2007 NECOEM/MaAOHN Annual Conference: A Day in the Life of an OEM Clinician: Medicine Meets the Workplace. November 29-30, 2007 (Thursday - Friday) Location: The Bedford Glen Hotel, Bedford, MA                         Thursday, November 29, 2007       8:00   Presidents’ Welcome: Thomas Gassert MD MSc (NECOEM); Sheila Litchfield, RN COHN-S (MaAOHN)                   Injuries / Illness Issues Morning Moderator:       8:15   Some Things Old, Some Things New, Some Thing Borrowed, and Some Things Flu - an Update on Infectious Disease Concerns for Healthcare Workers, Richard Ellison, MD,  Director of Infectious Disease, U-Mass Memorial Medical Center Mental Health vs. Willful Misconduct: Early Recognition of Behavioral Health Issues in the Workplace, Patrick Doyle, LICSW, Mt. Auburn Hospital Employee Assistance Program Upper Extremity Injuries-From the Exam Room to the Workplace, Andrew Terrono, MD, New England Baptist Hospital The Pathophysiology and Treatment of Lumbar Degenerative Disk Disease, Robert Deters, MD, New Hampshire NeuroSpine                   NECOEM Membership Luncheon.        11:45   Members are encouraged to attend. Brief reports from officers will be followed by discussion of current issues important to NECOEM/ACOEM.                   Injuries / Illness Issues Afternoon Moderator:       1:15   Fitness for Duty, ADA and Direct Threat Assessments, Carolyn Langer, MD, JD, MPH Medical Director, Fallon Community Health Plan Problematic Pre-placement and Fitness for Duty Evaluations: Case Presentations and Panel Discussion, Carolyn Langer, MD, JD, MPH, Medical Director, Fallon Community Health Plan; Glen Pransky, MD, MOccH, Director, Liberty Center for Disability Research; Milda Walkley, RN, CCM, Raytheon Corporation Occupational Lung Disease...Real Problems, Real Workplace Cases, David Christiani, MD, MS, MPH, Director, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program, Harvard School of Public Health Real World Spirometry: Interpretation, Pitfalls and the 2005 American Thoracic Society Guidelines, Mary Townsend, DrPH., M.C. Townsend Associates, LLC, Pittsburgh, PA                   Evening Activities       5:15   Presidents Reception will begin at 5:15 PM on Thursday, November 29th, immediately following conclusion of the afternoon educational session.  All conference participants are invited to join colleagues for light refreshments, networking and conversation.       6:00   NECOEM Special Presentation: “Mud & Butterflies: Excursions into the Developing World” Steve McCloy MD Axxiom Occupational Health, LLC, Pawtucket, RI. NECOEM member Steve McCloy dedicates time and energy annually to working in a clinic in highland Guatemala. Dr. McCloy will share the joys and difficulties of his work. He will contrast health care services in the US and Guatemala and identify environmental concerns including the impact of the US on the Guatemalan environment.                 Friday, November 30, 2007       7:30   Registration, Exhibits, Continental Breakfast                   Our Day Beyond the Office Walls Morning Moderator:       8:00   Nanotechnology: Environmental and Occupational Health Implications, Mike Ellenbecher, CIH, PhD, Director, Toxics Use Reduction Institute, University of Lowell, MA Global Warming: Health Problems and Healthy Solutions, Paul R. Epstein, MD., MPH.,Associate Director, Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard Medical School The Myth of the Great Divide: All Health is Occupational Health, Mark Cullen, MD, Professor of Medicine and Public Health, Director, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Yale University                   Joint Awards Luncheon       12:00   The Board of Directors of the New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine has selected Dr. Mark Cullen as recipient of the 2007 Harriet Hardy Award. This esteemed award in occupational medicine is given to a clinician who embodies the dedication and service of Dr. Hardy (for a short biography please click here). The President of NECOEM, will present the award to Dr. Cullen during the joint awards luncheon on Friday, November 30th . Also, during this awards luncheon, the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Association of Occupational Health Nurses will present the prestigious Nursing Excellence awards for 2007.The purpose of these awards is to provide recognition of the outstanding services of occupational health nurses at the local and state level, to encourage men and women to begin careers in occupational health nursing and to make the public aware of the high caliber of occupational health nurses and the role they play in maintaining our nation’s health.                   Clinical Research Update (Track 1) Afternoon Moderator: 30 minute presentations on current research with practical implications       1:30   Emergency Duties and Deaths from Heart Disease among Firefighters in the United States, Stephanos Kales, MD, MPH, FACOEM, Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Epidemiology, HarvardSchool of Public Health Fish, Mercury and Child Development, Emily Oken, MD, MPH, Dept of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, HarvardMedicalSchool and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Update on Phthalates and Male Reproductive Health: Endocrine and Semen Quality, Russell Hauser, MD, MPH, ScD, Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Epidemiology, HarvardSchool of Public Health       Case Management Skills (Track 2) Afternoon Moderator:       1:30   OUCH!  What We Do Today Could Hurt Us Tomorrow. How to Avoid Pain Management Program Pitfalls, Kim Weaver, RN, BSN, CCM, Manager of Medical and Disability Services, Liberty Mutual, Oranage, CA Physical Treatments for Low Back Pain - Where's The Evidence?, Michael Erdil, MD, FACOEM, Medical Director, Johnson Occupational Medicine Center, Dept of Medicine, Hartford Hospital                                   Continuing Education: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the Joint Sponsorship of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) and the New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (NECOEM).  ACOEM is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. ACOEM designates this educational activity for a maximum of 14.75 category 1 credits toward the AMA Physician’s Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those credits that he/she actually spent in the education activity. Maintenance of Certification: Physicians whose board certification began in 1998 are eligible for re-certification by completing examination questions available at the conference. Nursing Credit:  Contact hours will be awarded to nurses through the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN).  The program qualifies for 12.5 contact hours (7.5 for Thursday and 5.0 for Friday). CaseManager and American Board of Industrial Hygiene: Up to 11.00 CCM credits from the Commission for Case Management Certification will be granted and 0.5 points per 0.5 days for a total of 2.0 ABIH CM points will be awarded.         Conference Brochure- click here