AOHC Encore 2022-226: Medical Center Occupational Health: Effective Management

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In the video, the panelists discuss various topics related to occupational health in medical centers. The session begins with an introduction of the panel members. The panelists then invite the audience to ask questions about their pain points and difficulties related to healthcare worker management. The panelists provide suggestions and solutions for managing complex cases, such as pregnant healthcare workers with injuries or exposures, and discuss the importance of collaboration between occupational health and other departments, such as infection prevention and environmental health and safety. They also highlight the need for early return to work programs and the use of physical therapy for injured workers. The panelists address the issue of non-work-related injuries and illnesses, stating that positive hepatitis B titers and verbal reports of past immunizations can be considered proof of immunity. However, they advise using declination forms to document when individuals decline re-immunization. The panelists also discuss the threshold for infectious disease referral in the case of healthcare workers exposed to patients with multiple blood-borne pathogen infections, such as HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and syphilis. They emphasize the importance of clinical judgment, risk assessment, and coordinating with infectious disease specialists in such cases. The panelists touch upon other topics, such as COVID-19 return-to-work protocols, the use of antigen tests, and access to state immunization registries. Overall, the panelists provide insights and recommendations for effectively managing occupational health issues in medical centers.

Keywords

occupational health

medical centers

healthcare worker management

infection prevention

return to work programs

physical therapy

immunizations

infectious disease referral

COVID-19

antigen tests