Guidance Statement. Cloeren, Marianne; Chen, Brian; Caretto, David. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 66(7):e312-e320, July 2024.
  
• Practical Applications and Observational Implications of Time-Based Coding for Workers’ Compensation Clinical Encounters—A Follow-up to Best Practices in Documenting and Coding High-Value Care in Workers’ Compensation Encounters—ACOEM Guidance Statement. Martin, Douglas W. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 66(7):e321-e322, July 2024.
  
• MDGuidelines: Did you know? Your ACOEM Membership now includes access to MDGuidelines, the industry-leading online tool for quickly accessing evidence-based disability duration information, and ACOEM Clinical Guidelines. This offer is valid for U.S.-based ACOEM members with active membership. Launch the new MDGuidelines ACOEM Navigator. For more information, click here.
  
• ACOEM | On-Demand Learning: Enhance Your Skills and Knowledge and earn continuing medical education. View ACOEM’s extensive on-demand learning opportunities in the ACOEM Store. ACOEM is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians.

OEM Research Rounds

• UIC Today (April 17, 2024): Calculating the environmental cost of war. The war in Ukraine has had a devastating toll, with tens of thousands of civilians and soldiers killed. But along with the human cost, there has been considerable environmental damage from the conflict, from chemical contamination of waterways to air pollution and deforestation. Research led by Dr. Daniel Hryhorczuk, professor emeritus in the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois Chicago, estimates that the war has caused $56.4 billion in environmental damage. “Most of these environmental impacts threaten human health,” the researchers report in their recent paper, published in the Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology.

• UIC Today (March 19, 2024): Dehydration is rampant among Florida farm workers, new study shows.  Nearly all farm workers who participated in a recent study in Florida were dehydrated at the end of their shifts, and more than half were still dehydrated the following morning. The study, a partnership between the University of Illinois Chicago and the Farmworker Association of Florida, used urine samples collected first thing in the morning, at lunch and at the end of a shift to assess the risk of dehydration over five days in May 2021 and May 2022 at a vegetable farm in southern Florida. A total of 111 workers, most of them men from Mexico and Guatemala, participated in the study, which is published in the journal Environmental Research. UIC researchers include Chibuzor Abasilim, Lee S. Friedman, Dana Madigan, and Linda Forst.

• UIC Today (April 4, 2024):  One-third of ride-share drivers have had a crash on the job, survey finds. One-third of ride-share drivers surveyed in a new study reported being involved in a crash while working. Using a cellphone, driving while tired or driving on unfamiliar roads increased the likelihood of a crash, according to the study by University of Illinois Chicago researchers. The study, recently published in the Journal of Safety Research, is the first the authors know of to quantify the frequency of crashes among ride-share drivers, according to lead author Brett Shannon, a doctoral student at UIC’s School of Public Health. “It’s a relatively new profession, so there’s a lack of information around injury and morbidity in ride-share drivers,” Shannon said. The study looked at survey responses from 277 ride-share drivers who self-reported on their history of crashes and their driving behaviors. 
  
• Alexander M. McKinney, Jessica A. Moore, Kevin Campbell, Thiago A. Braga, Jeffrey B. Rykken, Bharathi D. Jagadeesan, Zeke J. McKinney. Automated vs. manual coding of neuroimaging reports via natural language processing, using the international classification of diseases, tenth revision. Heliyon, Volume 10, Issue 10, 2024, e30106, ISSN 2405-8440, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30106.
  Abstract: Natural language processing (NLP) can generate diagnoses codes from imaging reports. Meanwhile, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes are the United States’ standard for billing/coding, which enable tracking disease burden and outcomes. This cross-sectional study aimed to test feasibility of an NLP algorithm’s performance and comparison to radiologists’ and physicians’ manual coding.
  
• Yanni Liang, Katherine E. McCoy, Carrie D. Tomasallo, Jonathan G. Meiman.Social determinants of an occupational lung disease: Workers’ narratives on silicosis, SSM – Qualitative Research in Health, Volume 3, 2023, 100290, ISSN 2667-3215, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2023.100290.

• Greg P. Couser, Philip T. Hagen, Melanie D. Swift, Richard D. Newcomb, Clayton T. Cowl, Physician Health Series Part One: Characteristics of Physicians as Patients, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Volume 99, Issue 5, 2024, Pages 836-843, ISSN 0025-6196, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2023.08.027. 
  Abstract: This is the first article of a 3-part series about physician health. In this installment, we outline the unique characteristics of physicians as patients, challenges and opportunities presented by physician-patients, and recommendations for treating physicians. Future articles will delve into role clarity, occupational considerations, mental health, and interactions with third parties such as the physician’s employer or licensing board. Ultimately, this series will help treating clinicians provide the best care to their physician-patients and successfully navigate the unique challenges that may arise, especially when the diagnosis may have an impact on their ability to practice medicine.

• Greg P. Couser, Philip T. Hagen, Clayton T. Cowl, Richard D. Newcomb, Melanie D. Swift, Part Two: Managing Physicians as Patients and Their Safe Return to Work,
  Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Volume 99, Issue 6, 2024, Pages 997-1005, ISSN 0025-6196, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2023.10.017. 
  Abstract: This second installment in a 3-part series about physicians as patients explores challenges in communication and role definition while managing their care and safe return to work. In the first article of the series, authors reviewed unique characteristics that make physicians different as patients, with some general guidance about how to approach their care. Although most treating physicians receive little occupational training, health issues commonly have an impact on work with imperative to address work issues promptly for best outcome. This paper demystifies the challenge of managing work status and discusses navigating common physical and cognitive issues while maintaining role clarity. The treating clinician reading this paper will learn to avoid common pitfalls and be better equipped to provide initial assessments and interventions to keep physicians working safely, keeping in mind licensure issues and reporting requirements. Part Three of the series will focus on the most common mental health issues seen in physicians.

• Greg P. Couser, Richard D. Newcomb, Melanie D. Swift, Philip T. Hagen, Clayton T. Cowl, Physician Health Series, Part 3: Physician Mental Health, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Volume 99, Issue 7, 2024, Pages 1178-1186, ISSN 0025-6196,
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2024.01.020.
  Abstract: This article is the third of 3 articles in a series about managing the care of physicians as patients. In part 1, the authors reviewed unique characteristics of physicians as patients with some general guidance for how to approach their care. Part 2 highlighted role clarity for the treating physician with discussion of the physical and cognitive issues that commonly arise when treating physician-patients along with licensure issues and reporting requirements. This final installment will focus on physician mental health and work-related stress.

RECAP: 100th Annual CSOEMA SPRING SEMINAR March 7-9, 2024

Congratulations CSOEMA on marking 100 years of Excellence in promoting the health of workers through preventive medicine, clinical care, research and education in the Central States!

Congratulations to 2024 CSOEMA Award Recipients!

CSOEMA National Leadership Award
Melanie Swift MD, MPH, FACOEM
Ismail Nabeel MD, MPH, MS, FACOEM

CSOEMA Dedicated Service Award
John Kuhnlein DO, MPH, FACPM, FACOEM

About CSOEMA Awards:

The National Leadership Award is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the specialty and has taken steps to promote the specialty on a national level through research, education and/or by increasing awareness of the value of the specialty. This individual has gone beyond medical practice to positively influence the specialty and this individual’s efforts serve as a voice for the specialty among their peers. Their efforts demonstrate leadership, commitment and dedication in advancing the goals of the specialty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. This award is not limited to members of CSOEMA and may be presented to individuals outside of the CSOEMA membership. The CSOEMA National Leadership Award was created in 1989 and was originally called the Robert R.J. Hilker Lecture.

The Dedicated Service Award, created in 2005, is given at the Spring Seminar of the Central States Occupational and Environmental Medicine Association. The Dedicated Service Award recognizes a CSOEMA member who has exhibited outstanding service to the Association over a period of many years.

The Exemplary Service Award, created in 2009, is given at the Fall Seminar of the Central States Occupational and Environmental Medicine Association. The Exemplary Service Award recognizes a CSOEMA member who has exhibited outstanding leadership and ability in accomplishing a specific initiative or task which has and/or will provide significant benefit to the Association.  

To nominate a deserving candidate for any of the above awards, click HERE. 

Introducing the CSOEMA Dr. Alice Hamilton Award

2024 CSOEMA FALL SEMINAR

Registration for the 2024 CSOEMA Fall Seminar is now open. The Fall Seminar will be held on Thursday, October 31, 2024 as a full-day, virtual, online synchronous event followed by a half-day of asynchronous recorded sessions that you can watch at your convenience. Attend the event for professional enrichment, continuing medical education credits, and fellowship with your OccMed colleagues. Visit the CSOEMA website to register for this event. 

Update on Future CSOEMA Seminars

The 2024 CSOEMA Fall Seminar rolls out the new format of Spring and Fall Seminars for our organization. After much deliberation, numerous member surveys, feedback gatherings, and analyses, CSOEMA will continue its tradition of Fall and Spring Seminars, upholding our commitment to providing a minimum of 25 CME credit hours per year of high-quality state-of-the-art Occupational and Environmental Medical education in the region. Moving forward, the Fall Seminar will be held as a virtual online conference, and the Annual Spring Seminar will be held as a hybrid event (In-person and Online) with the location of the conference alternating between our homebase location in Lisle, IL, and a different metro region near you. (e.g., the 2025 Spring Seminar will be held in Coralville, IA, and the 2026 Spring Seminar will return to Lisle, IL.). Thank you for your patience and for your thoughtful feedback on the future seminar surveys. We look forward to seeing you at the next CSOEMA Seminar!    

Is there a particular topic you would like presented at the next CSOEMA Seminar? 
Do you have a presentation that you would like to share?

We are always looking for talented, interesting speakers for our Seminars.  Do you or someone you know have a presentation or topic that would be of interest to our membership?  Let us know by completing this quick form!

OEM History Spotlight

CSOEMA History Project

To mark the occasion of the 100th Annual CSOEMA Spring Seminar in March of 2024, the conference planning committee wanted to dive into the history of the organization in order to share what they found with the conference attendees. Dr. John Kunhlein, longtime supporting member and CSOEMA past president (2016-2017), expressed interest in this project, stepped up to the plate, and then began digging into the history of the organization. Dr. Kuhnlein’s research revealed significant historical facts about CSOEMA’s development, including the pivotal role its members played in the formation of ACOEM. Many leaders of CSOEMA have transitioned into leadership roles within ACOEM, reflecting a longstanding tradition of collaboration and influence between the two organizations.

As a result of his research and contributions, Dr. Kuhnlein has been designated as the official historian for CSOEMA. His work is not only a tribute to the past but also a foundation for future projects. He continues work on completing a comprehensive documentary focused on the history of Occupational and Environmental Medicine; the first part was previewed at the 100th Annual Spring Seminar in March 2024. This documentary represents just the beginning of a larger effort to document and preserve the history of the our organization and specialty.

The CSOEMA History Project is seen as vital for the organization and its future members, as it aims to enrich the understanding of the field’s evolution and the contributions of its members. The ongoing support for the CSOEMA History Project and Dr. Kuhnlein’s work is crucial, as there remains a wealth of history to uncover and preserve for the benefit of current and future generations in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

As we continue to document and preserve the rich history of CSOEMA, we invite you to consider making a financial contribution to support this important effort. Your donations will help fund ongoing projects, including the completion of the Occupational and Environmental Medicine documentary, which aims to capture the legacy and contributions of our field. If you are interested in supporting this initiative, please contact CSOEMA Executive Director Susan Rittenhouse at [email protected]. Your support is invaluable to the success of this project and the continued growth of our organization.  Thank you.

Member Highlights

Romero Santiago, MD, MPH received the ACOEM Vanguard Award at AOHC 2024, recognizing significant contributions within the first five years of active ACOEM membership. Dr. Santiago served as chair of the Residents and Recent Graduates Section, an alternate delegate for the American Medical Association, and has been involved with many aspects of ACOEM since becoming a member. Dr. Santiago’s educational journey includes an MD from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and an MPH from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, followed by an OEM Fellowship at Yale University.  He lives in Urbana, IL.

New Members

Active Members Edward Stapleton, MD, MPH John J Lanciloti, MD Kathleen Detwiler, PhD, MD Kym Life, DO Patrick Titzer, MD, MFA Prapti Kuber, MD, MBA Rachel Dahl, MD MPH MS Sabrina Murphy, MD, MPH Sandra Amadon, MD Taha El-Shahat, MD Resident Members Eleonora Demyda, MD Elizabeth Lees, DO, MPH Sanju Wadhwa, MD   Medical Student Members Ali Moinuddin  Daniel Estep Emily Hawker

Associate Members Anita Appoh, MSN-FNP-BC Ashley Calvert, MSN, NP Candy Lucero-Palma, NP-C Cassandra Gauer, PA-C Cheryl L. Benson, PA-C, MPAS Christine McKay, MSN, FNP-BC, COHN-S Christy Davis , MSN-FNP Katelyn Wendt, APNP- CNP Katherine Stevens, RN, BSN, MS, COHN-S, CSP, COHC Keslie Smith, APNP FNP-C Libby Uhlenhopp, DNP, ARNP, FNP-C Loreta Fabian, MSN FNP Lori Peterson , FNP-BC, FPA Margaret K. Stelle-Betman, MSN Melissa Verdecchia, RN Roxanne McLaughlin, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC Sara Fergus, MSN, FNP-BC) Sarah Renolletm FNP-BC Scott Gooch, MPAS, BSM Stephanie Ellsworth, ARNP FNP Tammi McCoy, PA-C Traci Mahood , NP Trinnette Zahakaylo, APRN FPA -BC

NEW FELLOWS

We are pleased to announce the following CSOEMA members became ACOEM Fellows at AOHC 2024 in Orlando, FL:

Anitha Nimmagadda, MD, MPH, FACOEM, Newport Beach, CA
Corey Cronrath, DO, MPH, CPE, FACOEM, Eleva, WI
Maria N. Starchook-Moore, MD, FACOEM, Edina, MN
Rachel E. Thies, MD, MPH, MHA, FACOEM, Sioux Falls, SD

Congratulations!  The Fellow of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (FACOEM) designation is ACOEM’s highest acknowledgment that recognizes years of dedication to exceptional education, leadership, and commitment to the specialty.  Demonstrate your dedication and leadership in occupational medicine by becoming a Fellow. Applications for the Class of 2024 are now being accepted! Completed applications and all required documents must be submitted to [email protected] by November 1, 2024. For more information about ACOEM Fellowship, click here.

ACOEM Update

• ACOEM (August 8, 2024): ACOEM Announces Participation in NRMP Residency Pathway Match. ACOEM is proud to announce that occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) residencies and fellowships will participate in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) for the upcoming residency application cycle. As of today, 17 programs are taking part. This significant step was decided during the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency Directors Association’s (OEMRDA) annual meeting at the American Occupational Health Conference (AOHC) 2024 in Orlando, Florida. OEMRDA has been discussing NRMP participation for several years, and the decision to participate in the Main Residency Match marks a historic moment – by joining the NRMP, ACOEM aims to streamline the matching process for both applicants and residency programs. This will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of placing future OEM specialists. “This partnership will be a lightning rod for us,” said Dr. Paul Ogden, Program Director of OEM Residency and Fellowship at the Colorado School of Public Health. “This will improve the availability and appeal of occupational and environmental medicine across the country.” This initiative is expected to significantly enhance the visibility of occupational and environmental medicine as a specialty, attracting a diverse pool of high-caliber applicants. By using the NRMP’s advanced algorithm, OEMRDA will transition from its earlier, manual matching process to a more structured and equitable system, ensuring better outcomes for both applicants and residency programs. “Joining the NRMP is a crucial step forward for our specialty,” said Dr. William ‘Brett’ Perkison, Assistant Professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health. “We can provide students with a definitive pathway forward for them to pursue OEM. We can also more easily recruit residents who might not match in other specialties in the general match. Many aspects of OEM including an emphasis on prevention and an emphasis on work-life balance resonate highly with the next generation of public health leaders.” The NRMP’s Main Residency Match provides a robust and transparent platform for matching residents with programs, fostering the growth of OEM. This move aligns with ACOEM’s commitment to advancing the specialty and supporting the development of the next generation of leaders in occupational and environmental health. ACOEM looks forward to collaborating with NRMP and engaging with prospective applicants through this enhanced matching process. More details and guidance for applicants will be provided in the coming months as ACOEM and OEMRDA work closely with NRMP to implement this new initiative. “OEM is traditionally known as a mid-career change specialty but with NRMP participation, we will reach out to about 50,000 new medical graduates and residents, our next generation of occupational medicine physicians,” said Dr. Sajjad Savul, current chair of OEMRDA. The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) is a private, non-profit organization providing an organized and fair mechanism for matching the preferences of applicants for U.S. residency positions with the preferences of residency program directors. The NRMP matches thousands of applicants annually to residency and fellowship programs, ensuring quality training for future leaders in medicine.
  
• ACOEM (July 3, 2024): ACOEM Applauds OSHA’s Proposed Rulemaking for Occupational Heat Standard. The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), the recognized experts in preventing, monitoring, diagnosing, and treating occupational and environmental injury, illness, and disability, welcomes the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) release of a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to create a standard for Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings.  This NPRM is a critical and necessary step forward in the rulemaking process, and ACOEM looks forward to reviewing the proposed standard and engaging with OSHA through the public comment process and beyond to ensure the standard will effectively protect workers from heat-related injuries and illnesses.
  
• ACOEM (July 2, 2024):Responsible Development of Emerging Technologies: Prioritizing Worker Safety. The rapid evolution of new and emerging technologies and their introduction into work environments has important implications for early assessment and protection against possible risks to employee health, says a paper in the July Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. “Responsible development of emerging technologies requires anticipating hazards and risks and ethical issues attendant to them,” according to the report by Paul A. Schulte, PhD, of Advanced Technologies and Laboratories International, Inc, Gaithersburg, Md; Veruscka Leso, MD PhD, and Ivo Iavicoli, MD PhD, of the University of Naples Federico II, Italy. Drawing lessons from occupational safety and health assessment of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), they outline an approach to responsible development of emerging technologies in the workplace.
  • Schulte, Paul A.; Leso, Veruscka; Iavicoli, Ivo. Responsible Development of Emerging Technologies: Extensions and Lessons From Nanotechnology for Worker Protection. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 66(7):528-535, July 2024.
     
• ACOEM (June 10, 2024): Wearable Neurotechnologies: Coming Soon to the Workplace? “Neuroergonomics…holds vast potential for real-time applications within authentic work environments,” write Paul W. Brandt-Rauf, ScD, MD, DrPH, and Hasan Ayaz, PhD, of Drexel University, Philadelphia. They survey the landscape for neurotechnology applications in the workplace, including the role of occupational health professionals in ensuring their appropriate use. Recent years have seen the development of mobile wireless technologies for noninvasive monitoring of brain activity, including electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). In addition, techniques such as transcranial electrical stimulation with direct current (tES/tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are being evaluated for the ability to enhance brain function and augmenting human performance during complex tasks, including work-related activities. The prospect raises questions as to whether these technologies can be used to increase work productivity, and who should make such decisions. Drawing from the growing field of neuro-ethics, the authors present arguments for and against using neurotechnologies in the workplace. On the one hand, individuals have the autonomous right to pursue self-improvement; on the other, neurotechnologies have the potential for misuse, like any new powerful technology.
  
• Occupational Health and Neuroergonomics: The Future of Wearable Neurotechnologies at the Workplace. Brandt-Rauf, Paul W.; Ayaz, Hasan. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 66(6):456-460, June 2024.

Upcoming Events

Milestones

• Isabel Pereira, DO, MPH, MSA was promoted to Clinical Lead of WorkCare’s Incident Intervention department – overseeing medical decisions, and managing physicians that provide occupational medicine triage for client companies.

Do you have a Milestone announcement to share?  Let us know about your birth, marriage, anniversary, promotion, or other life milestone by sending an email to: [email protected].

Residents Corner

The ten states represented by the Central States Occupational and Environmental Medicine Association are home to two Occupational and Environmental Medicine residency programs. The HealthPartners Occupational Medicine Residency Program is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the University of Illinois at Chicago Occupational Medicine Residency Program is located in Chicago, Illinois. These programs aim to develop and train preventive medicine physicians in Public Health and Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Please contact the residency program directors for more information or visit the websites below.

CSOEMA T-Shirts & Other SWAG

Get Engaged!

As our regional component professional organization, CSOEMA operates through the support of members who contribute their time and leadership to make the organization successful. We always seek members to serve as Conference Co-Chairs, Board of Governors, and other committee members. In addition to these roles, there are so many more ways to get involved.  Check out our new webpage highlighting the numerous opportunities to get further involved here. Your participation lends your voice to the organization and gives back to the field of Occupational Medicine. Interested?  Let us know by sending an email to [email protected].

Support the CSOEMA Foundation

Don’t forget to support the CSOEM Foundation by making a charitable donation. The CSOEM Foundation supports CSOEMA by providing resident scholarships and other seminar-related expense support that would otherwise not be available. Donations made are tax-deductible and support the ongoing work of CSOEMA.

Are you interested in posting a job listing with CSOEMA?

Are you interested in posting a job listing with CSOEMA

Job postings will be listed on both the CSOEMA website and the CSOEMA Connection Newsletter and distributed once via email to the CSOEMA membership. Please send an email to: [email protected]
For members or sponsors:

• 1 free 60-day advertisement period/year
• $150 for each additional 60-day advertisement period

For unaffiliated individuals/organizations:$300 for a 60-day advertisement period

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CSOEMA Executive Committee

Francine Katz, DO, MPH, FACOEM, MRO, CCDME, dipABLM, President
Isabel Pereira, DO, MPH, MSA, President-Elect
Malgorzata B. Hasek, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACOEM, Vice President
Maria Starchook-Moore, MD, FACOEM, Secretary-Treasurer
Laura Breeher MD, MPH, MS, FACOEM, Immediate Past President​

CSOEMA Governors

Chris Iverson, MD MBA, MPH, vacant	Governors at Large: 2022-2025
Kodjo Bossou, MD, MPH, Erin Kennedy MD, MPH, MRO, CIME	Governors at Large: 2023-2026
Sarah Bronner MD MPH, Kim Hargis MD, MPH	Governors at Large: 2024-2027
Ashley Nadeau MD, MPH (MN), Claudia Corwin, MD, MPH (IA)	State Governors: 2022-2025
Ambica Nakhasi, MD (IL) Christopher Smelser, DO, MPH, FACOEM (IN)	State Governors: 2023-2026
Matthew Klick DO, MPH (MO), Corey Cronratj DO, MPH, CPE, FACOEM (WI)	State Governors: 2024-2027
S. Laura Chung MD, JD (UIC), Prapti Kuber MD, MBA (Health Partners)	Resident Governors: 2024-2025

CSOEMA Connection Editorial Staff

William Wong, MD, MPH, FACP, FACOEM, Editor-in-Chief
Claudia Corwin, MD, MPH, FACOEM, Editor
Anitha Nimmagadda, MD, MPH, FACOEM, Editor

The CSOEMA Connection newsletter is the collaborative effort of CSOEMA members. It is a way for us to celebrate our members’ work, discuss important issues, and share information to support our mission. Allow your voice to be heard by contributing to this newsletter. If you have ideas for themes of future newsletter issues, have a tip for us about something (or someone) to feature, or just to let us know how we are doing, please reach out. Please send any contributions, questions, or comments to [email protected], or contact Susan Rittenhouse, CSOEMA Executive Director, at [email protected].