NECOEM COVID-19 Town Hall

Despite the plethora of COVID-19 information that has consumed us all, there remain many occupational health management issues that are not well addressed in either the lay media or professional webinars.  We believe that NECOEM membership may be interested in a more informal but structured opportunity to air evidence-based practices and discussion of questions about optimal occupational health practice during this pandemic. For this purpose, we invite you to join in a trial of a zoom meetings facilitated by Robert McLellan that will feature senior occupational medicine faculty.

Jun 19, 2020

The Impact of Systemic Racism on Occupational and Environmental Health.

Over the past several weeks, NECOEM has convened our membership in 7 town halls to share our experience and knowledge about the occupational health management of COVID-19.  The recent murder of George Floyd, accompanied by on-going videos of police aggression combined with the heavy burden that the pandemic has cast on people of color, has brought into sharp focus on historic and chronic fault lines in our diverse society.

Amir Mohammad and George Moore will serve as panelists to begin our conversation.  They will help us consider how we can rise to the challenge as occupational medicine providers, as NECOEM, and as individual citizens of the world, to redress the toll that systemic racism takes on occupational and environmental health.   

The session will begin with brief presentations on occupational health inequities, police fitness for duty, and alternative approaches to better meeting the needs to protect community safety and well-being.  We will then transition to an opportunity to recount stories of how racism has shown up in our personal and professional lives. The session will end with a discussion of what actions we as OEM practitioners and as an organization can take to live up to our Mission  providing “leadership to promote the optimal health and safety of workers, workplaces, and environments.”

Meeting Recording: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ivyvew77lt56cg1/NECOEM%20Town%20Hall%206-19-2020.mp4
Chat Transcript, Q&A: https://necoem.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/QA-chatroom-6-19-20.pdf
Further Reading: The Significance of Juneteenth

June 5, 2020

Themes of this town hall focus on Managing Disability in the context of COVID-19. It features two of our colleagues: David Berube and Jonathan Mittelman, who serve as medical directors at insurance companies. Robert McLellan facilitates.

Meeting Recording: https://dartmouth.zoom.us/rec/share/-dJ2F7Cr-F5LcomKtlCPGaMkAdTHeaa803RP_PMJxE5QrP0o4QtRYciwKCgJwtO6

May 29, 2020

Meeting Recording: https://dartmouth.zoom.us/rec/share/psZxHr_93FJLbYWT1XiOVvQoHdjFX6a80XVMrqYEzRzIcsTauCeysKIQLwqr85DJ

May 11, 2020

This Town Hall features a discussion of the public and occupational health issues and practices for re-opening business as the phases of the pandemic evolve. Based on participant interest, other themes may emerge. The town hall format will feature Glenn Pransky and Kenji Saito as panelists, who will provide brief comments on these topics. Robert McLellan will facilitate what we hope will include robust contributions and questions from participants. We strongly encourage you to come to the townhall with questions, comments and experience to share.  Also, please open your video to enhance our community experience.

Meeting recording. https://dartmouth.zoom.us/rec/share/-MFYCqPx6CBOXa_MzHHhe7N5MYbqX6a82iIW8_RcmR4upYFWx3GrNnRtWEzaj0Pm

May 1, 2020

This Town Hall features a discussion of 2 critical occupational health themes: (1) approaches to and purposes for SARS COV-2 diagnostic testing; (2) supporting clinician substance use recovery during the pandemic. Based on participant interest, other themes may emerge. The town hall format features Deborah Barbeau, Sally Garhart, and Glenn Pransky as panelists who will provide brief comments on these topics.

Meeting recording. https://dartmouth.zoom.us/rec/share/xOhpMLXp5zpOGYnEzxDWZ5UGOd6-eaa80ydK_6JbxB5WKC5iwmdlR2WGdXqssAK7

April 24 (no Town Hall)

April 17

This Town Hall features a discussion of two critical occupational health themes: (1) Guidance and Regulatory Relief regarding mandated and elective occupational fitness for duty exams (DOT, Medical Surveillance, Drug Testing, Preplacement etc) and (2) Maintaining Injury Care and Rehabilitation during the pandemic. Based on participant interest, other themes may emerge. The town hall format will feature Ron Blum, Alan Rodgers, and Yusef Sayeed as panelists, who will provide brief comments on the themes. 

Meeting recording. https://dartmouth.zoom.us/rec/share/w5ZEFfbV2WNJGLfNuE6OfLEuIK26eaa81HMbqPJenRmg6sYRWKvwwOWuZKgqPumg

April 10 – not recorded