Topic Overview:

This comprehensive, full-day workshop is ideal for both occupational health professionals who are new to the healthcare setting and those seeking to enhance or refresh their knowledge of essential concepts and practices. Developed and presented by a team of seasoned experts, the course provides a solid foundation in occupational health, as well as updates on current practices, regulations, and emerging trends. The content is based on the 17^th Edition of Essential Resources for Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare - formerly titled Getting Started: Occupational Health in the Healthcare Setting. Created and regularly updated by AOHP, this resource reflects today's best practices and the evolving realities of occupational health in healthcare environments. Participants will engage in interactive discussions, gain practical tools, and explore valuable resources to apply across a range of occupational health roles and responsibilities. All participants will receive a copy of the Essential Resources for Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare flash drive as part of their registration.

Objectives:

1. Describe the role of the occupational health professional within the structure of a healthcare organization.
2. Identify key federal, state, and local regulatory requirements related to job placement, physical hazards, and biological and chemical exposures.
3. Review current infection prevention and control practices specific to the healthcare setting.
4. Develop strategies to educate healthcare staff on infection prevention, safety, and health promotion.
5. Discuss medical/legal confidentiality considerations relevant to occupational health practice.
6. Examine injury and illness prevention programs, OSHA standards, and record keeping requirements.
7. Review FMLA regulations and understand the implementation process within healthcare organizations.

Speaker Bios:

Denise Knoblauch is the Occupational Health Nurse for Athletico/Pivot at Corteva Agriscience in El Paso, IL. She has 35 years of experience in occupational/employee health. She began her career as the lone employee health nurse in a small rural hospital and transitioned to many roles in a variety of clinic settings. She has experience as a clinician, coordinator, manager, case manager, and executive director in occupational health. She developed the case manager models in occupational health at a medical center clinic. An active AOHP member on the local and national levels, Denise has filled many leadership roles on the Executive Board. She currently is President of the Upper Midwest Chapter and a member of the Continuing Education Committee and National Conference Committee. She is the current AOHP Website Coordinator. She has presented many occupational health topics nationally, regionally, and locally. She is a Board Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist and Case Manager from the American Board for Occupational Health Nurses (ABOHN). She is a core team member who participated in revising the 2025 Essential Resources for Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare.

Jill Peralta-Cuellar, Director of Employee Health Services at Salinas Valley Health, has transformed the program through improvements in ergonomics, onboarding, compliance requirements, workers' compensation, and bloodborne pathogen protocols. Inspired by a personal loss early in life, she is deeply committed to workplace safety, leading initiatives that have reduced injuries and saved millions in workers' compensation costs. She also advanced ergonomic standards that lowered equipment-related expenses. Jill serves as President of the AOHP Northern Chapter and partners with Monterey County Health Department to support preventive care for underserved populations. With 32 years in nursing, including 22 in occupational health, she is known for fostering collaboration between leadership and labor to drive safe, practical solutions.

Mary Giovannetti is the Director and Nurse Practitioner for Employee Health, Wellness, and Prompt Care at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, where she has proudly served for over 20 years. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1994 and her Master of Science in Nursing in 1998 from Marshall University, followed by a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in 2017 from the University of South Carolina - despite being a devoted Clemson fan. Mary brings 28 years of experience as a Nurse Practitioner, including 20 years in Employee Health and 8 years in Family Practice. In addition to her clinical leadership, she has previously served as an adjunct nursing instructor at Limestone University, contributing to the education of future nursing professionals. She currently serves as Executive President of the Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare (AOHP), reflecting her commitment to advancing occupational and employee health at both the organizational and national levels. Outside of her professional roles, Mary is married to a former attorney who now serves as an Executive Pastor. She is the proud mother of four children - three currently in college and one recent graduate - with academic ties to Converse University, Clemson University, Coastal Carolina University, and Indiana University. She is also the enthusiastic owner of four dogs and happily notes that her nest will not be empty this summer, as three of her daughters will be moving back home for a year - a transition she is truly looking forward to.

Stacy Smirl is a Registered Nurse with a Master of Science in Management and certifications as an Occupational Health Nurse Specialist and Ergonomic Assessment Specialist. Over the course of her career, she has held a variety of nursing roles, transitioning to a focused career in employee and occupational health in December 2008. Since June 2021, Stacy has served as the Director of Occupational Health and Wellness for Saint Luke's, the West Region of BJC Health in Kansas City, MO, where she oversees employee health services and workers' compensation. She has been an active member of AOHP since 2009. Throughout her membership, she has served in several Chapter-level and Executive Board leadership roles. After serving two terms as Executive President, she has transitioned to the role of President Emeritus on the AOHP Executive Board.

Elizabeth Bennett is an Employee Health Manager at WVU Medicine Camden Clark and Executive Vice President of AOHP. With more than a decade of experience in occupational health nursing, she has led organizational responses to major public health events, including COVID-19, and is recognized for advancing workforce safety, efficiency, and professional leadership. Elizabeth is a Board Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified, and will complete her Master of Science in Nursing - Nurse Practitioner in May 2027 with plans to enhance her organization's access to on-site medical care.

Topic Overview:

Workplace incivility, bullying, and violence can occur at any level of an organization. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices found that 40% of clinicians have kept quiet or remained passive during patient care events rather than questioning a known intimidator. Bullying behavior and violence can only thrive within a workplace culture that tolerates it. Organizations that prioritize respectful, service oriented, and safe workplace practices take the issue of disruptive and inappropriate behavior seriously. These organizations emphasize that employees and healthcare consumers at all levels have an inherent right to both physical and emotional safety at all times and in all interactions within the organization.

This session will review in detail The Joint Commission (TJC) workplace violence prevention requirements related to environment of care, human resources, and leadership, and will highlight the potential negative outcomes disruptive behaviors have in the healthcare arena among patients, visitors, and staff. Participants will learn how legal issues and OSHA play a role in TJC's attempt to mitigate disruptive behaviors in the hospital environment by requiring organizations to develop a code of conduct that defines disruptive behavior and a process to address such behavior.

Objectives:

1. Understand how legal determinations from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission addressing “hostile work environment” play a role in TJC's attempt to mitigate disruptive behaviors.
2. Review TJC's revised workplace violence prevention requirements, effective July 1, 2024.
3. List the 10 elements of performance from TJC's standard for disruptive behavior.
4. Explain negative impacts of undesirable behavior on healthcare, such as increased medical errors, adverse outcomes, and staff turnover.
5. Initiate strategies to address disruptive behavior at any level of the workplace, from patients and visitors to medical staff.

Speaker Bio:

Jennifer Luer joined SSM Health in 2007 when she decided to change careers and follow the calling to become a nurse. She has over 9 years of experience in process improvement, event investigation, and analysis. She transitioned to System Director of Employee Safety in June 2021. Since the formation of Employee Safety, SSM Health has seen a 60% reduction in Employee OSHA DART injuries. Jennifer helped form teams that assisted with the system rollout of the AVADE workplace violence prevention training, simplified single icon workplace violence event reporting, proactive risk of violence Epic workflow, Care for Caregivers program, and standardization of tools and resources for a holistic approach to caregiver safety. Their focuses include safe patient handling, slips/trips/falls, strains/sprains, needlesticks/sharps reduction, trauma-informed care, and workplace violence prevention. Previously, she oversaw the Regulatory, Infection Prevention, Risk, and Patient Safety team in Southern Illinois. She helped lead work to design Care for the Caregivers in Southern Illinois, including the education of the second victim phenomenon for all team members.

Topic Overview:

Obesity is a complex, chronic, and relapsing condition that affects more than 42% of U.S. adults and contributes to over 236 related health conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, and sleep apnea. Within occupational health settings, clinicians are uniquely positioned to identify, counsel, and support employees who struggle with overweight and obesity - conditions that directly influence workplace productivity, safety, and overall well-being. Yet, despite its prevalence, obesity remains under-addressed in many workplace health programs. This presentation equips occupational and environmental health clinicians with practical tools to manage obesity as a chronic disease. Grounded in evidence-based practice, the session reviews the Obesity Medicine Association's four pillars of care - nutrition, physical activity, behavioral therapy, and pharmacologic/surgical interventions - and demonstrates how to apply them within occupational health and employee wellness settings.

A key focus of this session is Motivational Interviewing (MI) - a collaborative, patient-centered communication style that enhances intrinsic motivation for behavior change. Through an interactive case study of a middle-aged employee with obesity and comorbidities, participants will practice MI-driven dialogue to evaluate readiness for change, select evidence-based treatment options, and determine appropriate referrals to obesity medicine specialists or bariatric surgery programs. The presentation also explores social and structural determinants of health - including food insecurity, “food deserts,” and barriers to physical activity - that impact obesity management in diverse workforce populations. Finally, attendees will gain strategies to reduce weight stigma and bias in occupational health encounters, reinforcing a culture of empathy, inclusivity, and evidence-based care.

Objectives:

1. Identify at least three behavioral, biological, and environmental determinants contributing to obesity among working adults.
2. Demonstrate Motivational Interviewing (MI) strategies to enhance employee readiness and commitment to obesity treatment and lifestyle change.
3. Integrate evidence-based obesity care - including nutrition, physical activity, pharmacotherapy, and specialty referral - into occupational health and wellness programs.

Speaker Bio:

Kathleen Golden brings over three decades of experience as a nurse practitioner, educator, and national leader in occupational and environmental health. A fellow of both the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), she has served in executive, academic, clinical, and consulting roles supporting on-site occupational health RNs in advancing workforce health programs. Kathleen is an Assistant Professor at Samuel Merritt University, where she teaches master's and doctoral nursing students and maintains a clinical faculty practice caring for adults and adolescents - many of whom are employed in diverse work settings. She currently serves as a Trustee of the AAOHN Foundation and has been on the editorial review panel for AAOHN's Workplace Health & Safety journal for more than 20 years. Her current work emphasizes health promotion, obesity management, and motivational interviewing strategies to help patients and clinicians address chronic disease prevention within occupational and primary care contexts.

Topic Overview:

Workplace injuries are often attributed to a variety of causes. When these reports come to light, many organizations will respond with corrective actions with the intent of hoping that the incident will not reoccur. Unfortunately, in the experience of the presenter, these incidents do reoccur, even after the organization applies significant energy to prevent. This presentation presents the concept of human factors into the improvement work. By identifying the human factors, combined with system and process issues, the improvement activity might have a higher probably of success (i.e., non-recurrence). A case study will be used to introduce the concept, and an Ishikawa “fishbone” (cause-and-effect) diagram will be applied.

Objectives:

1. Describe one difference between system/process factors and human/team factors.
2. Identify two factors that contributed to a workplace injury scenario.
3. Apply a fishbone diagram to help with identifying either a root cause and/or a contributing factor to workplace injury.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Steven Chinn is an experienced healthcare executive with over 35 years of senior clinical and executive management experience. He has served as a consultant to NASA, the Defense Health Agency, and the Indian Health Service, and has advised hospitals, community health centers, ambulatory surgery centers, and integrated delivery care settings in the United States and internationally. A former senior quality executive in Veterans Health Administration, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Stanford Health Care, and Ardent health systems, he was also a Joint Commission surveyor and a health plan evaluator for the California Department of Corporation. He served as Accreditation and Regulatory Officer, and Director of Occupational Health Services, at Stanford Health Care, and was clinical faculty at Stanford School of Medicine and UCSF Medicine, as well as Dean for Clinical Affairs, California College of Podiatric Medicine. Steven received his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery and Master of Podiatric Surgical Education from Samuel Merritt University/California College of Podiatric Medicine. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ), a Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS), and a Certified Joint Commission Professional (CJCP). 

Topic Overview:

Employee Health (EH) professionals manage extensive data on exposures, immunizations, injuries, return-to-work outcomes, and regulatory compliance. Despite this, the financial and operational value of EH programs often remains invisible to executive leadership.

When EH data is presented primarily as compliance reporting rather than as decision-oriented insight, its influence is limited. Executives ask different questions: What is the risk? What is the financial exposure? What happens if nothing changes? Research shows that contextualized data and narrative framing improve understanding, recall, and decision quality among non-clinical leaders. In complex healthcare systems, the ability to translate technical metrics into strategic impact is essential for securing alignment, investment, and staffing support.

This session explores practical approaches to transforming common EH metrics into leadership-ready stories. Attendees will learn how to: identify which data points matter most to executives; reorganize EH metrics around risk, cost avoidance, and operational continuity; and frame reports around the leadership questions driving investment decisions. Through real-world examples, participants will see how EH data can be modeled to answer four executive questions:

1. What is the risk?

2. Why does it matter now?

3. What are the consequences of inaction?

4. What resources are required?

Participants will leave with practical frameworks they can immediately apply to elevate the strategic impact of their EH programs.

Objectives:

1. Reframe Employee Health (EH) metrics from compliance-focused reports into decision-oriented insights that clearly communicate workforce risk, financial impact, and operational consequences to executive leaders.
2. Apply data storytelling techniques to organize and present EH data in a way that aligns with executive priorities, such as cost avoidance, workforce capacity, regulatory risk, and patient safety.
3. Use technology-enabled data organization and visualization strategies to more efficiently synthesize EH information and develop leadership-ready narratives that support executive alignment and resource investment.

Speaker Bios:

Kathy Maltchev is a recipient of the Dean's Scholastic Award and Certificate of Recognition for Excellence in Environmental Health Sciences from Tulane University. She has spoken at multiple national conferences and has authored peer-reviewed journal articles and textbook chapters related to safety-wellbeing integration and fitness for duty. Over the last 20 years, Kathy has coordinated global wellness initiatives, developed and deployed comprehensive safety programs, and managed an occupational health clinic at the largest U.S.-based single site employer during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a passion around use of integrated data to maximize worker safety and health, she now assists organizations looking to increase efficiency and inter-departmental coordination through use of technology.

Julianna Gemme is a Product Marketing Manager supporting Cority's health solutions. Julianna has focused her career in the healthcare industry. She has experience working with innovative health tech software companies to improve the health and safety of both healthcare providers and patients.

Topic Overview:

Healthcare facilities are potentially dangerous work environments, and while proper training, engineering controls, and administrative precautions can help to effectively manage risk, employee accidents can and do happen. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that private industry employers reported 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2024. Accidents are inevitable in today's healthcare workplace - even with the best loss control program employees still become hurried or distracted. Employee accidents, while unfortunate, present an opportunity to improve the performance of a healthcare facility's safety program. Properly conducted accident investigations provide solutions to many workplace hazards. Many occupational health professionals (OHPs) are now being asked to assist in the investigation and evaluation of employee accidents; however, most have never received the specialty training to formally and effectively complete this task. By utilizing an effective six-step process for effective employee accident investigation, OHPs will be able to identify root causes, prescribe appropriate corrective measures, and implement performance metrics to ensure a safer workplace. Investigation strategy, witness questioning, evidence gathering, and effective legal documentation will be discussed.

Objectives:

1. Learn a time-tested six-step methodology to perform accident investigations that prevent future accidents.
2. Gain insight into components of effective investigation strategy, including witness questioning, evidence gathering, and critical and effective legal documentation.
3. Demonstrate how Root Cause Analysis interacts with comprehensive accident investigation to achieve meaningful results and prevent future accidents.

Speaker Bio:

Mike Benedeck, CHSP is the Senior Director of Loss Control for the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA). He has nearly 30 years of experience in healthcare occupational safety, workers' compensation, and risk management. Prior to joining IHA, Mike served for more than 14 years as the Occupational Safety and Workers' Compensation Administrator for a large Chicago-area health system and previously spent over 15 years managing healthcare workers' compensation claims for hospital self-insured programs and a healthcare insurance trust. Mike regularly presents educational programs for healthcare professionals on topics including OSHA compliance, workplace violence prevention, workers' compensation, and healthcare safety. He is known for providing practical, real-world strategies that help hospitals improve employee safety, strengthen regulatory compliance, and reduce organizational risk.

Topic Overview:

Healthcare workers routinely face injuries, occupational exposures, and workplace violence, and are even put in emotionally demanding situations while continuing to care for others. During times of crisis, the impact of these experiences can affect caregivers' well-being, job performance, and long-term career sustainability. Compassionate, system-based organizational responses are essential to supporting caregivers when they need it most. Associate Occupational Health plays a critical role in providing structured support through timely injury intake and investigation, coordination of follow-up and well-being checks, and access to appropriate resources. Transitional and modified duty options support recovery and acknowledge that some injuries may result in temporary or permanent changes to professional responsibilities. Addressing occupational exposures - both bloodborne and communicable - through standardized operations, clear communication, and access to post-exposure resources helps reduce anxiety and promote psychological safety. Creating an environment where caregivers feel safe to speak up is equally important. Supportive conversations, privacy-centered interventions, and associate relations processes foster trust following injury, exposure, or workplace violence. Connecting caregivers to organizational and community resources, especially during periods of vulnerability, reinforces a culture where caregivers feel seen, valued, and supported. When compassion is embedded into organizational systems and daily practice, workforce resilience is strengthened, recovery is supported, and patient-centered care is enhanced.

Objectives:

1. Offer compassionate, system-based organizational response to caregiver injuries, focusing on intake, investigation, follow-up, and transitional duty support.
2. Provide preventive strategies and appropriate post-exposure actions for common occupational exposures.
3. Promote psychological safety following injury, exposure, or workplace violence.
4. Enhance understanding of available organizational and community resources to support caregivers during vulnerable periods.

Speaker Bios:

With more than 25 years of nursing experience, Michele Hart has dedicated her career to caring for both patients and the caregivers who support them. She began her nursing career with Ascension in 1999 and continues to serve the organization today. Her clinical background includes critical care nursing in adult intensive care and cardiac care units, followed by nursing leadership as a nurse manager in the medical-surgical division. In 2012, Michele transitioned into Associate Health, where her focus shifted to caring for caregivers and managing associate injuries. She became Nurse Manager of Associate Health in 2014, overseeing services for the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. markets. Associate Occupational Health expanded to a national platform in 2018, and her role evolved to Director. Today, she continues to support both Baltimore and D.C. hospitals, as well as Ascension Senior Living communities, partnering collaboratively with key stakeholders to advance associate well-being through compassionate, system-based solutions.

Sarah Theobald has dedicated over a decade to caring for both patients and the healthcare professionals who serve them. She began her career at St. Vincent in the Medical ICU, first as a Patient Care Technician and later as a Registered Nurse, gaining firsthand experience of the physical and emotional demands placed on caregivers. In 2019, Sarah transitioned to Associate Health, where she continued supporting healthcare workers in a new capacity. She advanced into a management role in 2022 and grew into the Director role in 2024. Throughout her career, she has remained deeply passionate about caring for the caregiver, advocating for compassion, resilience, and meaningful support for those who dedicate their lives to caring for others.

Topic Overview:

The Total Worker Health® (TWH) approach emphasizes not only the protection of workers from occupational hazards but also the promotion of overall health and well-being to prevent injury and illness. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 2.5 million nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses occurred in 2024, and 5,283 workers died from work-related conditions in 2023. These data highlight the continued need for comprehensive strategies that address worker safety, health, and well-being. In response, employers are increasingly adopting a TWH framework by expanding education, prevention, and care initiatives both within and beyond the workplace. This holistic approach recognizes that factors outside of the work environment - such as community resources, compensation, and environmental conditions - play a significant role in employee health outcomes. Workplaces are acknowledging that employee health extends beyond traditional occupational exposures. This presentation will introduce the core principles of TWH and discuss practical, evidence-informed educational strategies to support the implementation and advancement of TWH programs within occupational health settings.

Objectives:

1. Describe the core principles of the Total Worker Health® (TWH) approach and how it integrates occupational safety, health protection, and health promotion.
2. Identify key workplace and non-workplace factors - including organizational policies, community resources, and environmental conditions - that influence employee health and well-being within a TWH framework.
3. Apply evidence-informed educational strategies to support the implementation and advancement of TWH programs in occupational health settings.

Speaker Bios:

Kim Olszewski is an ANCC Board Certified Adult Nurse Practitioner and is a Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist and Case Manager from the American Board of Occupational Health Nurses. In 2007, she received her Fellowship distinction from the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN), American Association of Nurse Practitioners in 2023, and Fellowship (FAAN) from the American Academy of Nursing in 2020. Kim is Past President of AAOHN, and is also Past President of the Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses and the Pennsylvania Association of Occupational Health Nurses. She has presented at the local, state, regional, and national levels of the association over the past 20 years on various topics, including DOT certification, marketing OHNs, fatigue management, Healthy People 2020, social media integration, and diagnostic updates. She is Director of Client and Medical Provider Services at DISA Global Solutions Inc. and is Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences at Luzerne County Community College.

Dr. Sheila Quinn is an Advanced Nurse Clinician at Virtua Health and has over 35 years of experience in public, community, home, occupational, and school health. She has published numerous articles and has presented to international, national, and regional audiences on public health and education topics such as chronic disease, e-cigarettes and vaping, screening programs, nurse managers' communication practices, and political advocacy in undergraduate students. Sheila is a member of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, American Public Health Association, American Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau International, and others.

Topic Overview:

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, streamlining the pre-employment medical clearance process at Baptist Health Wake Forest (now part of Advocate Health) required a major reset. The Enterprise Teammate Health and Safety team needed to reduce the overall time to hire, optimize staff skill mix and resources, and create a more interactive and welcoming process for new employees. This presentation will share a few of the areas in which changes were made, specifically drug screens, color vision testing, and OSHA questionnaires, followed by results of reductions in office visit time and overall clearance time.

Objectives:

1. Identify key areas in the pre-hire process such as immunization registry integration, color vision testing, and drug screen randomization, where automation can streamline the experience.
2. Create a more interactive and welcoming process for new employees.
3. Reduce the overall time to hire by increasing nursing capacity staffing ratios and redefining pre-hire requirements versus post-offer compliance.

Speaker Bios:

Sarah Gehring is a Product Specialist II supporting an Occupational Health EHR, working across teams to enhance product performance, support users, and translate real-world clinical needs into technical solutions. She previously served as a Senior Application Analyst and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, gaining a unique end-to-end prespective of how EMR systems impact care delivery. She has 9 years' experience in the healthcare field, with experience in both the clinic and in information technology and services. Sarah earned an Associate's, Medical/Clinical Assistant, from Medtech College-Fort Wayne, IN.

Topic Overview:

Obesity remains one of the most significant drivers of employer healthcare spending, absenteeism, presenteeism, disability claims, and chronic disease burden. Traditional wellness programs have yielded modest results, often failing to address obesity as a chronic, biologically driven disease. Recent advancements in GLP-1 receptor agonist therapies have shifted the landscape of obesity treatment. Clinical trials demonstrate significant weight reduction, improved glycemic control, and reduction in cardiometabolic risk markers. As these therapies become more widely adopted, employers face critical questions regarding access, cost management, workforce equity, and long-term sustainability. This session provides occupational health professionals with a comprehensive, evidence-based overview of:

• The true financial burden of obesity within employer-sponsored populations.

• The clinical science behind GLP-1 medications.

• Risk mitigation strategies and coverage considerations.

• Implementation models that avoid commercial bias.

• Metrics to evaluate outcomes beyond pharmacy spend.

Attendees will explore case-based workforce scenarios and review measurable outcomes such as productivity gains, reduction in obesity-related comorbidities, and healthcare cost stabilization. Special focus will be placed on benefit design considerations, ethical concerns, and strategies to ensure equitable access. Participants will leave with a practical framework to assess whether and how GLP-1 therapies fit within their organization's occupational health and benefits strategy.

Objectives:

1. Analyze the economic and productivity impact of obesity on workforce populations.
2. Evaluate current evidence supporting GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight management and metabolic improvement.
3. Identify key employer implementation strategies for incorporating medical obesity treatment into benefit design.
4. Develop a framework to measure ROI, workforce engagement, and long-term sustainability of obesity interventions.

Speaker Bios:

Rich Medford is an entrepreneur and healthcare executive specializing in workforce health strategy, obesity medicine access models, and employer-sponsored health solutions. With over six years of operational experience in clinical weight management services and telehealth delivery systems, he has worked extensively with employer groups, benefit advisors, and occupational health leaders to improve access to evidence-based obesity treatment. Rich's focus centers on sustainable implementation strategies, measurable ROI, and workforce productivity outcomes while maintaining regulatory compliance and educational neutrality.

Joseph Adato is a high-impact healthcare growth and operations leader with over 26 years of experience managing large-scale operations. He is recognized for his ability to empower employees across all organizational levels and drive strategic initiatives that enhance both operational efficiency and sustainability. Since 2007, he has served as President and CEO of Heaven Sent by Home Town Health Care, a Medicare/ Medicaid-certified agency. During his tenure, he has spearheaded initiatives resulting in a gross revenue increase of over 500%; established critical partnerships and negotiated contracts with multiple payer sources to consistently exceed growth goals; created cross-functional teams spanning finance, HR, and clinical departments to streamline processes and adhere to a unified strategic vision; and led the transition to mobile point-of-care management systems, which reduced errors, refined workflows, and improved employee work-life balance. Joseph is passionate about patient-centered care and community engagement, developing programs alongside payers to ensure clinical excellence and inclusivity. By leveraging key performance indicators to translate strategic goals into actionable plans, he ensures that leadership teams remain aligned with the organization's mission of collective success. Joseph's background also includes significant experience in regional management and business development, where he consistently exceeded corporate expectations by over 150% and managed multi-state retail operations.

Topic Overview:

From deciphering the nuances of whether an injury is recordable, to maintaining mandated logs, to reporting fatalities and severe injuries, the opportunities for recordkeeping missteps are numerous. With OSHA's electronic recordkeeping rule fully in effect, the stakes are now higher than ever - especially with willful or repeat violations potentially costing healthcare facilities $165,514 per violation! This presentation will cover the January 13, 2025 OSHA Part 1904 Recordkeeping Policies and Procedures directive (CPL 02-00-172), updated to reflect modern practices and regulatory requirements. This directive replaces the previous version from December 2004 (CPL 02-00-135) and aims to improve clarity and consistency in the reporting of workplace incidents. Attendees will be able to validate OSHA recordkeeping requirement adherence in their facility and to review major changes to the recordkeeping standard that require certain employers to submit OSHA 300 injury and illness recordkeeping data electronically. Learn which injuries and illnesses must be recorded, review how to properly complete and submit OSHA 300, 300A, and 301 forms, and understand conflicts with post-accident drug testing. Are you ready, and are you sure you are doing it right?

Objectives:

1. Determine when an injury or illness is considered work-related, and which work-related injuries and illnesses should be recorded on the OSHA 300 log.
2. Review OSHA's updated directive on recordkeeping (CPL 02-00-172), which emphasizes modernized guidance for documenting workplace injuries and illnesses (effective January 13, 2025).
3. Learn how to review past OSHA 300 logs to remove inappropriate entries, thereby reducing facility DART rate liability.
4. Learn how to minimize recordables by educating healthcare providers as to the difference between first aid and medical treatment.
5. Understand updated electronic reporting requirements.

Speaker Bio:

Mike Benedeck, CHSP is the Senior Director of Loss Control for the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA). He has nearly 30 years of experience in healthcare occupational safety, workers' compensation, and risk management. Prior to joining IHA, Mike served for more than 14 years as the Occupational Safety and Workers' Compensation Administrator for a large Chicago-area health system and previously spent over 15 years managing healthcare workers' compensation claims for hospital self-insured programs and a healthcare insurance trust. Mike regularly presents educational programs for healthcare professionals on topics including OSHA compliance, workplace violence prevention, workers' compensation, and healthcare safety. He is known for providing practical, real-world strategies that help hospitals improve employee safety, strengthen regulatory compliance, and reduce organizational risk.

Topic Overview:

The presentation will provide background data on the problem of worker non-compliance with appointment follow-up, the costs of occupational health injuries, and how non-compliance affects workers and their employers. Attendees will learn patient-reported causes for workers' compensation follow-up non-compliance and evidence-based strategies for increasing follow-up compliance in injured workers. There will be discussion of an intervention using telemedicine to increase follow-up compliance, as well as decrease the duration of work injury cases. This will be accomplished by including evidence from previous studies using telemedicine to increase follow-up appointment compliance, as well as presenting the findings of an intervention implemented by the presenter in her own occupational health setting.

Objectives:

1. Identify barriers to promotion of early return to work.
2. Identify strategies to increase follow-up compliance among employees injured at work.
3. Describe how the use of technology can decrease case duration.

Speaker Bio:

Whitney Winston-Parker has worked as a nurse practitioner in occupational health for the last six years. Her experience includes providing care for injured workers, performing DOT exams, and interpreting medical surveillance data. She currently works as a Health Center Manager with Premise Health, managing clinical operations in three employee health clinics for a large children's healthcare system in Atlanta, GA. Whitney also works part-time as an assistant professor in the DNP program at Augusta University in Augusta, GA. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time and traveling with her husband and young adult daughter, reading, and participating in community service.

Topic Overview:

Technology to capture postures and movements has advanced over the past two decades and has become more affordable and accessible. However, in many instances we are plugging that data into analysis tools that were developed in the 80s and 90s. This presentation will: discuss the misperceptions and limitations of many traditional ergonomic analysis tools; explore a more current and epidemiology-based approach to defining and quantifying ergonomic risk factors and the development of musculoskeletal injuries; and examine essential components of the next generation of ergonomic analysis tools and how they can be applied to advancing technology.

Objectives:

1. Understand limitations of many traditional ergonomic risk analysis tools.
2. Understand how the technology to gather risk has changed, but many of the ways to quantify risk are lagging.
3. Define essential components of the next generation of ergonomic analysis tools.

Speaker Bio:

Mark Heidebrecht is CEO of ErgoMethods and managing partner of Ergonomics International. He earned a master's degree from the University of Kansas and received honors for his research in Occupational Biomechanics and Physiology. He has provided forensic and expert witness services in the areas of biomechanics, human factors, ergonomics, and work physiology, testifying in over 90 state and federal court cases, including at the Federal OSHA hearing regarding the National Ergonomic Standard. A presenter and contributor to the 2001 National Academy of Science publication Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Workplace, he sits on the SAE International Standards AS 6228A Committee, Safety Requirements for Procurement, Maintenance and Use of Hand-Held Powered Tools. Mark is a Certified Human Factors Professional by the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics (BCPE) and holds an additional certification by the American College of Sports Medicine. He has developed numerous ergonomic analysis software and motion analysis equipment, and currently holds a U.S. patent for his epidemiology-based ergonomic risk and physical demand analysis software programs, with an additional patent pending. Since 1998, he has developed and instructed a preparatory course for professionals pursuing certification by the BCPE. Mark has presented throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. He developed and implemented the Ergonomic Risk Reduction Process for the Customer Service Division of the United States Postal Service, and specializes in manufacturing, steel fabrication, and food, specifically meat processing.

Topic Overview:

Regulatory compliance is a core responsibility of occupational health professionals, yet translating OSHA standards into consistent, everyday practice remains a persistent challenge. Competing priorities, evolving regulations, and variable organizational cultures contribute to compliance gaps that place both employees and employers at risk. Addressing these challenges requires a structured approach that extends beyond policy awareness to sustainable implementation within daily occupational health operations.

This session examines the foundational elements of regulatory compliance, with emphasis on OSHA standards most frequently encountered in occupational health practice, including medical surveillance, respiratory protection, hearing conservation, bloodborne pathogens, and documentation requirements. The role of occupational health professionals in regulatory oversight, interprofessional collaboration, and accountability for compliance is emphasized, highlighting the distinction between regulatory requirements and organizational policy. Organizational culture is examined as a key determinant of compliance outcomes, with emphasis on leadership engagement, communication practices, employee trust, and safety climate in sustaining regulatory adherence. Tools for assessing safety culture and identifying compliance risk are discussed, supporting a shift from reactive, inspection-driven responses to proactive regulatory readiness.

Applied case studies drawn from occupational health practice illustrate common compliance failures, contributing system and cultural factors, and the regulatory and operational consequences of noncompliance. Analysis of corrective actions and sustainability strategies demonstrates how foundational compliance principles, when integrated with a culture of safety, can strengthen regulatory adherence, reduce risk, and support healthier workplaces. This interactive session equips occupational health professionals with practical tools and transferable lessons to support regulatory readiness while fostering safer, healthier workplaces.

Objectives:

1. Identify foundational OSHA regulatory requirements commonly managed within occupational health programs, including surveillance, medical monitoring, and documentation responsibilities.
2. Analyze how organizational culture, leadership behaviors, and frontline practices influence sustained regulatory compliance and workplace safety outcomes.
3. Apply practical strategies and lessons learned from occupational health case studies to strengthen compliance processes and foster a culture of safety within individual organizations.

Speaker Bios:

Dr. Sheila Quinn is an Advanced Nurse Clinician at Virtua Health and has over 35 years of experience in public, community, home, occupational, and school health. She has published numerous articles and has presented to international, national, and regional audiences on public health and education topics such as chronic disease, e-cigarettes and vaping, screening programs, nurse managers' communication practices, and political advocacy in undergraduate students. She is a member of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, American Public Health Association, American Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau International, and others.

Kim Olszewski is an ANCC Board Certified Adult Nurse Practitioner and is a Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist and Case Manager from the American Board of Occupational Health Nurses. In 2007, she received her Fellowship distinction from the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN), American Association of Nurse Practitioners in 2023, and Fellowship (FAAN) from the American Academy of Nursing in 2020. Kim is Past President of AAOHN, and is also Past President of the Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses and the Pennsylvania Association of Occupational Health Nurses. She has presented at the local, state, regional, and national levels of the association over the past 20 years on various topics, including DOT certification, marketing OHNs, fatigue management, Healthy People 2020, social media integration, and diagnostic updates. She is Director of Client and Medical Provider Services at DISA Global Solutions Inc. and is Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences at Luzerne County Community College.

Topic Overview:

This presentation will provide a comprehensive roadmap for transforming Associate Occupational Health Services into a modern, scalable, and strategically aligned function. Grounded in a clear purpose and supported by a process-driven, data-informed operational model, the transformation focuses on elevating the role of Associate Occupational Health within the organization and strengthening its impact on workforce well-being. The journey begins with establishing strong executive leadership buy-in, ensuring Associate Occupational Health Services has a strategic voice and the support needed to drive meaningful change. It then explores the implementation of an Associate Occupational Health-specific Electronic Health Record, a critical enabler for operational efficiency, data accuracy, and informed decision-making. The presentation also highlights the importance of structured feedback through customer experience surveys, the integration of market best practices, and the creation of affinity groups that foster collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.

Across these initiatives, the transformation is anchored in three expected outcomes: building a scalable, data-informed Associate Occupational Health Services model aligned with organizational goals; strengthening organizational integration through executive sponsorship, modern technology, and structured feedback systems; and fostering a culture of continuous improvement through best-practice sharing and collaborative affinity groups. Together, these efforts position Associate Occupational Health Services to deliver improved efficiency, stronger compliance, enhanced employee satisfaction, and a more resilient, future-ready organization.

Objectives:

1. Build a scalable, data-informed Associate Occupational Health Services model aligned with organizational goals.
2. Strengthen organizational integration through executive sponsorship, modern technology (EHR), and structured feedback systems.
3. Foster a culture of continuous improvement through best-practice sharing, affinity groups, and ongoing evaluation.

Speaker Bios:

Leah Ashbaugh is a Registered Nurse with 25 years of diverse nursing experience. She currently serves as the Director of Associate Occupational Health for Ascension Healthcare, where she oversees the health and safety of associates across the Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas markets. Leah's extensive nursing background includes specialties such as total joint replacements, ortho-neuro trauma, clinical education, acute care clinical operations, and associate occupational health. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Langston University and her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Oklahoma. Her dedication to healthcare and her compassionate approach to associate well-being have driven her to enhance safety through a multidisciplinary approach.

Carrie Freeland is a Registered Nurse with 29 years of nursing experience across a wide range of healthcare settings. She currently serves as the Director of Associate Occupational Health for Ascension Healthcare, where she oversees the health, safety, and well-being of associates across the Tennessee market. Her clinical background includes acute care clinical and infusion service operations, maternal-child health, emergency department, MSN student project mentor, and associate occupational health. Carrie earned her Associate of Science in Nursing (ADN) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Gardner-Webb University and her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Chamberlain University. Her longstanding dedication to healthcare and compassionate approach to associate well-being have driven her commitment to advancing safety and health outcomes through a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach.

Topic Overview:

Healthcare professionals work in high-pressure environments where exposure to stress, adverse events, and emotional challenges can lead to burnout, moral distress, and decreased engagement. These issues not only affect clinician well-being but also compromise patient safety and organizational performance. This presentation will explore the critical importance of compassion-driven initiatives - specifically, creation of a Colleague Support Team (CST) - as a structured, evidence-based approach to fostering resilience and psychological safety within healthcare systems through peer-to-peer support. The presentation will review the importance of CSTs in mitigating burnout and promoting a culture of compassion and trust, highlighting the impact of workplace stressors and the evidence supporting peer-to-peer support as an effective intervention. Drawing on research and best practices, it will outline a step-by-step process for creating a CST, including securing leadership buy-in, training peer supporters, implementing confidentiality protocols, and integrating CSTs into existing wellness frameworks.

Attendees will learn how CSTs provide confidential, judgment-free spaces for clinicians to process difficult experiences, reduce stigma around seeking help, and promote a culture of empathy and trust. Practical strategies for communication, sustainability, and measuring impact will be discussed. The session will also feature a case study from one hospital's experience, sharing practical insights, challenges encountered, and solutions implemented during CST development. Real-world outcomes such as utilization rates, staff feedback, and organizational benefits will be shared. By equipping healthcare leaders and well-being champions with actionable insights, this session empowers organizations to create supportive environments where clinicians thrive - ultimately improving both staff experiences and patient outcomes.

Objectives:

1. Explain the rationale for implementing Colleague Support Teams (CSTs) and their role in mitigating burnout and fostering psychological safety in healthcare settings.
2. Outline key steps in creating and sustaining a CST, including leadership engagement, peer support training, and integration with existing well-being resources.
3. Identify measurable outcomes and success indicators to evaluate the impact of CSTs on clinician well-being, organizational culture, and patient care quality.

Speaker Bios:

In Dr. Kalsang Tshering's role as Chief Clinician Wellbeing Officer (CWO), she collaborates with leadership and stakeholders to identify and advise on actionable strategies in the advancement of workforce well-being. In her current role, this has included the creation of a system-wide resource offering trained peer support, and formalization of a Servant Leadership and Coaching Program to equip supervisors and managers with the tools and skills to support and motivate their teams. With over 20 years of clinical experience, she is a licensed psychologist with a history of providing assessment, treatment, and leadership across community, clinical, and forensic settings. Kalsang published work on the well-being of the healthcare workforce while Director of Psychology and Clinical Training at North Central Bronx Hospital and has previously served as Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. A member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Psychology and Mental Health Care, and an Ad Hoc Reviewer for Telemedicine and e-Health, she earned her Master of Arts in Psychology from NYU, and her MSEd and Doctorate in Psychology from Pace University.

Dr. Adebisi Adeyeye is currently the Infection Control and Wound Care Manager with oversight for Occupational Health at VA NYHHS. She is the current VISN 2 Infection Control Lead, providing support and guidance relating to all aspects of Infection Control issues. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from New York Medical College, New York, and Doctor of Health Administration from the University of Phoenix. She is certified in Infection Control and earned the Fellow of Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) designation. Adebisi has worked in several healthcare organizations both in the United States and internationally in many capacities as a Nurse Leader and an Infection Control Leader. She is widely published in Infection Control literature and holds a national membership in APIC. She is also a member of the VHA National Infectious Disease Infection Prevention and Control Field Advisory Board.

Topic Overview:

The record-breaking OSHA fines in the news are eye-popping. For serious, other-than-serious, and posting requirement violations, the maximum penalty has increased from $16,131 to $16,550, and for willful or repeated violations, the maximum penalty has increased from $161,323 to $165,514 per violation. The Occupational Safety and Health Act has been in effect for over 50 years, and no employer is given the benefit of the doubt if an interpretation of the OSHA requirements is questioned. With OSHA's spotlight focusing on aggressive enforcement, it is important to know your rights and obligations before OSHA shows up at your door and to be prepared to face them with aggressive compliance. Healthcare facilities that have grown somewhat lax about employee safety must take the time now to buckle down and evaluate current regulatory compliance policies and practices. Would you be prepared if you opened the door today to find an OSHA Compliance Safety Health Officer (CSHO) ready to inspect your facility? Do you know your legal rights? Failure to plan may constitute an emergency that will put unnecessary stress - both human and financial - on the organization. This comprehensive session will review the top 25 violations written in hospitals and offer helpful tips on ways to minimize exposure to costly OSHA penalties and negative public relations. Helpful and effective defense strategies will be shared for use in the event an inspection results in a formal contest or judicial hearing.

Objectives:

1. Learn how to prepare for an OSHA inspection by validating accuracy of written regulatory plans and comprehensive up-to-date documentation.
2. Review how to conduct the walkaround inspection with a Compliance Safety Health Officer (CSHO), including knowing what to say and more importantly, what NOT to say.
3. Describe the types of violations and penalty structures, as well as penalty factors which can add up to thousands of dollars.
4. Identify effective affirmative defense strategies to possibly avoid the issuance of citations and minimize the financial impact of violations.

Speaker Bio:

Jennifer Luer joined SSM Health in 2007 when she decided to change careers and follow the calling to become a nurse. She has over 9 years of experience in process improvement, event investigation, and analysis. She transitioned to System Director of Employee Safety in June 2021. Since the formation of Employee Safety, SSM Health has seen a 60% reduction in Employee OSHA DART injuries. Jennifer helped form teams that assisted with the system rollout of the AVADE workplace violence prevention training, simplified single icon workplace violence event reporting, proactive risk of violence Epic workflow, Care for Caregivers program, and standardization of tools and resources for a holistic approach to caregiver safety. Their focuses include safe patient handling, slips/trips/falls, strains/sprains, needlesticks/sharps reduction, trauma-informed care, and workplace violence prevention. Previously, she oversaw the Regulatory, Infection Prevention, Risk, and Patient Safety team in Southern Illinois. She helped lead work to design Care for the Caregivers in Southern Illinois, including the education of the second victim phenomenon for all team members.

Topic Overview:

Occupational health services (OHS) underpin workforce protection and operational continuity in healthcare settings. National utilization trends show continued growth in occupational health services, driven by strong demand across core clinical offerings and compliance-related needs. Volume concentrations have been observed in specific U.S. states, while emerging services are expanding rapidly as organizations increase their focus on clinical oversight and infectious disease screening. Understanding where demand is rising - and why - can help occupational health teams match capacity to need while safeguarding clearance speed and quality.

To absorb demand without compromising standards of care, many programs are embedding digital practices into routine operations. Standardized electronic intake forms linked to electronic health records (EHRs) and laboratory information management (LIM) systems, plus automated results routing, reduce manual steps and speed workforce management decisions. When coupled with role-based access, audit trails, data quality checks, and service level dashboards, these practices improve visibility to bottlenecks and support timely determinations while preserving established clinical protocols. Taken together, these trends support aligning staffing models and service portfolios with regional demand, as well as pairing utilization insights with well-governed digital checkpoints to enhance throughput, readiness, and compliance in occupational health programs.

Objectives:

1. Describe current U.S. occupational health services (OHS) utilization trends, and explain relevance to program planning.
2. Identify which services are expanding, stable, or declining, and translate findings into strategic implications for screening program leadership.
3. Explain how digital operational practices can reduce turnaround time and support timely, efficient decision-making.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Mark Villoria earned his PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Florida and maintains his Clinical Laboratory Technologist license in Florida. With over 20 years of experience in clinical and analytical sciences, he focuses on advancing accuracy, reliability, and innovation in technology. Since joining Abbott in 2009, he has led major laboratory operations and progressed into roles that blend scientific expertise with strategic influence. As Senior Manager, Scientific Affairs, he drives assay strategy, supports global product launches, develops scientific content, and partners across functions to deliver evidence-based solutions. His work, including contributions to opioid testing, earned the Abbott's President Award.

Dr. Jolene Mitchell, DO, MOH, MROCC, is the Director of Medical Affairs and Medical Review Officer for Abbott's U.S. Workplace Services business, where she provides clinical leadership and expertise in occupational health, workplace safety, and regulatory compliance. A graduate of the University of Utah's Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, where she served as chief resident, she also holds a Master's degree in Occupational Health and is certified as a Medical Review Officer. Since 2016, Dr. Mitchell has partnered with employers and healthcare networks nationwide, managing occupational health programs across more than 800 clinics and providing MRO services for industries including food production, mining, aerospace manufacturing, and research consulting. An active member of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), she is recognized for delivering trusted clinical leadership, regulatory expertise, and a relationship-centered approach to employee health and well-being.

Topic Overview:

Organizations using a traditional approach to occupational health and safety may have a wellness program, but there is a lack of integration that could best serve the employee population. In this session, learn how the occupational/employee health professional can take a leadership role toward the development of a Total Worker Health® model. This workshop will supply the attendees with an actionable toolkit to get started.

Objectives:

1. Define Total Worker Health® and Employee Population Health Management.
2. Explain how employee health departments can analyze data from OSHA, workers' compensation insurance, and employer-sponsored medical plans to better understand the full impact of total workplace health.
3. Analyze workforce wellness and health promotion programs from the historical perspective and examine emerging program goals for employers.
4. List at least four workplace solutions that promote total workplace health, improve workplace productivity, and minimize medical spend.

Speaker Bio:

Shanna Dunbar leverages 30 years of occupational health experience as the Founder and President of Workplace Health Inc. Her focus, using Total Worker Health® (TWH) strategies, aims at improving employee health and productivity. She is a Registered Nurse, Board Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist, and a newly-appointed Fellow of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN). She is a past President of the Ohio Association of Occupational Health Nurses (OAOHN) and holds a Certificate in Workers' Compensation Administration and Management from the University of California. Her educational preparation at UCLA in Kinesiology brings a particular expertise in ergonomics and job analysis. Shanna is a 2015 graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, cohort 8. She is a member of the Healthy Business Council of Ohio, Northeast Ohio. Her experience includes working with employers championing cost-effective programs to increase employee well-being and productivity, such as mental health, substance abuse prevention, injury and illness prevention, disease and disability management, and workers' compensation risk management. Shanna's TWH approach addresses both injury and chronic disease reduction to improve workforce health more rapidly and effectively. Her commitment to a holistic TWH strategy showcases the potential to advance employee well-being and organizational success.

Topic Overview:

This presentation will provide a comprehensive overview of how a large, multi-site healthcare system develops, implements, and evaluates a systemwide Respiratory Protection Plan to ensure employee safety and maintain high quality patient care during periods of increased respiratory illness. The session will highlight the coordinated efforts required across hospitals, ambulatory centers, and support departments to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate risks associated with respiratory pathogens such as influenza, RSV, and COVID-19.

The presentation will describe how the organization integrates regulatory requirements, occupational health standards, and evidence-based clinical guidance into a scalable respiratory protection framework. This includes the structure of systemwide weekly recommendations, weekly program evaluations, and processes for ongoing improvement. Attendees will learn how surveillance data, community trends, and internal illness tracking tools are used to guide operational decisions, trigger protective measures, and support proactive resource planning.

Key components of the program - supply management, exposure assessments, engineering controls, vaccination initiatives, and communication strategies - will be reviewed. The session will emphasize the importance of collaboration among Employee Health, Infection Prevention, Nursing, Environmental Safety, Supply Chain, clinical leadership, marketing, analytics, and executive teams to ensure consistent implementation across diverse care settings.

Objectives:

1. Review how to apply data-driven methods to guide organizational response during respiratory season.
2. Learn how to ensure frontline teams are equipped with the training, equipment, and information needed to safely care for patients.
3. Understand how to design an effective respiratory protection program.

Speaker Bios:

Mindy Scott has more than 30 years of healthcare experience. She began her career in 1993 as a Certified Nursing Assistant in long-term care, earned her RN in 1998, and received a Master of Nursing in 2019. Throughout her career, Mindy has worked in diverse clinical settings, including medical surgery, surgery, and occupational health. Currently, she serves as the Employee Health Director for Norton Healthcare, demonstrating her dedication to fostering a healthy and safe work environment for healthcare professionals.

Ashley Burns began her nursing career 20 years ago, earning her Certified Nursing Assistant in 2006. She completed her BSN in 2007. As a Registered Nurse, Ashley has built a diverse clinical background across the emergency department, acute spinal cord rehabilitation, neuro spine med-surg, and nursing education. She transitioned to employee health in 2016.

Topic Overview:

Healthcare organizations are experiencing unprecedented workforce stress, burnout, and retention challenges that directly impact employee well-being, patient safety, and organizational stability. Occupational and employee health professionals play a critical role in helping healthcare organizations build sustainable, supportive workplace environments. This educational session introduces the SPARK Advantage framework, a practical and research-supported leadership model designed to improve workforce engagement, reduce burnout, and strengthen employee well-being. Participants will explore how support, purpose, appreciation, relationships, and professional growth influence workforce resilience and retention across healthcare environments.

The session will review current healthcare workforce trends, examine the connection between workplace culture and employee health outcomes, and provide actionable strategies occupational health professionals can use to support caregiver well-being. Attendees will learn how to collaborate with organizational leadership to create safer and healthier workplace cultures. Leave with practical tools that can be implemented immediately to improve workforce stability, employee engagement, and caregiver mental health while supporting patient safety and quality outcomes.

Objectives:

1. Identify key workplace factors contributing to healthcare workforce burnout and disengagement.
2. Apply evidence-based workforce engagement strategies that improve employee well-being and retention.
3. Implement leadership communication techniques that support caregiver resilience and workplace culture.

Speaker Bio:

Christopher Sund is President and Chief Operating Officer of Uniti Med and GQR Healthcare. He is a Maxwell Leadership Certified Speaker, Coach, and Trainer specializing in workforce engagement, leadership development, and healthcare culture transformation. Christopher presents nationally on workforce well-being, burnout prevention, leadership communication, and strategies that improve employee engagement and patient safety outcomes. He is known for delivering practical, actionable education that healthcare professionals can implement immediately within their organizations.

Topic Overview:

This course explores the ethical foundations of hospital work and occupational health, emphasizing the shared responsibility of healthcare institutions and employees to protect workforce well-being. Participants will examine how ethical principles intersect with organizational policy, environmental design, and occupational safety practices in clinical settings. Through case-based discussion and evidence-informed analysis, the course highlights system-level approaches that promote equity, safety, and ethical decision-making across hospital environments. By the end of this course, participants will be able to apply ethical principles to evaluate and improve hospital and occupational health practices that affect safety, workforce well-being, and quality of care.

Objectives:

1. Identify ethical challenges in hospital work, including stigma, bias, and inequities that affect the workforce.
2. Explain occupational health risks faced by healthcare workers in clinical environments, with particular attention to musculoskeletal injury, physical workload, and institutional responsibility.
3. Apply core ethical principles such as justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and respect for persons to assess hospital policies, workplace wellness initiatives, and standards of care.
4. Analyze how organizational practices, environmental design, and resource allocation influence workforce well-being.
5. Evaluate evidence-informed strategies that integrate occupational health protections with ethical, worker-centered models of care.
6. Propose system-level improvements in hospital policy and practice that promote equity, safety, and respect for both patients and healthcare professionals.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Susan Gallagher is a recognized international leader in bariatric care, ethics, and safe patient handling. She holds graduate degrees in Nursing, Religion, and Policy Ethics from the University of Southern California and is certified in both Bariatric Nursing and Safe Patient Handling. As an author and global speaker, she has published over 200 peer-reviewed works, including the American Nurses Association Implementation Guide to SPHM Standards and Bariatric SPHM. Susan served as Associate Editor for Workplace Health & Safety from 2018 to 2025 and is Past President of the Association for Safe Patient Handling Professionals. In 2024, she earned the Marie Brown Etris Award for advancing equitable skin care for patients weighing 500-1,200 pounds. Today, she leads the Bariatric National Solutions Conference, connecting experts worldwide to promote inclusive, dignified care for every patient.

Topic Overview:

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation into workplace systems is fundamentally altering how work is organized, monitored, and performed. While these technologies offer potential benefits such as increased efficiency, consistency, and productivity, they also introduce complex psychosocial risks such as “technology panic” that may impact workers' mental health, cognitive functioning, and overall well-being. The occupational health professional plays an important role in mitigating AI-related psychosocial risks and supporting worker resilience.

Participants will examine how AI and automation influence worker behavior, stress perception, and mental health outcomes across diverse occupational settings. Evidence-informed strategies will be discussed, including worker education, stress risk screening, promotion of adaptive coping strategies, and advocacy for human-centered technology implementation. Practical examples will illustrate how occupational health professionals can support employees navigating technological change while fostering psychologically safe workplaces. By the end of the session, participants will be better equipped to identify psychosocial risks associated with AI and automation, assess their impact on worker mental health and cognitive well-being, and apply practical interventions to promote healthier, more sustainable work environments in the context of rapid technological advancement.

Objectives:

1. Identify key psychosocial and cognitive risks (“technology panic”) associated with AI and automation in the workplace, including cognitive overload, job insecurity, deskilling, and algorithmic monitoring.
2. Apply how AI-driven work systems may influence employee stress responses, mental health, and work behaviors using an occupational health lens.
3. Apply evidence-informed strategies within an occupational health practice to mitigate AI-related psychosocial risks and support worker mental well-being.

Speaker Bios:

Kim Olszewski is an ANCC Board Certified Adult Nurse Practitioner and is a Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist and Case Manager from the American Board for Occupational Health Nurses. In 2007, she received her Fellowship distinction from the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN), American Association of Nurse Practitioners in 2023, and Fellowship (FAAN) from the American Academy of Nursing in 2020. Kim is Past President of AAOHN, and is also Past President of the Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses and the Pennsylvania Association of Occupational Health Nurses. She has presented at the local, state, regional, and national levels of the association over the past 20 years on various topics, including DOT certification, marketing OHNs, fatigue management, Healthy People 2020, social media integration, and diagnostic updates. She is Director of Client and Medical Provider Services at DISA Global Solutions Inc. and is Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences at Luzerne County Community College.

Dr. Sheila Quinn is an Advanced Nurse Clinician at Virtua Health and has over 35 years of experience in public, community, home, occupational, and school health. She has published numerous articles and has presented to international, national, and regional audiences on public health and education topics such as chronic disease, e-cigarettes and vaping, screening programs, nurse managers' communication practices, and political advocacy in undergraduate students. She is a member of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, American Public Health Association, American Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau International, and others.

Topic Overview:

Healthcare professionals operate in high-risk environments where safety hazards are an inherent challenge. Ensuring regulatory compliance and rapid organizational response requires more than just policy. It demands a standardized, agile approach to OSHA-reportable events. This presentation explores the transformation of OSHA Serious Safety Event Reporting and Complaint Follow-Up processes within a large-scale national healthcare system. By prioritizing stakeholder engagement and iterative feedback loops, we moved beyond mere compliance toward a culture of proactive safety.

Objectives:

1. Enhance associate safety through collaborative strategic partnerships.
2. Develop and standardize OSHA Serious Safety Event Reporting and OSHA Complaint Follow-Up processes.
3. Identify opportunities to enhance current OSHA response processes.

Speaker Bios:

Margaret Tarwid has been practicing in occupational health nursing since 1997. She earned her Associate Degree in Nursing from Gateway Technical College and completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Margaret received her Master of Business Administration from Mount Mary College. She has been a Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist since 2004. Her career in occupational health nursing began as a staff nurse in Employee Health. She progressed into leadership roles and has had experience in both healthcare and manufacturing. In 2024, she joined Ascension's National Associate Occupational Health service line and is currently the Director-Program responsible for OSHA Reporting and Complaints.

Jennifer Adams began her career with Ascension in 2004. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Indiana University Purdue University and an MBA from Ball State University. She grew from a student nurse to leading an inpatient nursing unit, always keeping safety and outcomes as top priorities. In 2021, Jennifer transitioned to working in Associate Occupational Health and currently serves as the Senior Director of Clinical Operations for Ascension's National Associate Occupational Health service line. Through this role, she continues to prioritize and champion safety initiatives, contribute to and develop a strong team culture, and support the mission and values of the organization.

Topic Overview:

Human trafficking remains a pervasive yet frequently unrecognized crime. Current estimates indicate approximately 49.6 million individuals worldwide are living in conditions of modern slavery (International Labour Organization [ILO], 2022). In the United States, trafficking affects millions of individuals annually and generates an estimated $236 billion in illegal profits, making it one of the most profitable criminal enterprises globally. Child sex trafficking has been reported in all 50 states, underscoring the nationwide scope of the issue (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children [NCMEC], 2024).

Healthcare settings - frequently emergency departments, urgent care centers, and occupational health clinics - represent a critical point of contact for individuals experiencing trafficking. Research indicates that nearly 90% of trafficking survivors accessed healthcare services during their exploitation, often on multiple occasions, yet most were not identified as victims at the time of care. This introductory, awareness-based educational presentation integrates didactic instruction, case-based examples, and brief video content to illustrate trafficking scenarios encountered in healthcare environments. Participants will be introduced to observable indicators, contextual risk factors, and general response considerations, including referral pathways and the use of nationally vetted, no-cost educational resources. A survivor-informed perspective is incorporated to emphasize the human impact of trafficking while maintaining a focus on awareness rather than intervention or investigative action.

Objectives:

1. Describe the current scope and operational dynamics of human trafficking at the national and global levels.
2. Identify key indicators of human trafficking relevant to occupational health, urgent care, and related healthcare settings.
3. Summarize current trends in the identification, investigation, and apprehension of human trafficking crimes.
4. Apply appropriate response considerations and referral pathways when indicators of trafficking are observed.
5. Demonstrate an improved conceptual understanding of human trafficking, including its forms, impacts, and relevance to healthcare professionals.
6. Recognize how routine occupational health and urgent care encounters may intersect with trafficking-related risk factors.

Speaker Bio:

Thomas Ruck currently serves as a Senior Engagement Manager for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Blue Campaign in Washington, D.C. He leads engagement with the private sector (industry) to raise awareness of human trafficking and emphasize each industry's unique position to recognize and report potential cases across the country. Housed within the Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT), the Blue Campaign serves as the federal government's primary public awareness initiative focused on preventing human trafficking through education, collaboration, and the dissemination of evidence-based resources. The mission of the Blue Campaign is to expand consistent outreach and awareness by partnering with industry leaders, professional organizations, and frontline workforces to enhance recognition of human trafficking indicators and promote appropriate, victim-centered responses.

By Rajiv Das, MD, Miranda Kofeldt, PhD, and Steve Wiesner, MD

Topic Overview:

A comprehensive approach to the evaluation and management of lower back injuries will be presented, focusing on evidence-based diagnostic and treatment criteria. Critical causation concepts will be discussed along with review of lumbar spine anatomy. Best practice approaches to transition the patient back to work in a safe and timely manner, while incorporating holistic interventions to minimize the risk of delayed recovery, will also be presented.

Objectives:

1. Understand the relevant anatomic structures in the lower back and how they relate to the clinical diagnosis.
2. Identify the importance of evidence-based diagnostic and treatment approaches.
3. List the critical risk factors for delayed recovery.
4. Understand the role of behavioral health interventions when return-to-work obstacles and delayed recovery are identified.

Speaker Bios:

Dr. Rajiv Das has over 25 years of experience in occupational health as a clinician, medical director for self-insured and administered employers, utilization reviewer, and independent medical evaluator. He served as the Medical Director for Risk Management for Albertsons Grocery Stores and the City of San Jose. He is also the Medical Director for Employee Health Services at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, practices with Forensic Medical Legal Evaluators in the San Francisco Bay Area, and is clinical faculty in the UCSF Occupational Medicine Department. He is Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Occupational Medicine, and Pain Medicine.

Dr. Miranda Kofeldt earned her MA and PhD in Human Services Psychology and Behavioral Medicine from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). She is the Vice President of Clinical Services at Ascellus, a company that provides health psychology and mental health services to employees with workers' compensation claims. She has worked in private practice, as a Research Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of Clinical Training at the University of Maryland College Park, and as a clinical psychologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Areas of special interest and clinical expertise include treatment for trauma, substance use, and other health behaviors, and the psychological sequelae of physical health conditions. Miranda has extensive training and experience with motivational enhancement techniques. She has co-authored articles published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM) regarding mental health assessment and treatment in the context of workers' compensation, chapters published by the American Psychiatric Association, and contributed to the Gender, Women, and the Tobacco Epidemic monograph for the World Health Organization.

Dr. Steve Wiesner is Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He worked for The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) from April 1994 through his retirement in May 2020. During that period, he was the Kaiser Permanente On-the-Job Medical Director for Workers' Compensation Services and served as Medical Director for the healthcare organization, providing oversight for utilization review and case management services. Steve was the Physician Advisor for the Kaiser Permanente National Integrated Disability Management Program supporting the eight Kaiser Permanente regions, providing disability management education and resources. He also supported the East Bay TPMG Physician Human Resource Department, where he oversaw healthcare leadership and professional development and training. He now serves as a medical advisor for Karuna Labs, is an MDGuidelines Medical Advisory Board member, and is a consultant with the Colorado Permanente Medical Group supporting their disability management program. 

Topic Overview:

Every sharps injury represents more than a statistic; it is a moment of risk and uncertainty for a healthcare worker. Examining occupational sharps injuries across healthcare settings, identifying patterns, and uncovering opportunities for evidence-based prevention can transform workplace safety culture. AOHP's Data Analytics Team recently conducted a comprehensive analysis of 2023 OSHA log data retrieved from the agency's Injury Tracking Database (ITA). More than 55,000 sharps safety exposures across healthcare settings were included. This presentation shares findings from the AOHP Sharp Safety Exposure Report in Hospitals, November 2025. Discussion will incorporate evaluation of the number of exposures, types of work being completed, persons experiencing a sharp exposure, and the device associated with the exposure. In addition, ideas for potentially reducing the number of exposures will also be shared.

Objectives:

1. Evaluate 2023 sharp exposures in general medical hospitals.
2. Understand the type of work and devices that cause these exposures.
3. Determine what actions can be taken to reduce sharp injuries in healthcare facilities.

Speaker Bios:

Mary Giovannetti is the Director and Nurse Practitioner for Employee Health, Wellness, and Prompt Care at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, where she has proudly served for over 20 years. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1994 and her Master of Science in Nursing in 1998 from Marshall University, followed by a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in 2017 from the University of South Carolina - despite being a devoted Clemson fan. Mary brings 28 years of experience as a Nurse Practitioner, including 20 years in Employee Health and 8 years in Family Practice. In addition to her clinical leadership, she has previously served as an adjunct nursing instructor at Limestone University, contributing to the education of future nursing professionals. She currently serves as Executive President of the Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare (AOHP), reflecting her commitment to advancing occupational and employee health at both the organizational and national levels. Outside of her professional roles, Mary is married to a former attorney who now serves as an Executive Pastor. She is the proud mother of four children - three currently in college and one recent graduate - with academic ties to Converse University, Clemson University, Coastal Carolina University, and Indiana University. She is also the enthusiastic owner of four dogs and happily notes that her nest will not be empty this summer, as three of her daughters will be moving back home for a year - a transition she is truly looking forward to.

Bobbi Jo Hurst has worked as an RN for 47 years, with over 35 years in employee health/occupational health/infection prevention and control. She has also worked in employee and patient safety. An active member of AOHP, she has served as a leader on boards at both the national and chapter level. She has served OSHA as a Special Government Employee for the VPP program and has been a member of the National Advisory Committee for OSHA. Currently, Bobbi Jo is the Association Community Liaison for AOHP. She is the Infection Control/Employee Health Nurse at North Pointe Surgical Center.

Sally Parris has been a nurse for over four decades. She currently is a Senior Advisor in Occupational Health at VHC Health in Arlington, VA. Previously, Sally was the Director of Occupational Health at VHC Health for 20 years, until March 2025. She has been active in AOHP at both the national and chapter levels for 20 years, currently serving as Executive Treasurer.

Topic Overview:

Healthcare workers may be exposed to a myriad of interconnected physical, psychosocial, and organizational hazards that can't be fixed solely by individual wellness initiatives. This presentation introduces the Total Worker Health framework and how it can help advance worker safety, health, and well-being. The session will also discuss the five domains of worker well-being and use it to identify opportunities to design healthy jobs. Researchers have used the NIOSH Worker Well-Being Questionnaire (WellBQ) and findings demonstrate its relevance in healthcare settings. An Italian validation study administered the translated NIOSH WellBQ to healthcare workers and found that it is reliable in healthcare populations. A subsequent study of Italian healthcare professionals found that the instrument can help establish benchmarks and identify targeted improvement opportunities. One study of rural and urban clinicians in North Carolina found setting-specific differences in exposures to psychosocial hazards. The studies show that healthcare worker well-being is multidimensional, measurable, and highly context dependent. This presentation will examine how Total Worker Health strategies can use data to move toward systems-level interventions, including safer staffing and scheduling, fatigue reduction, workplace violence prevention, psychological safety, leadership support, and policies that strengthen both worker well-being and patient care.

Objectives:

1. Define worker well-being and Total Worker Health and discuss their importance
2. Outline the five domains of worker well-being and findings related to healthcare workers
3. Identify strategies healthcare organizations can do to support workers, such as designing healthy jobs

Speaker Bio:

Chia-Chia Chang, MPH, MBA, is a Public Health Analyst at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in the United States (U.S.) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She serves as Senior Lead, Total Worker Health® in the NIOSH Office of Strategic Partnership and Co-Coordinator of the NIOSH Healthy Work Design and Well-Being Cross-Sector program. She led NIOSH's development of a framework for worker well-being and the NIOSH Worker Well-being Questionnaire (WellBQ). Ms. Chang launched the NIOSH TWH Affiliates program, a network of nonprofit and governmental organizations committed to research and implementation related to Total Worker Health (TWH) strategies. She participates in the National Academies Action Collaboratives on Clinician Well-Being.

Topic Overview:

Sharps injuries (SI), a common hazard in healthcare, put workers at risk of bloodborne diseases. Massachusetts is the only U.S. state with mandated statewide surveillance. Regulations promulgated by the Department of Public Health (DPH) in 2001 require DPH-licensed hospitals to collect and submit data on SI among workers annually. To evaluate Massachusetts SI data over time and identify areas that still need attention, SI data from all DPH licensed hospitals during 2002-2022 collected by the Massachusetts Sharps Injury Surveillance System were analyzed, evaluating injury characteristics and rates per 100 licensed beds. Data from the most recent year available (2022) were compared with data from the initial year of the surveillance system (2002), and persistent issues were identified.

Findings from the Massachusetts Sharps Injury Surveillance System analysis demonstrate a need for SI surveillance and prevention programs. While an increase in injuries involving devices with SI prevention features may indicate a change in procurement practices, there remains a continued need for conversion to devices with SI prevention features, as well as training and evaluation of the various SI prevention mechanisms. Improved engineering controls are not the sole solution, and evaluation of how the injury occurred prompts the need to also implement additional work practice controls. In addition to describing rates in Massachusetts and the most common devices and procedures involved in sharps injuries, as well as prevention strategies, attendees will learn how to assess and use their own sharps data for prevention.

Objectives:

1. Describe the rate of sharps injuries among Massachusetts hospital workers over time.
2. Identify the most common devices and procedures involved in sharps injuries among Massachusetts hospital workers.
3. Describe methods for preventing sharps injuries among healthcare workers.

Speaker Bio:

Angela Laramie is an epidemiologist with the Occupational Health Surveillance Program at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH). She has spent the past 25 years managing the Sharps Injury Surveillance System, collecting data from more than 80 MDPH licensed hospitals each year. Angela currently co-leads an Institute for Healthcare Improvement workgroup on sharps injury prevention, sits on the NIOSH NORA Sector Council for Healthcare and Social Assistance, and is a member of the leadership team for the Occupational Health and Safety Section of the American Public Health Association. She previously collaborated with the CDC on the Workbook for Designing, Implementing and Evaluating a Sharps Injury Prevention Program and contributed to the WHO guidelines for injection safety, in addition to co-authoring the 2020 document Moving the Sharps Safety in Healthcare Agenda Forward in the United States published by the International Safety Center. Her work has also included safe patient handling, respiratory protection, and hazards faced by home care workers. Prior to working at the Department of Public Health, she worked in risk management in workers' compensation insurance addressing work-related injuries among healthcare workers.

Topic Overview:

Healthcare professionals are experiencing unprecedented levels of fatigue, burnout, and emotional exhaustion. While staffing shortages and increasing patient acuity are often blamed, the root causes of fatigue are frequently misunderstood and poorly addressed.

Drawing from his background as a Behavioral Sciences Specialist in the U.S. Army and his extensive work in healthcare leadership, Michael Maske presents a practical, science-based approach to understanding how fatigue develops, why traditional “self-care” advice fails, and what occupational health professionals can do to make meaningful change. This session explores the behavioral, neurological, and environmental factors that silently erode energy, resilience, and work-life balance among healthcare workers. Participants will learn how chronic stress, sleep disruption, cognitive overload, and emotional labor combine to create a “perfect storm” for burnout and injury.

Using real examples from healthcare environments and evidence-based behavioral science principles, this session provides actionable tools that occupational health professionals can implement within their organizations to improve staff well-being, safety, and retention. Attendees will leave with a framework they can use to:

• Recognize early signs of fatigue and burnout.
• Educate staff on energy management instead of time management.
• Implement simple, practical techniques to improve recovery, sleep quality, and emotional resilience.
• Support healthier work-life integration for clinical staff.

Objectives:

1. Identify behavioral and environmental contributors to fatigue and burnout in healthcare staff.
2. Explain how chronic stress and sleep disruption impair decision-making, mood, and safety in clinical environments.
3. Apply practical behavioral science techniques to improve staff resilience, energy management, and work-life balance.
4. Integrate fatigue-mitigation strategies into occupational health and employee wellness initiatives.

Speaker Bio:

Michael Maske is a former U.S. Army Behavioral Sciences Specialist and current healthcare leader dedicated to improving the well-being of the clinical workforce. He is the author of Voice of the Nurse, a pioneering work on nursing stress and resilience, and a nationally-recognized speaker on fatigue, burnout, and healthcare worker safety. Michael has spent more than a decade working alongside nurses and occupational health teams to address the physical, mental, and emotional demands of healthcare environments. He is President and Founder of ZM Medical in Scottsdale, AZ, and an advocate for healthier work environments across healthcare.

Topic Overview:

Effective since June 27, 2023, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers (PUMP) Act have closed a gap in federal law by providing expanded protections for pregnant, postpartum, and nursing employees. While the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), a 1978 amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibited discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, the PWFA and PUMP Act now require employers with 15 or more employees to make reasonable accommodations to known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Similar to the Americans with Disabilities Act, employers must do so by engaging in an interactive process with the qualified employee or applicant covered by the PWFA to determine a reasonable accommodation, provided it does not impose an undue hardship on the employer.

Occupational Health is often involved in determining accommodation requests, and many current policies may be in violation of the PWFA and the PDA. This session is designed to inform occupational health professionals about the many recent changes and latest challenges in the regulatory environment surrounding discrimination and making reasonable accommodations for these job applicants or employees.

Objectives:

1. Learn the current status of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers (PUMP) Act.
2. Review how the PWFA and PUMP Act have impacted the management of pregnancy in the workplace.
3. Understand what reasonable accommodations are and how they may differ from the ADA.
4. Understand the importance of making reasonable accommodations and not denying employment opportunities to employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
5. Review current litigation and case law involving the PWFA.

Speaker Bio:

Brad Taylor, MSN, APRN-BC, CLSSGB, serves as the System Director of Employee and Occupational Health for Baptist Health in Northeast Florida and is the President of the Florida Chapter of the Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare (AOHP). With more than 15 years of healthcare experience, Brad has built a diverse career dedicated to advancing patient care, team member well-being, and workplace safety. Brad began his healthcare journey as an ACP before advancing into nursing, where he served in Emergency, Intensive Care, and Rapid Response settings. After earning his Master of Science in Nursing and becoming a board-certified Nurse Practitioner, he practiced in both Occupational Medicine and Pulmonary/Critical Care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his experiences caring for critically ill patients and supporting healthcare teams reinforced his passion for serving frontline caregivers and promoting workforce health and safety.

Drawing on his clinical and occupational health expertise, Brad transitioned into leadership roles, including Associate and Occupational Health Market Director for a national healthcare organization, before joining Baptist Health in his current position. Throughout his career, he has successfully led initiatives that strengthen collaboration across departments, facilities, and health systems while advancing employee safety, regulatory compliance, and organizational well-being. Brad is recognized for his commitment to creating healthier workplaces, supporting healthcare professionals, and fostering cultures of safety that enable both team members and organizations to thrive.

Topic Overview:

This presentation will be interactive, with a focus on reviewing updated tuberculosis (TB) guidelines, basic tuberculosis infection (TBI) and tuberculosis disease (TBD) knowledge, screening, testing, and treatment protocols. Time will be included for questions and answers.

Objectives:

1. Describe the newest guidelines related to tuberculosis, including changes in screening, testing, and follow-up recommendations.
2. Explain the impact of tuberculosis from a patient perspective by identifying common challenges, barriers, and lived experience themes.
3. Interpret IGRA test results accurately by applying core principles of IGRA methodology and distinguishing between positive, negative, indeterminate, and borderline outcomes.

Speaker Bio:

Doreen Williams is the North America Nurse Manager for Qiagen TB Nurse Educators. She holds a BSN and a Master of Health Leadership. Doreen brings a wealth of practical knowledge to her presentations. Having shared her expertise at numerous conferences nationwide, she is a seasoned speaker and a sought-after voice in the field who is passionate about empowering healthcare personnel in the fight against tuberculosis.

Topic Overview:

Managing multiple exposures was once a major challenge for Inova Health System. Clinical staff and nurses spent countless hours entering the same exposure details into each employee's chart and digging through individual records to determine immunity status, resulting in an inefficient and frustrating process. In this session, Katie Reyes shares how Inova identified this pain point and collaborated to develop a solution that allows exposure data to be entered once and quickly pushed to all affected employees' charts. This streamlined approach has enabled same-day closure of exposures, improved the accuracy and completeness of records, and enhanced communication with team members. Attendees will hear Inova's story of workflow transformation, practical lessons learned, and strategies to improve efficiency and documentation when managing multiple exposures in their own organizations.

Objectives:

1. Identify common challenges associated with manual, fragmented exposure management processes, including inefficiencies, delayed follow-up, and incomplete documentation.
2. List ways to transform workflows, including centralized data entry and integrated automation for improved accuracy, communication, and same-day closure of exposure cases.
3. Apply practical strategies and lessons learned from Inova's experience to implement more efficient, automated workflows that enhance documentation and outcomes in other organizations.

Speaker Bios:

Katie Reyes began her nursing career as critical care RN, working in an 18-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) within a 900-bed Level 1 Trauma Center. She has over 10 years of experience in Team Member Health, providing services to 10,000 employees. She currently serves as Director of Team Member Health at Inova Health System, where she has been involved with several process and workflow improvement initiatives, including streamlining the tracking and management of multiple exposures.

Sarah Gehring is a Product Specialist II supporting an Occupational Health EHR, working across teams to enhance product performance, support users, and translate real-world clinical needs into technical solutions. She previously served as a Senior Application Analyst and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, gaining a unique end-to-end prespective of how EMR systems impact care delivery. She has 9 years' experience in the healthcare field, with experience in both the clinic and in information technology and services. Sarah earned an Associate's, Medical/Clinical Assistant, from Medtech College-Fort Wayne, IN.

Topic Overview:

Returning to work after a leave of absence is a pivotal moment for employees and organizations, but it can present challenges for both. A thoughtful and compliant return-to-work strategy can not only support an employee's reintegration to the workplace an average of 14 days faster, it also fosters a culture of compassion and helps achieve productivity goals. In this session, participants will explore the value and benefits of a formalized return-to-work program and learn how to develop a program that is both caring and compliant while ensuring the best possible outcomes for both employees and employers. Through real-life examples, participants will learn to integrate corporate leave policies with human resources strategies, develop leave programs that set organizations and employees up for success, and offer compliant accommodations that support employee well-being and increased productivity. Hear from a large health system that developed and implemented a formal return-to-work program, including challenges, outcomes, and the program's continuing evolution. Leave with tools and strategies to create an effective, sustainable return-to-work process that promotes engagement, reduces return delays, and improves the experience.

Objectives:

1. Learn about the connection between a return-to-work strategy and workforce productivity.
2. Hear how one large health system implemented a formal return-to-work program and continues its evolution.
3. Take away tips for developing a thoughtful and compliant return to work policy/program within your organization.

Speaker Bios:

Marcy Ledford has been providing return-to-work and absence management services for 25+ years. She received her master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. In her role as Health and Productivity Director at Unum she provides data to large clients and uses the data to help identify absence challenges as well as opportunities for improvement. She specifically offers insights, solutions, and best practices related to absence management. She frequently authors articles and presents on topics related to workforce trends and return-to-work.

Cynthia Hall brings over 45 years of nursing experience, with a strong focus on occupational and employee health. For the past 23+ years at Emory Healthcare (EHC), she has supported employee health, leave management, and workplace accommodations in both leadership and hands-on roles. Cindy played a key role in creating EHC's internal Leave and Accommodation Office and developing policies that guide leaves of absence, return-to-work practices, and workplace accommodations - helping to shape a supportive, compliant, and employee-focused workplace. Today, she serves as a Nurse Case Manager, working directly with employees across three EHC hospitals and making a tangible difference in their health and well-being every day.

Topic Overview:

Respirator fit testing can be a challenge for any organization. For a health system with more than 22,000 team members whose work responsibilities require wearing a respirator, increased efficiency was a critical goal in accomplishing this annual requirement. This presentation will review BayCare Employee Health's process - from beginning to end - to transform their respirator fit testing from a centralized to a unit-based process. Participants will learn how leadership buy-in was secured and the value of training Fit Testing Champions to promote the process with employees on 184 nursing units. Results of the program have been positive, with 77% fit testing compliance for 2024 and 86% compliance for 2025.

Objectives:

1. Understand the organizational benefit to developing a more efficient respirator fit testing program.
2. Review the pros and cons of centralized respirator fit testing versus a unit-based approach.
3. Learn how to recruit and train Fit Testing Champions from each hospital unit.

Speaker Bio:

Jessica Adams is the System Manager for BayCare Employee Health, bringing 18 years of experience in the health field. She holds a Master of Nursing with a Family Nurse Practitioner specialization and is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Jessica has led major organizational initiatives, including implementing an employee health portal for 34,000 team members and decentralizing respiratory fit testing across 184 nursing units. As member of AOHP, she is passionate about advancing employee and occupational health. Outside of work, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, working out, and being out on the water.

Topic Overview:

This session provides participants with increased awareness and knowledge of the certification process in occupational health, including the benefits of nursing specialty certification and certification examination preparation. The presenter will review and discuss recent changes to the American Board for Occupational Health Nurses (ABOHN) exams and will provide information about exam development and delivery services.

Objectives:

1. Identify three benefits of certification.
2. Describe the requirements to becoming a certified occupational health nurse (OHN) and maintaining certification.
3. Explain how certification can contribute to an OHN's professional development.
4. Identify three changes in the ABOHN certification exams.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Betty Sanisidro is Executive Director of the American Board for Occupational Health Nurses. She commenced her nursing career with Robertwood Johnson University Hospital, NJ, on a medical surgical unit and then transitioned to occupational health 16 years ago, realizing immediately she had found her niche. She holds a BSN from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and an MSN and Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Seton Hall University. She is a Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist, a Board Certified Advanced Practice Holistic Nurse, and a member of Sigma Theta Tau and the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses. Betty published “Self care is the best care: An educational initiative for nurses” in December 2022. Her professional career includes managing occupational health programs and departments within Merrill Lynch, Prudential Financial, DOW Chemical, Sanofi, Titleist, and Johnson & Johnson. She remains passionate about advocating for patient employees, managing regulatory and compliance programs, developing and implementing wellness initiatives, and advancing the nursing profession and nurses everywhere. Her interests are in nursing education, process improvement and streamlining, self care for healthcare providers, and advanced practice nursing and certification. She remains steadfast in her quest to empower nurses and effectuate change within the occupational health community.

Topic Overview:

Stress First Aid is an evidence-informed self-care and peer support model. It was developed by the military and adapted for other high-risk occupations based on factors that promote recovery from adversity and stress. Healthcare is a high-risk profession for stress injury due high exposure to trauma, loss, inner conflict, and fatigue. The goal of Stress First Aid is as an intuitive, common language for how to know who is really “okay” and who needs more support and recovery from the immediate and residual stress responses from their work, as well as to foster a culture of true well-being and collective care. Learn how chaplains at one academic medical center spread this culture-transforming framework from the bottom up to the C-suite, and on to the whole system.

Objectives:

1. Explain the core components of the Stress First Aid (SFA) model.
2. Outline specific SFA actions and applications used to recognize stress reactions, provide immediate support, and facilitate access to further resources.
3. Summarize observed outcomes associated with SFA implementation, including changes in staff well-being, engagement, and organization support processes.

Speaker Bios:

Kelly Fuddy is the Staff Support Chaplain caring for workforce members at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. She holds a Master of Arts in Religion from Lancaster Theological Seminary, Lancaster, PA. She is a member of the Episcopal Church and participates in other spiritual communities. Kelly has developed numerous staff care strategies, helped to pioneer the staff-support chaplain role for the profession, and has supported Penn State Health in its commitment to care for its caregivers.

The Rev. David B. Simmons serves as the Director of Pastoral Services and coordinates a 30+ member chaplain team at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. He holds a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Doctor of Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a Master of Health Administration from Penn State Harrisburg. He is Board Certified in Chaplaincy through the Association of Professional Chaplains.

Topic Overview:

This interactive presentation equips occupational healthcare providers with practical, ready-to-use ergonomic strategies that can be applied immediately when evaluating and treating injured employees. Participants will explore key ergonomic risk factors and effective solutions across office environments, industrial settings, and patient handling tasks.

Using real world scenarios, the session demonstrates how targeted ergonomic interventions and education can accelerate recovery, prevent reinjury, and reduce organizational costs. Attendees will also gain foundational strategies for identifying and responding to injury trends by leveraging available resources, analyzing data, and collaborating with key stakeholders to drive sustainable workplace improvements.

Objectives:

1. Identify ergonomic risk factors across office, industrial, and patient handling work.
2. Apply practical assessment tools during evaluation/treatment planning.
3. Recommend and educate on ergonomic interventions to support recovery and prevent reinjury.
4. Use data/resources and stakeholder engagement to address trends and implement solutions.

Speaker Bios:

Manon Labreche, Assistant Director for the Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Injury Prevention Team, is a Physical Therapist and a Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist (Level 2), Certified Posture Exercise Professional, and Certified Safe Patient Handling Professional. For more than 26 years, she has led TGH's comprehensive injury prevention program, which encompasses office and industrial ergonomics, as well as a robust Safe Patient Handling and Mobility (SPHM) program that includes both an injury prevention team and a mobility team. Under Manon's leadership, the hospital has achieved remarkable improvements in staff safety. Since the program's inception, workers' compensation RN patient-handling injuries have been reduced by 88%, and overall cost associated with all patient-handling injuries has decreased by more than 90%. Repetitive trauma injuries have reduced by 90%. A recognized leader in the field, Manon has published more than 15 articles on various injury prevention topics and has contributed to numerous national task forces. She is a frequent speaker at national and international webinars and conferences, where she shares her expertise and innovative approaches. Driven by a deep passion for safety and prevention, Manon continues to advance TGH's injury prevention efforts through creativity, evidence-based practice, and a commitment to protecting caregivers and enhancing patient care.

Raina Brautigam is the Ergonomics Manager at Tampa General Hospital (TGH), overseeing a comprehensive program for more than 15,000 team members. With over 20 years of patient care experience as an outpatient Occupational Therapist and Certified Hand Therapist, she has a passion not only for prevention, but also early intervention to mitigate the negative impact of injuries. Raina became a Certified Professional Ergonomist in 2021, achieving what is globally recognized as the highest credential in her field. Her role now requires program development and services to address ergonomic challenges at more than 150 locations, all with truly diverse work environments. Her successful approach incorporates interdepartmental collaboration, organizational standards, process improvements, innovative solutions, data analysis, and leadership engagement. She is an experienced speaker, presenting yearly at national and international conferences, delivering academic lectures, teaching workshops, and providing ongoing education sessions for both the Tampa Bay community and TGH. She is a well-respected educator, always eager to share her knowledge and expertise with others.

Topic Overview:

Organizations invest significantly in health and well-being benefits, yet many employees remain unaware of, or disengaged from, the resources available to support their physical, mental, financial, and social well-being. As a result, well-intentioned programs often fail to achieve their desired impact. This session explores how occupational health and well-being professionals can move beyond simply offering benefits to actively driving employee awareness, understanding, and sustained engagement. Examine common barriers that prevent employees from using health and well-being resources. Learn how to design well-being resource engagement strategies that meet employees where they are and leverage everyday workplace touchpoints to deliver timely, relevant, and actionable information.

The session will also address how to tailor messaging for diverse employee populations, roles, and work environments, including hybrid work. Real-world examples and best practices will illustrate how organizations can simplify benefit navigation, reduce friction, and make health and well-being resources easier to access and use. Explore low-cost, high-impact tactics to implement without adding new programs, as well as ways to partner effectively with internal stakeholders. Learn simple, meaningful ways to measure success, and leave with actionable strategies, tools, and insight to apply immediately, ultimately supporting a healthier, more informed, and more resilient workforce.

Objectives:

1. Identify common barriers that prevent employees from understanding, accessing, and engaging with health and well-being benefits and resources.
2. Apply practical communication and engagement strategies that increase visibility and relevance of health and well-being resources across diverse employee populations.
3. Leverage existing touchpoints and data to deliver timely, targeted benefit and resource messaging.
4. Evaluate and refine benefit engagement efforts to drive continuous improvement.

Speaker Bio:

Tina Thornton is an Executive Leader at Nationwide Insurance and has extensive experience designing and implementing corporate occupational health and well-being programs. With a clinical background and a business-focused perspective, she is passionate about designing health and well-being strategies that engage employees, improve outcomes, and positively impact organizational performance.

Topic Overview:

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant occupational health concern with direct implications for the safety, well-being, and regulatory compliance of healthcare associates across our system. Although evidence-based guidelines exist, developing a standardized, system-wide TB screening and management protocol is challenging due to wide variations in regional resources, workflows, cultures, and longstanding institutional practices. Following the 2024 AOHP National Conference, our leadership returned with a commitment to strengthen and unify TB processes across the enterprise. What emerged over this 18-month initiative is a scalable, evidence-based, system-supported TB management approach that respects regional differences while ensuring consistent, high-quality standards. Presenters will share lessons learned, including practical tools, implementation strategies, challenges encountered, and successful solutions, to assist other health systems to streamline TB protocols, support frontline clinicians, and ultimately safeguard the health of their caregivers and communities.

Objectives:

1. Review the pathophysiology of tuberculosis (TB) infection.
2. Discuss how to risk stratify patients who have a positive TB test.
3. Review protocols for different positive test scenarios.
4. Discuss challenges caused by trying to standardize procedures across many regions of a large health system.

Speaker Bios:

Dr. Janet Hurley is a family physician practicing in Tyler, TX, and is the Director of Physician Practice Operations and Medical Director of Associate Health for CHRISTUS Health, a multinational healthcare system founded in 1999. She graduated from Texas A&M Medical School in 2000 and completed her family medicine residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center of Tyler in 2003. She is a Past President of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians and currently serves on the Board of the Smith County Medical Society, on the American Academy of Family Physicians' Commission on Quality and Practice, and is President of the American College of Family Medicine. She is married, has two adult children, and enjoys hiking and writing.

Nicole Souza serves as System Director, Occupational Health at CHRISTUS Health (Irving, TX), leading enterprise programs for compliance, workforce safety, and associate well-being. A DNP prepared nurse leader, she advances technology-enabled process improvement and scalable policy across a large multi-site system, partnering closely with Human Resources, Infection Prevention, Safety, and Legal to deliver measurable outcomes.

Topic Overview:

A large healthcare system in the Midwest developed an initiative to reduce the administrative workload on facility-based occupational health nurses (OHNs) while improving the efficiency, consistency, and compliance of influenza (flu) vaccination management. By centralizing key processes and leveraging a dedicated virtual Occupational Health Support Center (OHSC), the program returns valuable time to facility-based occupational health teams, allowing for greater on-site physical presence, staff engagement, and clinical support. The program streamlines influenza vaccine documentation, exemption management, and compliance follow-up, creating a standardized, transparent, and efficient flu campaign that enhances participation, reduces facility-based OHN workload, and strengthens system-wide occupational health operations.

Objectives:

1. Describe the goals of a virtual flu management process.
2. Review medical and religious exemption workflows.
3. Highlight compliance communication strategies.
4. Share process improvements that support facility-based occupational health teams.

Speaker Bios:

Jaclyn Fife began her nursing career in 2015 when she obtained her BSN from Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing. Throughout her career she has worked in adult and pediatric critical care; ER, ICU, NICU Medical/Surgical, and Geriatric Psych. In September 2020, Jaclyn joined BJC HealthCare in St. Louis, MO as a Clinical Registered Nurse with the Occupational Health Support Center. During her time with BJC Healthcare, she has been instrumental in building and streamlining processes for virtual employee transfers, medical exemptions for vaccines, and new employee orientation.

Amber Jaimes began her nursing career in 2008. She earned her BSN from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2015. Throughout her career she has worked in adult and pediatric critical care; ER, ICU, PACU. In September 2020, Amber joined BJC HealthCare in St. Louis, MO as a Clinical Registered Nurse with the Occupational Health Support Center and the Body Substance Exposure Hotline. During her time with BJC Healthcare, she has been instrumental in building and streamlining processes for virtual employee transfers, medical exemptions for vaccines, and the body substance exposure process.

Topic Overview:

The United States is on the verge of losing its measles elimination status, with 2025 recording the highest case numbers since 1991. Employee health preparation must go beyond just ensuring immunity. Measles exposures in the healthcare setting can cause operational, financial, and logistical burdens for employers. Lessons learned from measles exposures in a large multistate healthcare organization, when measles impacted over 800 healthcare workers in Illinois, Wisconsin, and North Carolina, highlight the critical need for robust emergency response plans.

Objectives:

1. Review lessons from the 2023-2024 Illinois/Wisconsin and 2026 North Carolina measles outbreaks, focusing on the 800+ healthcare worker impact and the need for improved rapid response.
2. Assess employee health preparedness protocols, moving beyond basic immunity checks to ensure comprehensive staff protection.
3. Develop strategies for identifying exposed staff, managing quarantine, and implementing post-exposure prophylaxis.

Speaker Bios:

Maggie Larson, As a nursing director for Teammate Health & Safety at Advocate Health, Maggie Larson, MPH, RN, oversees a 24/7 employee health operation dedicated to the well-being of over 140,000 healthcare workers across six states (IL, WI, AL, GA, NC & SC). Maggie leads the clinical response to communicable disease incidents, work-related injuries and bloodborne pathogen exposures, driven by a professional passion for workplace safety and health.

Karen Ninassi is a Nurse Manager with Advocate Health and specializes in exposure management, overseeing a team that ensures 60,000 teammates in the Greater Charlotte and Georgia market are cared for after a bloodborne or communicable disease exposure. She has a master's degree in nursing with an emphasis in Leadership in Healthcare Systems. Karen has 30+ years' experience as a nurse. She has been in Employee Health for 15 years and has been a member of AOHP the entire time. She has held several offices, including Vice President, and is currently the President of NC Chapter 5. She has also been involved with many committees, such as the Webinar Committee and Research Committee, and currently serves on the Conference Committee. She has written several articles, one for La Noticia magazine on influenza and another for the AOHP Journal - Mites, Oh No! What You are Itching to Know about Mites.

Topic Overview:

Noise-induced hearing loss remains one of the most prevalent and preventable occupational health conditions, yet hearing conservation programs in civilian settings often struggle with compliance, consistent follow-up, and early intervention. High-noise operational environments, such as those found in military settings, require robust hearing conservation frameworks that emphasize prevention, surveillance, accountability, and rapid response to audiometric changes. This presentation explores how core elements of military hearing conservation programs can be adapted and successfully applied to civilian fire service and industrial workforces. Practical, scalable strategies for strengthening hearing conservation programs by leveraging proven practices from high-noise operational environments will be discussed. Attendees will gain actionable tools to enhance OSHA hearing conservation compliance, improve early intervention, and reduce long-term hearing loss risk across diverse civilian workplaces.

Objectives:

1. Describe key components of military hearing conservation programs that support early identification and prevention of noise-induced hearing loss.
2. Identify practical strategies for adapting high-noise operational hearing conservation practices to civilian fire and industrial workforces.
3. Apply process improvements to enhance audiometric follow-up, documentation, and employee engagement within OSHA-regulated hearing conservation programs.

Speaker Bio:

Orion Vick holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. He is an occupational health professional with experience in hearing conservation program development, regulatory compliance, and workforce health surveillance across high-noise operational environments. His background includes clinical research in oncology, where he supported protocol-driven care, regulatory oversight, and data integrity - experience that informs his structured, evidence-based approach to occupational health programming. Orion's work has focused on strengthening hearing conservation programs through enhanced audiometric surveillance, early identification of standard threshold shifts, structured follow-up protocols, and supervisor engagement strategies. Drawing from experience supporting military populations as well as civilian fire and industrial workforces, he emphasizes translation of high-risk operational models into practical, OSHA-aligned occupational health processes. His professional interests include quality improvement, regulatory compliance, and developing scalable employee health systems that improve outcomes while supporting operational readiness and workforce safety.

Topic Overview:

Fatigue is a contributing factor in many on-the-job injuries and other aspects of the healthcare environment. This presentation will review the different types of fatigue, tools to evaluate fatigue, and how to mitigate the effects of fatigue. Case studies will be presented to show how fatigue negatively affects areas of healthcare, general activities of life, and the critical care transport industry. Attendees will leave with ideas on how to decrease fatigue within their teams as well as individually.

Objectives:

1. Identify causes of fatigue.
2. Understand the effects of fatigue in the critical care transport environment and on other aspects of life.
3. Understand general mitigation strategies to help decrease fatigue.

Speaker Bio:

Sheryl Williams, During her 26 years in the critical care transport industry, Sheryl Williams has had the privilege of spending time as a Flight Nurse, Educator, and in various management roles. Her most recent role has been leading the creation and management of the Health & Wellness Team at Air Methods LLC. This team is involved in creating and promoting the many aspects of health and wellness to employees. She has been involved in creating a Fatigue Management Program to help decrease on-the-job injuries and increase overall wellness.

Topic Overview:

The presentation begins with defining the challenge for an Employee Health Department to create a more efficient environment while offering a superior new hire candidate experience. A review of the literature is explored, followed by identification of evidence-based practices that would aid in the solution for this organization's problem. The description of the solution, an autonomous nurse program (ANP), will be the majority of the presentation. The ANP authorizes the Employee Health Registered Nurse (EH RN) to independently conduct the full preboarding appointment with the use of a standardized order set. This autonomy allows the EH RN to manage the entire process efficiently from start to finish, without the need for a physician/advanced practice provider sign-off. Learn how an ANP was implemented for Main Line Health, the evaluation process, and its many beneficial outcomes, such as increased work/life balance for the EH RN, decreased overtime pay by the EH RN, increased satisfaction by the new hire candidate regarding their new hire appointment, and allowing all employees to provide care at the appropriate expertise level.

Objectives:

1. Define the autonomous nurse program (ANP) and describe its purpose.
2. Identify three benefits created for the organization by an ANP.
3. List three crucial elements needed to implement a successful ANP.

Speaker Bios:

Katie Kautz has been Nursing Supervisor of Employee Health for Main Line Health (MLH) since 2023. She joined MLH in 2016, working as a per diem nurse in Community Health. During the pandemic, she transitioned to the role of Employee Health Nurse, managing and supporting staff exposed to COVID-19. In 2003, Katie helped to found the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization The Montgomery Center for Research in Child & Adolescent Development (MCRCAD), where she has served as Administrator since the organization's founding. As MCRCAD Administrator, she has helped to host eight international conferences attended by thousands of educators from across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, the United Kingdom, Poland, Iceland, and Spain. She also helped to launch Poolesville Family Practice in Montgomery County, MD, where she served as Administrator/ Nursing Supervisor for 18 years. She has worked as a Labor and Delivery nurse for Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville, MD. Her first job in nursing was as a trauma/neuro ICU nurse at Lancaster General Hospital in Lancaster, PA (a Level 1 Trauma Center). She earned her RN from Lancaster General Hospital, her Associate's Degree from Franklin and Marshall College, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Millersville University. She has published original scholarly work in The Annals of Family Medicine.

Shannon Rutberg has served as the Director of Employee Health at Main Line Health (MLH) for over 2 years. Prior to this, she worked as the Lead MedSurg/ Telemetry Educator and also held the positions of Assistant Nurse Manager and Staff Nurse for the health system. Shannon has presented both locally and nationally on topics such as building a successful simulation program, soft-skills simulation, active learning and flipped classroom best practice teaching strategies, her own qualitative research study on the perceptions of nurses caring for a child with a chronic health condition, and mock stroke codes. She has published articles in local and national journals and was honored with the 2017 Pennsylvania Nightingale Nursing Education for Staff Development Award and the 2012 MLH Great Catch Safety Award. She received her DNP from Wilmington University in 2022, and her MSN and BSN from Villanova University in 2012 and 2006. She holds an MS in Education from the University of Akron and a BS from The Pennsylvania State University in Kinesiology.

Topic Overview:

Seasonal influenza continues to represent a major public health and occupational health challenge in the United States, contributing to substantial healthcare utilization, workforce absenteeism, and productivity losses each year. Despite widespread vaccine availability and longstanding public health recommendations, vaccination coverage among working-age adults remains below optimal levels, resulting in preventable illness and increased economic burden on employers, health systems, and communities. This session will present findings from an economic modeling analysis evaluating the financial impact of varying influenza vaccination coverage rates across the United States. Participants will review real-world economic projections showing how incremental increases in vaccination coverage translate into reductions in influenza-related healthcare expenditures. The session will also examine the implications of these findings for occupational health programs, including the role of employer-based vaccination initiatives in mitigating workforce disruption and improving organizational resilience during seasonal influenza outbreaks. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of the economic consequences of low vaccination uptake and the value of implementing evidence-based workplace vaccination strategies. Practical approaches that occupational health professionals can apply within their organizations to improve influenza immunization coverage will also be discussed, supporting more effective workforce health planning and broader public health impact.

Objectives:

1. Describe the economic burden associated with suboptimal influenza vaccination coverage in the United States.
2. Interpret economic modeling data demonstrating the relationship between vaccination coverage rates and influenza-related healthcare costs.
3. Identify evidence-based workplace and occupational health strategies that can improve influenza vaccination uptake and reduce economic losses.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Alison Wright is a fellowship trained Senior Medical Science Liaison with CSL Seqirus, bringing over two decades of experience in medical affairs across diverse therapeutic areas. She has dedicated the past 10 years to vaccines, supporting scientific engagement in a rapidly evolving and highly impactful area of medicine. Her professional experience includes building and maintaining relationships with key opinion leaders, collaborating with and supporting field sales teams, planning and supporting medical congress activities, and presenting scientific data to internal and external stakeholders. Her work plays a critical role in supporting the CSL Seqirus vaccine portfolio through credible, compliant, and clinically meaningful scientific exchange.

Topic Overview:

Healthcare workers who handle hazardous drugs face a persistent, invisible risk of occupational exposure. While regulatory standards like USP800 provide a framework for handling, many national health systems struggle to implement a consistent, sustainable, and efficient model for longitudinal health surveillance. This session details the development and implementation of a National Hazardous Drug Surveillance Program designed specifically for associates handling Table 1/Group 1 intravenous antineoplastic drugs. Moving beyond a reactive safety posture, this program utilizes a proactive approach to identify early exposure-related concerns and reinforce safe handling behaviors.

Attendees will explore how to bridge the gap between regulatory requirements and clinical reality. Presenters will demonstrate how to leverage optimized EHR workflows, integrated documentation tools, and advanced analytics to transform a complex surveillance process into a streamlined, data-driven system. By shifting from episodic monitoring to a culture of continuous safety, organizations can provide a tangible expression of their commitment to the long-term health and dignity of their workforce.

Objectives:

1. Develop a comprehensive national strategy to implement a standardized annual hazardous drug surveillance program, ensuring the long-term health and protection for associates.
2. Apply evidence-based, practical strategies to streamline surveillance workflows across the national health system, reducing administrative burden while maintaining rigorous safety standards.
3. Leverage optimized EHR workflows, advanced documentation tools, and real-time analytics to enhance monitoring capabilities, ensure regulatory compliance, and proactively improve workforce safety.
4. Evaluate data-driven hazardous drug monitoring insights to strengthen clinical decision-making and cultivate a culture of safety that empowers associates.

Speaker Bios:

Kirsten Wert graduated from Belmont University in Nashville, TN in 1998 and began her nursing career as a Registered Nurse in a pediatric practice. She joined Ascension in 2005, where she gained broad clinical experience floating across multiple pediatric units, including the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). In addition to her clinical work, Kirsten served as a Diabetes Educator for 3 years and taught at Pensacola State College from 2009 to 2017, contributing to the education and development of future nurses. In 2017, she transitioned into leadership as Manager of Associate Occupational Health. In this role, she advanced associate safety, regulatory compliance, and workforce well-being initiatives. In July 2025, Kirsten was promoted to Director of Associate Occupational Health, where she continues to lead efforts focused on protecting and supporting caregivers across the organization.

Ashley Locklear is a Registered Nurse with 14 years of experience, beginning her career in neurotrauma nursing. She has spent more than a decade in progressive leadership roles within Associate Occupational Health. Currently serving as Program Director, Ashley provides clinical leadership for the associate EHR and contributes to education and training initiatives, as well as the development of standardized policies and procedures. She continues to play a key role in advancing organizational initiatives and fostering a strong, supportive culture aligned with her organization's mission and values.

Topic Overview:

Occupational health practitioners in healthcare are in the ideal setting and role to treat employees with latent tuberculosis (TB) infection (LTBI), performing TB surveillance and assessing LTBI while ruling out active TB. The continuum is completed by preventing conversion to active TB by treating those with latent TB. Short-course regimens of rifamycin-based treatment are strongly recommended, effective, safe, and have higher completion rates than longer regimens. Clinicians in occupational health are perfectly suited to provide testing, education, and guidance for successful completion by way of directly-observed therapy, video, or confirmation of self-administered therapy. Attendees will gain the tools to assess if an employee is a candidate for treatment of LTBI; discuss the effectiveness and risks of therapy; establish the best course of treatment with short-course Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT); monitor tolerance and adherence to therapy; and counsel for and manage adverse events. Sample tracking forms and tools will be provided.

Objectives:

1. Describe the rationale for Tuberculosis (TB) Preventive Treatment (TPT) in the occupational healthcare setting.
2. Explain why TPT is extremely unlikely to promote resistant TB.
3. List four contraindications to starting an employee on TPT.
4. List two reasons to discontinue TPT.

Speaker Bio:

Topic Overview:

The goal of proactive occupational health (OH) rounding is to decrease employee injuries and promote a proactive safety culture in a healthcare setting. Purposeful OH rounding is important for identifying factors that negatively impact healthcare personnel safety and connecting with employees by listening and demonstrating concern for their well-being. During rounding, OH professionals can assess whether personal protective equipment is available and easily accessible for all healthcare personnel; provide just-in-time education to prevent slips, trips, and falls; and remind employees how to report safety incidents. Rounding programs create opportunities to communicate with department leaders about improving or sustaining the safety of work environments.

This presentation will describe how an academic pediatric hospital has developed a formal OH rounding program. An OH nurse will describe how rounding efforts are coordinated and conducted, including the process used to determine what safety programs will be the focus of rounding efforts. In addition, this presentation will describe how data from occupational health rounding are maintained and communicated, and tools used to educate healthcare personnel about occupational safety threats will be explained.

Objectives:

1. Identify steps to implement rounding processes at a healthcare facility.
2. Describe how occupational health nurse rounding impacts workplace safety and employee well-being.
3. Identify educational and rounding assessment tools that can be used to support workplace injury prevention initiatives.

Speaker Bio:

Kari Goette is an Occupational Health Nurse at BJC Health System in St. Louis, MO. She is a registered nurse who received her bachelor's degree from Deaconess College of Nursing in 1994. She works at a pediatric hospital, assessing, treating, and managing worker injury and exposure cases. She also manages communicable disease exposures, performs pre-employment screening, and actively provides injury prevention education and facilitates safety strategies.

Topic Overview:

Healthcare personnel are at daily risk of exposure to blood and other potentially infectious body substances through needlestick and splash and spray injuries. These exposures can transmit serious pathogens including HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Bloodborne pathogens are not only risks to physical health but also create significant psychological, emotional, and financial burdens for healthcare personnel and healthcare systems.

This presentation will describe how a large community hospital in the Midwest developed and implemented a facility-wide sharps prevention program. The program development began with a comprehensive baseline assessment to identify exposure trends, high-risk procedures, and system gaps. Using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, priorities were established and an action plan created that focused on staff education, reporting improvement, and leadership engagement. The presenters will outline program development steps, lessons learned, barriers encountered, and practical strategies for organizations seeking to reduce occupational exposures to bloodborne pathogens. Attendees will gain actionable insights into developing sustainable prevention programs that enhance healthcare personnel safety and reduce occupational risks related to body substance exposures. Presenters will also share key educational themes and practical tools used during implementation that participants can adapt and apply within their own organizations to strengthen exposure prevention efforts.

Objectives:

1. Analyze trends and contributing factors related to needlesticks and body substance exposures in hospital practice.
2. Design strategies to implement a safety education program tailored to specific facility needs.
3. Evaluate the effectiveness of a nursing led safety education program in reducing occupational exposures.

Speaker Bios:

Veronica Murray is an Occupational Health Nurse at Christian Hospital, part of BJC Health in St. Louis, MO. She graduated from St. Louis University with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and is pursuing her master's degree in nursing education from Webster University. She has worked in occupational health for 15 years and has been a Certified Occupational Health Nurse since 2020. She has more than 30 years of nursing experience, including 16 years in med-surg, orthopedics, cardiology, and neurosurgery. At Christian Hospital, Veronica's job duties include management of occupational injuries and exposures, workers' compensation case management, and employee wellness, including vaccinations compliance for 2,400 employees, volunteers, and physicians.

Stephanie Spickerman is an Occupational Health Nurse at Christian Hospital in St. Louis, MO. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She has been a nurse in Missouri for 17 years in med-surg and trauma, with the last four years in occupational health. Stephanie currently supports frontline healthcare staff through incident review, education, and evidence-based strategies to strengthen safety and reduce occupational risks for 2,400 employees, volunteers, and physicians at Christian Hospital.

Topic Overview:

This presentation details a series of three distinct exposure events that occurred in the operating room at a community hospital in April 2025. Attendees will explore the immediate response from Occupational Health, including the triage of symptomatic staff experiencing headache, dizziness, and nausea, and the use of indoor air quality forms for documentation. The session follows the investigative journey through multiple incidents - ranging from an unidentified odor to a verified nitrous oxide leak from a medical gas supply boom and a sevoflurane backup caused by an anesthesia machine failure.

Participants will learn how the facility utilized an Incident Command structure to collaborate with facilities, clinical engineering, and external vendors to identify root causes. Expected learning outcomes include understanding the critical role of Occupational Health in staff support, effective communication during a crisis, and the implementation of permanent safety improvements such as charcoal air filters and wearable nitrous oxide monitors to ensure a safe surgical environment.

Objectives:

1. Describe the process of establishing incident command and triaging symptomatic employees during an environmental exposure event.
2. Evaluate long-term mitigation strategies for operating room environmental hazards, including equipment maintenance plans, air handling upgrades, and wearable monitoring technology.
3. Identify clinical symptoms associated with common inhalational anesthetic exposures (e.g., nitrous oxide and sevoflurane) in an operating room setting.

Speaker Bio:

Mattie Dotson is an Occupational Health Nurse and supervises a team of five nurses at BJC Healthcare in St. Louis, MO. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Goldfarb School of Nursing in St. Louis. She has been an RN in Missouri for 15 years, with the past 8 years in occupational health in the hospital setting. The occupational health nurses Mattie supervises perform pre-employment screenings for BJC Healthcare, as well as floating to eight BJC locations to assist and cover local occupational health offices. During her time in occupational health, she has been responsible for handling various occupational exposures that happen in the hospital setting. She has led occupational health initiatives to investigate and manage various exposures to environmental factors as well as communicable diseases.

Topic Overview:

An organization's sterile compounding pharmacies in the Midwest experienced a sudden increase in workers with hand and lower arm dermatitis. Initial assessment revealed multiple hand hygiene/antisepsis and hazardous drug deactivation products pharmacy employees used in their daily work. The investigation commenced with review of all environmental cleaning chemicals, hand antisepsis products, and personal protective equipment used, as well as the department's standard operating procedures. Over 9 months, Occupational Health collaborated with other departments to prevent further dermatitis through substitution and implementing engineering and administrative controls. The information obtained during this presentation will allow other organizations to assist their occupational health departments to provide safe employee handling of hazardous drugs.

Objectives:

1. Describe how an investigational process identified gaps that exposed employees to causative agents resulting in employee dermatitis while working in large sterile compounding pharmacies.
2. Identify the personal protective equipment required for use in handling hazardous drugs and chemicals while performing compounding activities.
3. Describe departmental standard operating procedures and modifications implemented to ensure staff safety at work and identify improvements in employee safety.

Speaker Bios:

Beth Ann Maneikis is Occupational Health Nurse at BJC Health in St. Louis, MO. She is a Registered Nurse who received her bachelor's degree from Chamberlain University School of Nursing. At BJC, Beth is responsible for new employee onboarding, and assessing and case managing employee injuries, illnesses, and exposures.

Lisa Wojtak is Manager of Occupational Health Services at BJC Health System. In this role, she directs occupational health services to over 17,000 employees at all east region academic hospitals system-wide, including Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children's Hospital, and Barnes West County Hospital. She supervises 11 occupational health nurses. Lisa is recognized as a subject matter expert regarding methods and strategies for employee injury reduction. She advanced intervention effectiveness by implementing an early assessment and intervention protocol for victims of workplace violence incidents. During the past several years, she has developed programs for employee work-related injury prevention, medical surveillance, and risk assessment. She published on the topic of Sharps Safety Program for both the AOHP and Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) journals.

Topic Overview:

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health concern. Globally, TB caused an estimated 1.23 million deaths in 2024, making it the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 13 million people in the United States have latent TB infection. More than 80% of U.S. TB disease cases result from untreated latent TB, with a reported increase in cases of 15.6% from 2022 to 2023. This has direct implications for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital due to our international workforce and immunocompromised patient population. Historically, TB testing was limited to patient-facing staff, despite many research staff originating from regions with higher TB prevalence. Processes for managing positive tests were fragmented, dependent on varied local health department procedures, and often resulted in delays or lost follow-up.

A standardized, comprehensive TB program - aligned with current guidelines to enhance safety, streamline workflows, and support timely return to work - was developed to address these issues. The redesigned TB program improved efficiency, reduced costs, enhanced compliance, and strengthened case management. In-house testing, expanded imaging options, and standardized workflows support safer and faster work clearance. Participants will be able to define a comprehensive and collaborative TB screening model, outline cost-effective screening approaches that support early detection and timely return-to-work, and recognize how this model can be applied in other healthcare and research settings.

Objectives:

1. Define current tuberculosis (TB) guidelines and their application in occupational health settings.
2. Identify program gaps and formulate actionable recommendations for improvement.
3. Outline a cost-effective and comprehensive TB screening program, emphasizing early detection and timely return-to-work strategies.

Speaker Bio:

Changhong Jiang is an Occupational Health Nurse with more than 16 years of specialized experience in occupational health and infection control. She brings extensive expertise in employee health, wellness, immunizations, workplace safety, occupational injury prevention, regulatory compliance, health surveillance, and infection prevention. She has led and supported numerous quality improvement initiatives, strengthened clinical workflows, and implemented evidence-based practices to enhance occupational health operations and ensure compliance with regulatory standards and best practices. Her collaborative work with multidisciplinary teams and public health partners includes COVID-19 pandemic planning and management, comprehensive vaccination programs (including influenza and Tdap), bloodborne pathogen and other workplace exposure programs, ergonomics initiatives, tuberculosis screening programs, infectious illness surveillance systems, and infection prevention protocols. A trusted resource for employees and leadership, she has developed and contributed to many policies' development, safety training, risk mitigation, cost efficient process improvement, and data-driven decision making. She is deeply committed to promoting workplace safety and advancing the health, well-being, safety, and productivity of diverse workforces.

Topic Overview:

Each year, an average of 2 million U.S. workers report being victims of workplace violence, according to OSHA. Violence in the workplace extends beyond headline-making physical assaults. Join this session to learn how SSM Health System built their program to protect the safety of its patients, employees, and visitors through a critical partnership between security and employee safety, incorporating trauma-informed care principles. Have you leveled up your workplace violence prevention program to go above and beyond the requirements, or do you still have room for improvement?

Objectives:

1. Describe the benefits of partnering clinical and security to co-lead the workplace violence prevention program.
2. Learn how to assess your workplace violence program for areas of improvement and strategies.
3. Consider the benefits of integrating trauma-informed care in a workplace violence prevention program.

Speaker Bio:

Jennifer Luer joined SSM Health in 2007 when she decided to change careers and follow the calling to become a nurse. She has over 9 years of experience in process improvement, event investigation, and analysis. She transitioned to System Director of Employee Safety in June 2021. Since the formation of Employee Safety, SSM Health has seen a 60% reduction in Employee OSHA DART injuries. Jennifer helped form teams that assisted with the system rollout of the AVADE workplace violence prevention training, simplified single icon workplace violence event reporting, proactive risk of violence Epic workflow, Care for Caregivers program, and standardization of tools and resources for a holistic approach to caregiver safety. Their focuses include safe patient handling, slips/trips/falls, strains/sprains, needlesticks/sharps reduction, trauma-informed care, and workplace violence prevention. Previously, she oversaw the Regulatory, Infection Prevention, Risk, and Patient Safety team in Southern Illinois. She helped lead work to design Care for the Caregivers in Southern Illinois, including the education of the second victim phenomenon for all team members.

Topic Overview:

This session will show how an ergonomic program created using AI has helped to decrease injuries with clinicians, pilots, and mechanics at Air Methods. We created computer learning modules that included videos of our employees completing their duties with AI interpretation of the risk of injury for those activities. The videos show employees loading and unloading different aircraft and ambulances as well as climbing ladders, lifting heavy equipment, and working in and around aircraft. When risky or dangerous activities were identified, the modules included ways to mitigate injuries from happening. In addition to ergonomics, the learning modules also included patient handling, wellness and nutrition, and general injury reduction information. In addition to the computer learning modules, job-specific musculoskeletal stretching and strengthening exercises were created to further decrease injuries and promote wellness. Since its inception a year ago, we now have data to support the decrease in injuries and increase in wellness for these employees.

Objectives:

1. Identify what physical activities contribute to on-the-job injuries in the medical transport industry.
2. Discuss mitigation interventions to decrease on-the-job injuries in the medical transport industry.
3. Describe the impact of an ergonomic program on work-related injuries and overall wellness.

Speaker Bio:

Sheryl Williams, During her 26 years in the critical care transport industry, Sheryl Williams has had the privilege of spending time as a Flight Nurse, Educator, and in various management roles. Her most recent role has been leading the creation and management of the Health & Wellness Team at Air Methods LLC. This team is involved in creating and promoting the many aspects of health and wellness to employees. One of the team's main priorities is to reduce on-the-job injuries, which led to the creation of an ergonomic learning program.

Topic Overview:

Employee Health rarely suffers from a lack of importance - everyone agrees it should matter. What it often lacks is clarity of perception. How leaders, managers, clinicians, and employees perceive Employee Health determines how they use it, fund it, trust it, and ultimately how effective it becomes. This session will explore the cycle of perception of Employee Health in hospitals - a repeating loop of beliefs, behaviors, and outcomes that can either trap programs in a transactional, compliance-only role or elevate them into a strategic pillar of workforce resilience.

Objectives:

1. Define the cycle of perception of Employee Health in hospitals.
2. Review data-driven tools Employee Health can use to improve/increase regulatory compliance.
3. Discuss the Return on Investment Employee Health provides the organization.

Speaker Bio:

David Potts served in the United States Air Force for 30 years, retiring as the Superintendent Nursing Services 178th Medical Group, Springfield, OH in July 2008. He was both a bomb builder and an advanced medical technician who could prescribe, diagnose, and treat groups of up to 300 people while deployed. Since his retirement from the Air Force, he has spent the past 18 years working in the private sector in occupational health in healthcare in positions of increasing responsibility and authority in Ohio, Virginia, and Washington State. He is currently the Senior Clinical Director of Employee Health and Occupational Medicine for HonorHealth in Phoenix, AZ. He earned an Aerospace/Occupational Medicine Specialist IDMT, Emergency Medicine, from Community College of the Air Force and his BSN in Nursing Education from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Topic Overview:

Post COVID-19, we are still feeling unsettled, isolated, and exhausted. We find comfort turning inward, opting out of catching up with friends, and missing opportunities to meet for coffee. Many have lost the feeling of being connected to their jobs and coworkers.

A new generation is in the workforce that has an average length of tenure of 2 years, 9 months. Why? They enter the workforce with a set of expectations that do not match our current work environments. Is getting an email after 5 pm toxic or just part of the job? Will overworking, staying late, or working through lunch get you promoted? It depends on the generation you ask. Their currency is connection… to the job and to coworkers.

In this session, learn how to recreate team connections and culture. Learn ideas to weave a culture of deep connection back into your workforce and bring a sense of belonging, cohesiveness, and trust.

Objectives:

1. Learn current stats on length of time on job by generation.
2. Discuss factors contributing to turnover (mergers, acquisitions, management).
3. Define common mismatched expectations between generations that cause problems.
4. List elements to creating a workplace culture of connection.

Speaker Bio:

Kathy Espinoza is a state, national, and international speaker on topics covering stress management, relationships in the workforce, ergonomics, human resources management, risk management, and safety. She consults through kathyespinoza.com with hospitals, cities, schools, and county organizations. She is a Board Certified Professional Ergonomist with 35 years of experience. Kathy holds dual master's degrees, one in Work Science/Physiology and an MBA. She has 97 articles published and just authored a book, “Teens with Tenacity”, which helps teens deal with stress.