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News Highlights

2014; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 56; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1097/jom.0000000000000206

1536-5948

FigureThe American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) presented its annual awards on April 27, 2014, during the Opening Session of the 2014 American Occupational Health Conference (AOHC) in San Antonio, Texas. Recognized for their contributions to the field of occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) were five physicians and the authors of an outstanding article published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM). Award recipients are as follows: Knudsen Lifetime Achievement in Occupational and Environmental Medicine Award. Created in 1938 by William S. Knudsen, then president of General Motors, this Award—the highest honor in OEM—recognizes an individual who has had a distinguished career in one or more disciplines of occupational medicine, environmental medicine, and/or environmental health. Robert S. Rhodes, MD, MPH, FACOEM, President and CEO of Global Health Associates, West Bloomfield, Mich., was the recipient of the 2014 Knudsen Award for his leadership and contributions to OEM, as exemplified by his 40-year medical career as an educator and researcher—30 of those in OEM working for General Motors where he was instrumental in implementing the successful Divisional Joint Health and Safety Process and an Occupational Medical and Safety Education Program. During his years as an officer on the ACOEM Board of Directors (BOD) and as its President (1997 to 1998), his tireless leadership piloted ACOEM and OEM through transitional times that included the emergence of managed care and the issue of the role of OEM physicians in medical surveillance. During his presidency, ACOEM developed its OEM competencies and expanded its presence in Washington, DC. Dr Rhodes was also an early promoter of the need for occupational medicine practice guidelines. Dr Rhodes received his MD from Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tenn., and his MPH from the School of Public Health, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Preventive Medicine certified in occupational medicine. An ACOEM member since 1979, Dr Rhodes was bestowed Fellow status in 1987. He also served his component, Michigan OEMA, as president and in various capacities throughout the years. Kehoe Award for Excellence in Education or Research in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Named for Robert A. Kehoe, MD, a past president and pioneer in the field of OEM, this lifetime achievement award is presented to an individual for significant contributions to academic excellence or research in the disciplines of occupational medicine, environmental medicine, and/or environmental health. Dean B. Baker, MD, MPH, FACOEM, Professor of Clinical Medicine and Director of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of California, Irvine, and Chief, Division of OEM Irvine, received the 2014 Kehoe Award for his lifetime achievements in research, including environmental epidemiology with emphasis on children's environmental health and developmental toxicity associated with exposures to heavy metals and pesticides, as well as environmental factors in asthma; occupational epidemiology with emphasis on the role of work organization, psychosocial factors; and stress in the etiology of cardiovascular disease and immune function. Dr Baker has authored numerous publications and peer-reviewed articles and is a past president of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology. Dr Baker received his MD from the University of California School of Medicine, San Diego, and his MPH from the University of California, Berkeley. He is certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine in occupational medicine. A member of ACOEM for the past 25 years, Dr Baker was elevated to Fellowship in 2011 and is a member of the Western OEMA, an ACOEM component society. ACOEM Health Achievement in Occupational Medicine Award. Created in 1948, this Award recognizes an ACOEM member for a specific, unique achievement in OEM. Denece O. Kesler, MD, MPH, FACOEM, Associate Professor, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, was bestowed the 2014 Health Achievement Award for her key role in establishing ACOEM's Part IV Module. Since its implementation, she has served as chair of the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Part IV Committee, reviewing countless modules and directly assisting diplomates with the Part IV process. At each AOHC, she presents a minimum of two sessions (MOC Part IV and Becoming Board Certified in OEM). In addition, she has served on numerous past AOHC program committees. Dr Kesler is recognized for her outstanding body of work and contributions to ACOEM. Dr Kesler received her MD from Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion and her MPH from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She is certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine in occupational medicine. She joined ACOEM in 1997 and was elevated to Fellowship in 2005. Aside from her work on the MOC Part IV Committee, she is a member of Increasing Quality and Awareness of OEM Task Force, member and past chair of the Education and Academic Affairs Council, and is a Section Alternate Delegate to the ACOEM House of Delegates (HOD). Dr Kesler has also chaired the Academic Occupational Medicine Section and served on the OEM Competencies Task Force and HOD Internal Affairs Workgroup. She is a member of ACOEM's Rocky Mountain component. ACOEM Meritorious Service Award. This Award was established in 1945 to recognize an ACOEM member who has provided meritorious service to the College. Joseph A. Fortuna, MD, MACOEM, Chief Executive Officer at PRISM of New Orleans, La., and Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of OEM, Department of Family Practice, at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Mich., was the recipient of the 2014 Meritorious Service Award. Dr Fortuna has been an active contributor to ACOEM for many years and served in numerous capacities within the organization's leadership, including Speaker of the House of Delegates. He is founder and Chair Emeritus of the ACOEM Special Interest Section for Underserved Occupational Populations. He continues his support of this vital section, serving as secretary and moderator of its AOHC Concurrent Educational Sessions and on-site visits. Through the roles he has held and in honor of his commitment to quality occupational health and safety for all occupational populations, and for raising awareness of inequalities in this system, he is recognized for his contributions, guidance, and leadership. Dr Fortuna received his MD from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. An ACOEM member since 1987, he achieved Master status in 1999. His additional service to ACOEM included terms on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee and as HOD Speaker-elect and Recorder. He served on the Councils on OEM Practice and Special Occupational Health Interests, and the Disaster Preparedness, Health and Productivity, Business Development, Interactive Services, Migrant Health, and Component Affairs Committees, among others. Dr Fortuna was also the recipient of the President's Award in 2002 for outstanding service to ACOEM. He is a member of ACOEM's Mid South component and former member of the Michigan OEMA and Maryland COEM, where he served as President and member of its Board of Directors. Kammer Merit in Authorship Award. Presented in honor of Adolf G. Kammer, MD, first editor of the JOEM, this award recognizes the most outstanding contribution published in JOEM during a given year. Acknowledged with the 2014 Kammer Award for their paper “Occupational Exposures and the Development of New-Onset Asthma: A Population-Based Cohort Study From the Ages of 13 to 44 Years” which appeared in the March 2013 issue of JOEM, were Ryan F. Hoy, MBBS (lead author), and Drs Michael J. Abramson and Geza Benke of the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Drs John A. Burgess, Shyamali C. Dharmage, Lyle Gurrin, and Melanie Matheson of the Centre for MEGA Epidemiology, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Dr Stephen Morrison of Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Australia; and Professor E. Haydn Walters of Menzies Research Institute, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. This important research established that there is a significant association between cumulative occupational exposure to latex and new-onset asthma. The Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award at the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. This award, made available through a grant from the Gold Foundation, identifies and honors a practicing ACOEM member physician who demonstrates the ideals of compassionate and respectful care for a patient's physical and emotional well-being. Marc Wilkenfeld, MD, MPH, Chief, Division of Occupational Medicine, Winthrop University Hospital, Mineola, N.Y., Clinical Assistant Professor in Medicine at New York University Medical Center, and Assistant Professor in Clinical Medicine and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University Medical Center, New York, N.Y., was bestowed this award for exemplifying “humanism” in medicine for his work with government agencies, corporations, and community groups following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. During this difficult time, Dr Wilkenfeld volunteered as a public health advisor to the New York City Council to help guide public policy decisions relating to medical and public health effects of the disaster and rebuilding efforts. He provided, and still provides, compassionate care for various responders at Ground Zero. Dr Wilkenfeld also treats residents and responders with physical and behavioral health symptoms resulting from the east coast's Hurricane Sandy. In addition, he maintains an active practice at Gouverneur Health Care Service, a New York City HHC facility in Chinatown, and with the help of Mandarin translators, treats poor, underserved, and uninsured members of that community for occupational medicine issues. His patients and their families regard Dr Wilkenfeld as a compassionate advocate who works tirelessly to secure the medical and other help they may need. And, in 2012, he was the only occupational medicine physician in New York State to be designated by New York Magazine as a “Best Doctor” noting his unique expertise in environmental medicine. Dr Wilkenfeld received his MD from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington and his MPH from Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York. He is certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine in occupational medicine. Dr Wilkenfeld joined ACOEM in 1989 and is a member of the Council of Scientific Advisors and treasurer and former co-chair of the Environmental Health Section. He is also a member and past president of ACOEM's New York component and serves as a Delegate to the House of Delegates. The Central States Occupational and Environmental Medical Association (CSOEMA), an ACOEM component society, recently elected new officers and Board members. Janet L. Elliot, MD, took office on April 1 as CSOEMA President. Other officers installed for 1-year terms were President-elect Robin L. Sassman, MD; Vice President John Kuhnlein, DO; and Secretary-Treasurer Ted Niemiec, MD. Jeffrey Williamson-Link, MD, continues to serve the component as Immediate Past President. Rick Garrels, MD, Daniel G. Samo, MD, Rajesh K. Ethiraj, MD, and Daniel Brown, MD, are serving 3-year terms (2014 to 2017) on CSOEMA's Board of Governors, while Marcos Iglesias, MD, is fulfilling a 1-year term. CSOEMA will hold its 2014 Annual Fall Seminar on September 19 to 20 at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel, South Bend, Ind. For additional information, contact Marlyce Nutt, CSOEMA Executive Director; telephone: 630/497-0286; fax: 630/497-0364; e-mail: [email protected]; or Web site: www.csoema.org.