TXCOEM 2019 Business Meeting, 

May 17, 2019  

We had a collegial, productive and fun business meeting in Dallas. We de-conflicted next year's annual TXCOEM meeting with ACOEM (see next news). Also, Dr. Frangos (ACOEM President and TXCOEM member) spoke to the importance of the membership committee, and how key it is for ACOEM. 

For the first time in history, TXCOEM is represented well in the ACOEM leadership - Dr. Steve Frangos (President) and Dr. Faiyaz Bhojani (Recorder - HOD). The TXCOEM office bearers appreciate both for volunteering their time and representing Texas. Thanks also to our delegates and alternate delegates. If you are interested in ACOEM leadership positions, please reach out to any of the TXCOEM office bearers or email [email protected].

On May 1st, Stephen A. Frangos, MD, MPH, FACOEM, of Houston, Texas, was installed as president of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) for 2019-2020. Click to learn more. 

The annual fall meeting for the ACOEM House of Delegates (HOD) was scheduled for Friday, November 1, 2019 at the ACOEM Learning Center, Elk Grove Village, IL. More news to come!

Total Worker Health® at the Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (SWCOEH) at UTHealth School of Public Health.  SWCOEH  has been officially approved as an affiliate of the CDC/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Total Worker Health® program. The center director Elaine Symanski, PhD explains, "Total Worker Health adopts a more holistic approach, building on the traditional focus of occupational health and safety on protecting workers from injuries and workplace exposures to chemical, physical, or biological agents." "We're now looking at a whole range of other factors that affect workers. The nature of work, the workforce, and employment arrangements are rapidly changing and impacting worker health, both positively and negatively. Moreover, our field is shifting its focus from keeping workers safe to achieving their best possible well-being. It's therefore vital that our endeavors adapt to reflect these developments, and the NIOSH has championed this shift."  Click to learn more. 

The SWCOEH at UTHealth School of Public Health Houston also hosts the only PhD doctoral academic program track in Total Woker Health. 

Learn more at:  https://sph.uth.edu/research/centers/swcoeh/twh/

Harvey Health Impacts

Working at the intersection of genetics, environmental health, and data science, researchers in Baylor College of Medicine's Center for Precision Environmental Health, seek to understand these differing effects, evaluating gene-environment interactions. Under the direction of Dr. Cheryl Walker, the CPEH builds on its affiliation with other Baylor College of Medicine departments, as well as state and national centers. Center researchers will be working collaboratively at the intersection of genetics/epigenetics, environmental health, and data science to understand how the environment influences health and disease and uncover new disease control strategies and interventions. Click to learn more.

Bigger Companies Score Higher on Total Worker Health Implementation, JOEM (8/19) -  Compared to larger companies, small businesses need help in introducing the Total Worker Health (TWH) approach to worker health and safety. The results show that TWH adoption and approaches vary by business size, reflecting different patterns of organizational behavior. Ms. Tenney and colleagues conclude, "Our results indicate a need for intervention research that targets small businesses, notably to better understand how TWH is effectively implemented."  Click to learn more

Integrated Physical Medicine Improves Outcomes in Musculoskeletal Disorders JOEM (5/19)  - Employer-sponsored health clinics offering integrated physical medicine services-physical medicine, chiropractic, and acupuncture - can improve clinical outcomes while lowering the costs of care for patients with back pain and other common musculoskeletal conditions, reports an open-access paper in the May Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. "Early access to physical medicine interventions is associated with improved patient outcomes at lower cost to the employer," Dr. Bravata and coauthors write. "These results suggest that employer-sponsored clinics can improve timely access to evidence-based physical medicine services." Click to learn more.

Investing in Culture of Health Reduces Employee Health Risks - JOEM (2/19)  -  Companies that improve their "culture of health" realize some important benefits, including reductions in employee health risk factors, medical visits, prescription drug use, and health care costs. The study adds to a growing body of evidence that building a culture of health can improve employee health and reduce healthcare costs.

Click to learn more

Board certified physicians in Occupational Medicine will no longer be required to complete a minimum number of ABPM- approved LLSA credits in order to complete MOC Part II. After Feb 1, 2020, a Diplomat's total of 250 MOC Part II credits can include any combination of LLSA and AMA PRA Category 1 CME credits (or their equivalent).  Click to learn more.