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Volume 17 (Issue 1) Spr
ing
2018
RM
COEH
New
slet
ter
Center DireCtor’s MessageGraduation is an important spring time event at the Rocky Mountain Center and this year’s graduating class will contribute 3 MS and 1 PhD to the field of Ergonomics & Safety, 7 MSOH graduates to the field of Industrial Hygiene, and 4 MOH graduates to the field of Occupational Medicine. In addition to helping our 2018 class write and submit research papers and prepare for comprehensive exams, the faculty and staff have been busy writing grants, conducting research, and developing a new degree program. The RMCOEH continues to move forward with plans for undergraduate training in occupational safety and health. This new proposed undergraduate program will contribute to the services the Center provides to students and the community by expanding educational options for learners and supplying well-trained safety specialists to employers in business, trade organizations, government, and education.
One of the major events that is also taking place this spring was the renewal of the NIOSH ERC Grant. The Center was scored at 24, which is categorized as Outstanding. This means that the Center did extremely well against other competing centers. Specifically, the Center was commended for:
• An Advisory Board made up of key stakeholders that holds regular meetings;• The strong and nearly unmatched legislative support; • High caliber faculty that uses real-world experience as part of the classroom experience;• Outreach activities of faculty;• Development of the planned distance-based MOH program;• Strongly interdisciplinary curriculum;• Well-defined and comprehensive strategic plan for the entire Center;• Exceeding regional numbers for diversity in the student population.
All of the individual programs were praised for their various strengths, too. Of particular note, Ergonomics & Safety, which received the best score of all the degree programs, was commended for its broad curriculum and emphasis on safety design and biomechanics. Industrial Hygiene’s ABET accreditation, well-developed curriculum, and trainee outputs including peer-reviewed publications were just some of that program’s strengths. A well-developed continuous quality improvement plan, mentoring and monitoring of student progress were a few of the lauded strengths of the Occupational Injury Prevention Research program. For Occupational Medicine, faculty expertise along with the program’s reputation and strong “track record of effectiveness” were areas of commendation. The Targeted Research Training program merits included practica that offer students real-world experience and local businesses solutions. Outreach was commended for relationships with external groups that deal with OSH in the region, maximizing outreach through “shared opportunities,” and its impact measurements.
We are proud of the faculty and staff efforts throughout the renewal cycle that see us once again receiving exceptional ratings from the national panel of 31 external reviewers. The feedback we received will be incorporated into the next 5-year plan along with goals such as the new degree programs, expanding online course offerings, building on legislative successes and further diversifying funding streams, growing the TRT and extramural NORA research programs, increasing social media presence across multiple platforms, and the numerous goals set out for each program. Congratulations to all our faculty and staff!
Kurt T. Hegmann, MD, MPHRMCOEH DirectorDr. Paul S. Richards Endowed Chair in Occupational Safety & Health
Dr. Hegmann in his graduation garb--’tis the season!
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In this Issue. . .Center Director’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1A Piece of History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Researcher Highlight: Dr. Melissa Cheng. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 16th Annual NORA Symposium. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Matt Kerr, Director of the Mountain West OSHA Education Center . . . . . . . . . . . 5Serving Workers, Creating New Connections, Expanding Our Reach. . . . . . . . . 6Scholarships and Awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Spring 2018 Events & Happenings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9RMCOEH News Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Catching Up with Former Graduates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12RMCOEH Alumnus Spotlight: Jason Storrs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13So Long, Farewell: Selected Quotes from the Class of Spring 2018 . . . . . . . . . . 14
Cover page photo credit: Dr. Leon Pahler
A Piece of History
Many visitors to the Rocky Mountain Center may notice a large display case in the foyer that has a lot of strange looking equipment. Although odd and unfamiliar to the uninitiated eye, these devices are part of history, a testament to our very human desire to quantify, qualify, and continually improve. Often when we think of history we think of human events, or even geological changes, but history can be told through objects as well. These occupational tools are evidence of our technological progression, a witness to what was once state-of-the-art, and a signifier of materials and their manufacture at a given point in time.
The cabinet hosts a variety of equipment including a Dust Asbestos Particulate Analyzer that shows how modern technology has vastly improved particle counts; a Bacharach Indicator Sampler of Carbon Monoxide, a device used as an early predictor of carbon monoxide and a precursor to colormetric technology such as CHIP measurement systems (CMS); and a long blue tube that, despite its similarity to a child’s telescope, is really a spirometer calibrator from the 1970s. It is an honor for the Center to curate such historical items and tell the storied and evolving history of occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS). If you or your company have a piece of history that you would like to add to our collection, please contact Toni Chambers at: 801.581.4800 / [email protected]. We will add your item to the display case with a placard acknowledging the donation. We will provide you with a receipt for tax purposes as well. Below (left to right) are the display case, spirometer calibrator, and CO detector.
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Researcher Highlight: Dr. Melissa ChengDr. Melissa Cheng began working at the Rocky Mountain Center as a Clinical Instructor after completing her residency in 2011. Prior to joining the RMCOEH, she graduated with a Master of Health Science with an emphasis on complex humanitarian emergencies from Johns Hopkins Blomberg School of Public Health in 2003. Recently, Dr. Cheng’s research and Outreach activities have been focused on the opioid epidem-ic and her efforts have resulted in legislation (H.B. 175, Opioid Abuse Prevention and Treatment), training (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) training), and grants that will allow her to extend the reach of her efforts.
One of Dr. Cheng’s grants sponsored by the Utah Department of Substance Abuse and Mental Health is helping to make SBIRT training widely available by placing it online. The training will be open to all health care workers, especially those that prescribe controlled substances. It will take approximately 3 hours to complete the training and content will be updated and supported for 2 years.
Dr. Cheng is also working with Utah Department of Health (DoH) and other stakeholders in addressing the opioid epidemic. For example, Cheng and the DoH are preparing to host the first-ever round table of insurance companies and health care providers. The round table discussion will include an array of topics, including the abuse of opioids, prevention, and effective non-opioid treatments for pain. “It is essential to get insurance com-panies and health care providers to work together on this issue,” says Dr. Cheng. “The problem has become so egregious some states and cities, including Salt Lake, are either contemplating or actively pursuing lawsuits against drug companies. So, the more stakeholders involved in addressing the problem the better.”
Another one of Dr. Cheng’s goals is to promote SBIRT training within obstetrics, as Utah has some of the high-est mortality rates among opioid-addicted pregnant women and high addiction rates for women in post-natal care. “We also have a high rate of newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome [babies born addicted
to opioids]. This is a really critical group for prevention because, not only do we not fully understand the long-term health effects of drug abuse in utero, roughly 24 states class drug use during pregnancy as child abuse and this is may be discouraging pregnant women from seeking treatment,” says Dr. Cheng.
This is an important issue for Dr. Cheng. “My interests in universal screening and public health initiatives like these are the reason I became a board certified preven-tive medicine professional,” says Cheng. “People think of addiction as a binary: ‘Either you are an addict or you abstain,’ but the reality is that use of controlled sub-stances and addiction are on a continuum, with abuse on one end and teetotalers on the other.” Dr. Cheng states that it is crucial to help people struggling with substance abuse regardless of where they are on the substance misuse-abuse continuum—everyone from the addicts who have lost their lives to addiction to those that are still functioning but self-medicate to deal with physical or emotional and mental pain.
Dr. Cheng directing her SBIRT training videos
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16th Annual NORA Symposium The Rocky Mountain Center’s E&S faculty continue to host the Annual NORA Symposium at the University of Utah campus. On April 19-20, 2018, the 16th Symposium was held and was the largest symposium in NORA’s history with students from across the nation presenting their research. Below are some highlights from the event.
Left: The Dr. Paul S. Richards Endowed Distinguished Visiting Lectureship in Occupational Medicine, James Lockey, MD (University of Cincinnati) delivering his keynote entitled, “How Results from a 30 Year U.S. Study of Workers Exposed to Vermiculite Drive U.S. Public Health Policy.” Dr. Lockey was the first OM Program Director at the RMCOEH in the late 1970s to early 1980s! The opening keynote was given by Brad Husberg, CAPT, U.S. Public Health Service and was entitled, “NIOSH, NORA, and Robots.”
Right: Aaron Cox, RMCOEH IH student , presents on his research, “Characterization of CO and NO2 Exposures of Ice Skating Rink Maintenance Workers.” Center faculty, students, and residents had a total of 15 presentations/posters: 8 Industrial Hygiene; 2 Occupational Medicine; and 7 Mechanical Engineering. Topics covered at NORA ranged from cardio strain in hotel cleaners to using flooring to reduce falls in hospitals to opioid use in truck drivers to back posture.
Left: The University of South Florida (USF) presenters gathered around their poster entitled, “USF Health Faculty & Staff, Health & Well-being Assessment: Highlighting the Current.” This study examined the impact of an employee wellness program. Other presenters from USF had presentations/posters on the risk of blood-borne pathogen exposures among USF medical trainees and controlling Legionella pneumophila in cooling tower waters.
Right: Dr. Andrew Merryweather presenting. Dr. Merryweather is the main NORA Symposium organizer and has successfully grown the event over the last few years. This year universities from 8 different states participated: CA (Berkeley, Northwestern Polytech/Berkeley, UC Irvine); CO (Colorado State); FL (U. of Southern Florida); WI (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), OR (Oregon. Sate), TX (University of Texas Tech); UT (BYU, UofU, Utah State); NY (New York Medical College).
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Right: One of the researchers from Berkeley presenting on their study, “The Impact of Heavy Load Carrying Practices on Musculoskeletal Health among Sand Miners in Nepal.” The research presented at NORA examined a wide array of topics and included some pretty diverse populations: material handlers, female factory workers in developing countries, music conductors, restaurant workers, and more!
Matt Kerr
The Rocky Mountain Center is pleased to announce Matt Kerr as the new Director of the Mountain West OSHA Education Center. Matt is also slated to replace Connie Crandall as Continuing Education (CE) Director, and is working with Connie to ensure a smooth transition between CE Directors. Matt is a Certified Environmental, Health, and Safety Trainer (CET) and Certified Safety and Health Official (CSHO) with over 30 years of experience in the field of occupational and environmental health and safety. In addition, Matt has been an instructor/consultant for 8 different OSHA Training Institute Education Centers, co-founded the Construction Safety Leadership Alliance (CSLA), and served as a member/advisor on several safety and health executive committees and advisory boards in both the business and education sectors.
Matt lives in Midway, Utah with his wife, Kathy, and two dogs, Koda and Bodie. He says that when he isn’t busy taking care of OSHA business and Kathy isn’t busy running her own business, BoDaisy Designs, they like to hit the outdoors, taking full advantage of all the opportunities for hiking and fly fishing the state affords; they have even purchased two new kayaks that are sure to extend their outdoor adventures. Matt says that he and Kathy are absolutely loving Utah.
Join us in welcoming Matt to the RMCOEH family!
Matt joined the Rocky Mountain Center January 2, 2018 and immediately began implementing his own unique talents in the position of Mountain West OSHA Ed Center Director. “The first challenge I noticed was the difficulty in branding,” says Matt. “The fact that the Mountain West OSHA Ed Center is part of the Rocky Mountain Center, which is itself made up of different programs, and the Center itself is part of the University of Utah can easily confuse people. We’ve started creating a strong, recognizable brand for the Mountain West OSHA Education Center, which is the part of CE that offers OSHA courses. This brand, of course, is tied to the UofU’s Rocky Mountain Center and part of the Mountain West OSHA Ed Center’s strength comes from this relationship. So, as our team continues to forge a strong brand identity for the Mountain West OSHA Ed Center, what we are really doing is dual branding. The end result is more promotion for the Center and University, and a strong, easily recognized identity for the Mountain West OSHA Ed Center that draws from and reinforces the brands of the Center and the U.”
Part of his re-branding campaign has included a redesign and reboot of the Mountain West OSHA Ed Center website (see more here: http://medicine.utah.edu/rmcoeh/continuing-education/mountainwestosha/), quarterly course schedules, and a monthly newsletter (get the latest issue here: http://medicine.utah.edu/rmcoeh/continuing-education/mountainwestosha/newsletters.php). In addition, the Mountain West Ed Center has some new offerings, including military training courses and three new bilingual (Spanish and English) course instructors.
In addition to increasing course offerings and the Mountain West OSHA Ed Center network, Matt is also looking for new ways to support the activities of the RMCOEH, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, and the University of Utah.
Director of the Mountain West OSHA Education Center
Matt Kerr, Director of the Mountain West OSHA Ed Center 5
Serving WorkersCreating New Connections
Expanding Our ReachMatt Kerr plans to create new networks and relationships for the Rocky Mountain Center’s Continuing Education program and the newest coalition Matt has assisted in putting together was with the Mexican Consulate. The successfully realized goal was the creation of an interdisciplinary alliance that creates programs and supports Latino workers in Utah. Named the Hispanic Workers Safety Alliance (HWSA), the alliance already boasts an Executive Board with members from diverse backgrounds: Tom Davidson, Laborers Local #295; Anita Watson, Utah Labor Commission; Brett Besser, OSHA-FED; Cameron Ruppe, Utah OSHA; Jorge Barraza, Utah Domestic Violence Coalition; Patricia Cortes Guadarrama, Mexican Consulate; Eloy Mongezarate, Mexican Consulate; Roman Tercero, Mexican Consulate; and Matt Kerr, Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health.
The Executive Board held their first meeting April 23, 2018 and included three presentations. Kurt Hegmann, Director of the RMCOEH gave a presentation in which he discussed actions already underway that will address pressing issues such as OSHA courses in Spanish and new degree programs. Luis Garza, Executive Director of Communidades Unidas, presented on the efforts of her organization to support workers and what their research shows regarding the current state of safety knowledge in the Latino labor force. Finally, Michael Flynn, Coordinator of Occupational Health Equity Program at NIOSH gave a presentation on three key areas of focus: research, intervention, and access to resources.
The meeting identified 6 action items (community outreach, establishing trust, data collection, education, media presence, reaching workers) and subgroups were formed to carryout each of the 6 actions. Additionally, the Executive Board was able to identify existing resources and infrastructure that could either be further utilized or built upon to achieve the goals of the HWSA. “This is an exciting opportunity for the Center and the Mountain West OSHA Ed Center to reach an under served population of workers,” said Matt Kerr. “Serving workers is what we do best.”
Left to Right: A top view of the 6 subgroups working out the details for their action plans; Anita Watson presenting on behalf of UT Labor Commission; Kurt Hegmann presenting on the role the Rocky Mountain Center will play.
Scholarships and Awards
Dr. Royce Moser, Jr. and Lois H. Moser Endowed Scholarship in Occupational Health
Dorothy Taylor (E&S)Benjamin Heaton (OM) Devin Owens (OM)
The Dr. Moser Scholarship is awarded each year based on merit, need, and outstanding achievements. The RMCOEH Scholarship Selection Committee selects award recipients by evaluating the application
and a review of academic progress.
Jeffrey S. Lee Memorial Scholarship
Lauren Haggerty (IH)
The Lee scholarship was established by the friends, family, and peers of Dr. Lee and is awarded by AIHA. Only one student a year is awarded the Lee scholarship nationally. Established in 2006, the scholarship honors the memory of Dr. Lee, University of Utah graduate and former Industrial
Hygiene Director at RMCOEH.
Dr. Richard E. Johns Endowed Scholarship
Angela Ho (IH)Kaylin Lake (IH)
The Dr. Johns family established the scholarship to honor Dr. Johns memory and legacy of education. Awardees are able to use scholarship funds for school,
research projects, or other academic expenses.
Utah Chapter ASSE Scholarship
Roya Sabbagh Novin (E&S, robotics track)Mojtaba Yazdani (E&S)
The American Society of Safety Engineers Foundation awards scholarships and education grants to students studying occupational safety, as well as professionals seeking to advance their knowledge. More than $3 million in scholarship
monies have been awarded thus far.
Dr. Paul S. Richards Safe Workplace Scholarship
Ergonomics & Safety (E&S)Mohammad HomayounpourJonathan Mortensen Roya Sabbagh NovinDorothy Taylor Mojtaba Yazdani
Industrial Hygiene (IH) Lauren HaggertyAngela HoKaylin LakeTyler McCordHannah PhillipsJared StenbergJacob Thomas
Occupational Medicine (MOH)Ben Heaton Cody JacksonDevin Owens
The Workers Compensation Fund generously awards these scholarships each year to students of the Rocky Mountain Center. Students may use the scholarship to offset the cost of books and tuition, or to partially fund
research or supplemental courses through Continuing Education.
Several of this year’s Dr. Paul S. Richards Scholarship recipients.
Photo credit: Dr. Leon Pahler 7
Scholarships and Awards Cont.
R. Jessica Hanford Scholarship
The R. Jessica Hanford Scholarship aims to connect students with the humanities and encourages them to think about their chosen fields creatively. To be eligible, applicants must submit a poem pertinent to either industrial hygiene or occupational medicine. Originally funded by R. Jessica Hanford and with further funding from the Center, this is the 6th year the RMCOEH has been happy to award this
scholarship. Below is the winning poem:
Thanks Refrainedby Jacob Thomas
You walk to the workers,The reason you try,
Some helpful, some scornful,Though you understand why.
Their actions don’t sway you,You’re sure to the bone,
That problems prevented,Aren’t often well known.
And so, you continue,Work day after day,
To help those whose thanks,Are peradventure refrained.
But you know your purpose,And that’s all you need,
To help those with familiesTo hold and to feed.
Chevron Foundation UROP Scholarship
Moriah Henning (E&S undergrad)
The Chevron Foundation UROP Scholarship recognizes women in STEM for advancing technology and moving the global workforce
forward.
Rocky Mountain Academy of Occupational and Environmental Appreciation Award
On April 6th, 2018, Dr. Melissa Cheng received an appreciation award for her tenure as President of the Rocky Mountain Academy of Occupational and Environmental Health. The Academy covers Utah, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Dr. Cheng served as president 2016 to 2017 and was proud to contribute to the Academy’s goals of ensuring “sound occupational medical practice and organizing the educational, legislative, and scientific efforts of its members.”
RMCOEH Outstanding Teaching and Outstanding Student Awards
RMCOEH Outstanding Student AwardsAlexandra Cox (IH student)Aaron Cox (IH student)Michael Fitch (OM)Kryztopher Tung (E&S)
RMCOEH Outstanding Faculty AwardsAndy Phillips, MD, MOH (MOH Program)Matthew Thiese, PhD, MSPH (MSOH Program)
Graduate Research Mentor AwardLeon Pahler, PhD, CIH (OEHS Programs)
The Outstanding Teaching and Student Awards were established to recognize the excellent performance of RMCOEH faculty and students within an academic year.
Dr. Cheng receiving her award
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The Advanced Occupational Solutions course (left) visited Hill Air Force Base this spring. The tour gave students and residents a chance to see a military occupational health program. Included on the tour were some former RMCOEH alumni, including Chris Kleinsmith, Tim Duffy, and Eryn Stansfield. The RMCOEH appreciates the real-world opportunities provided to students and residents in the Occ Solutions course. If you would like to host a tour of your company, contact Dr. Leon Pahler at 801.585.1032 / [email protected]
RMCOEH is Offering Free Training for the Oil & Gas Industry
The Rocky Mountain Center is currently offering a free 5-module training entitled, “Hazardous Materials Handling and Injury Prevention for Oil and Gas Workers” to oil and gas companies, as well as to individual oil and gas employees. This training covers the most common risks and exposures in the oil and gas industry and instruction on how to reduce or eliminate such hazards. The training covers: 1) Chemical Hazards, including hazard communication programs, health hazards and global health systems; 2) Ergonomics/Musculoskeletal Disorders, including risk factors and protective measures for preventing these common and difficult to treat injuries; 3) Thermal Stress, including how to spot and treat heat induced illnesses in addition to the tools and tricks needed to combat heat; 4) Slips, Trips, and Falls, including the seriousness and widespread hazards posed by slips, trips, and falls, how to spot potential risks, and how to eliminate these hazards from the workplace; and 5) Safety Planning, including what constitutes a safety plan, recommendations for creating a safety plan, and what to do if someone does get injured.
The training is offered in two formats, in person and online. The online training can be taken individually off site any time or any place that is convenient. Alternatively, companies may choose to provide the training to larger groups on site. Any oil and gas company within a 3 hour drive of the University of Utah, Salt Lake City main campus is eligible for in-person training. The in-person training can be scheduled by contacting Dr. Rod Handy at 801.581.7125 ([email protected]) or Ms. Emilee Eden at 801.581.7906 ([email protected]).
The online training is available at: https://utah.instructure.com/register. From there, click on the “I’m A Stu-dent” button. Next, enter the “join code,” DHRBE8, and the rest of your data to register for the class. Finally, click on “Start Learning.” Please note that the password must be 8 characters in length.
Events & Happenings Spring 2018
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The 8th Annual Rocky Mountain American Society of BiomechanicsDr. Andrew Merryweather and 10 students from the University of Utah’s RMCOEH E&S Program in the Department of Mechanical Engineering presented at the 8th Annual Regional Meeting of the Rocky Mountain American Society of Biomechanics. This year’s conference was held in Estes Park, CO from April 13-14, 2018. Work from our mechanical engineering team featured a wide range of research. One paper presented findings on estimating fully-body hydration in wildland firefighters, while another discussed how athletes may be able to improve their free-throw by altering the strength of certain muscles and/or muscle groups, and yet another paper covered potential fall indicators exhibited in physical corrective behaviors of the frail elderly as they move from sitting to standing.
Rocky Mountain Center Holiday Donation DrivesThe Center conducted two different donation drives over the 2017 holiday season. One drive held by the faculty and staff gathered donations for the Humane Society of Utah, and the other drive held by the Utah Student AIHA Chapter gathered food for the Utah Food Bank and personal hygiene items for the International Rescue Committee, which is a non-profit organization helping refugees. To encourage participation, the AIHA structured their drive in the form of a competition between faculty & staff, 2nd-year students & residents, and 1st-year students & residents.
(Pictured far right: the Humane Society of Utah donations under the Center Christmas tree; and the Utah Food Bank Donations sitting below the score board. Photo courtesy of Dr. Leon Pahler.)
Safety Certification
The Rocky Mountain Center’s Industrial Hygiene Program recently became a Board Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) Qualified Academic Program (QAP). In order for an academic program to qualify as a QAP, the curriculum has to match and prepare students for the Associate Safety Professional examination. Students that graduate from a QAP can apply for the Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP) credential, which is required for becoming a Certified Safety Professional (CSP). In fact, graduates from a QAP can bypass the Associate Safety Professional (ASP) examination that is normally required for CSP eligibility. “Adding an additional path to professional certification will be a benefit to our students and is a recognition of the ways in which our program’s curricula is meeting both the long-term career needs of our students and also the high national standards for occupational health and safety professionals,” says Dr. Rod Handy, Director of the Industrial Hygiene Program. “I would like to thank Mitch Transtrum, a Center alumnus, for helping shepherd this through from the beginning to the end.”
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Are you an alumnus of the Rocky Mountain Center?
Then let us know how you are doing by contacting Toni Chambers at 801.581.4800 /
Congratulations!
Dr. Melissa Cheng was elevated to Fellowship in occupational and environmental medicine by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) April 29, 2018 in New Orleans, LA. Fellow is the highest level of membership within ACOEM. In order to achieve this membership level, physicians must practice occupational and environmental medicine full-time, illustrate expertise within the field through certification by an ACOEM recognized board, and finally, demonstrate strong leadership at the local and national level.
The Center now boasts 4 ACOEM Fellows as Dr. Cheng joins Drs. Hegmann, Hughes, and Wood in this notable accomplishment.
A Big Summer Welcome
The Master of Occupational Health program at the Rocky Mountain Center was proud to accept 5 new residents, all of whom will join the Center this summer.
David Oldham, DO Josh Merris, MDA.T. Still University of Health Sciences University of Toledo College of Med.Kirksville College of Osteopathic Med. Toledo, OHKirksville, MO
Hans Schwertz, MD Brent Shepherd, MDUnivers. der Johannes Gutenberg University of Utah School of Med.Universitat Mainz, Germany Salt Lake City, UT
Yudi Wibisono, DO Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Med. of the PacificPomona, CA
RMCOEH
News
Corner
RMCOEH NEW HIRE: DR. SARANG YOON
The RMCOEH is happy to announce the hire of Sarang Kim Yoon, DO, MOH. Dr. Yoon joins the Center as a Clinical Instructor. She earned her medical degree from Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2014, and later completed an Internal Medicine internship at West Anaheim Medical Center in California and Occupational Medicine Residency at the University of Utah. Dr. Yoon’s research interest include musculoskeletal disorders, worker health, and wellness. She has performed research on lateral epicondylitis in a large prospective cohort study. Dr. Yooon has also studied the health and wellness of firefighters (e.g., obesity). In addition, she has participated in NIOSH and OSHA research projects on non-fatal hand injuries in Alaskan fishermen and mercury exposure in demolition workers, respectively. Dr. Yoon’s leadership roles include Chief Resident and Graduate Medical Education Wellness Champion. Prior to residency, she volunteered on several international medical trips and provided service to local under-served populations. Dr. Yoon is excited to be teaching at the RMCOEH and looks forward to continuing her community service in areas with occupational health needs. Dr. Yoon is a welcome addition to the RMCOEH faculty.
Above: Dr. Sarang Yoon
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RETIREMENT: ADIEUING THE 9-TO-5 Robert Marcinko recently retried from consulting as a CIH and CSP. To be fair, this is Robert’s second retirement: in 2012 he retired from Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA) in Idaho Falls, ID. BEA is the prime contractor for the Department of Energy (DOE) at Idaho National Labs (INL). Robert said, “It was a great career thanks to the RMCOEH that included at that time: Jeff Lee, Bobby Craft, Bill Wagner, Don Marano, Bill Rom and others who created the IH program and made it a success. My career in Industrial Hygiene and later in management in Environmental, Safety, Fire Protection, and Health was terrific and enabled me to achieve the resources to happily and securely retire early.” Robert graduated from the Center in 1981 and he clearly enjoyed a successful and varied career, which is thanks enough for us.
Best wishes to Robert on his second retirement!
A big congratulations to Matthew Fechser, a former RMCOEH graduate, on passing his Certified Industrial Hygiene (CIH) exam. Matthew is currently Senior Industrial Hygienist at Sterling & Associates, Inc. in Milpitas, CA. Matthew graduated in 2013 with his MSOH and will now join the 50% of all RMCOEH IH graduates that have passed the rigorous CIH exam.
Well done Matthew!
RECENT GRAD
Danielle McKenzie-Smith (2017 RMCOEH grad) and Caleb Worpel test equipment at Luke Air Force Base, AZ. Danielle is a part of a team working with Wright-Patterson Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine to determine air quality in the F-35A Lightning II flight line. This research will assess what sorts of environmental exposures pilots and maintenance personnel are experiencing on the ground and in the air. Currently, the team is collecting baseline data to characterize air quality. Danielle says, “Collecting baseline data during normal operations gives us a better comparison as we get more in depth with our research. We are testing for chemicals, particle sizes and the distribution of particles in the air to see if Luke and the surrounding region have unique conditions related to these incidents.” In 2022, the 56th Fighter Wing will house the largest amount of F-35As in the country. Click here to read the full article: http://www.aerotechnews.com/lukeafb/2017/09/27/data-collection-continues-to-assess-flightline-environment/
Thanks to Danielle for helping to keep
Air Force personnel safe and making the RMCOEH proud!
(Above) Left to Right: Danielle McKenzie-Smith and Airman 1st Class Caleb Worpel
Pictured here: Robert Marcinko making the most of his retirement
C atch i ng Up w i t h
For me r Gr a du ate s
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R MC OE H A lu m nu s Sp ot l i g ht : Ja s on St or r s
I graduated from RMCOEH in May of 2010 with my MSOH. I learned about possible careers within IH while earning my BS in Public Health from BYU. I began my career at the Department of Energy Hanford site in Washington State. I had a great experience and learned a lot at Hanford, but knew I didn’t want to stay in hazardous waste cleanup forever. I moved to the greater Seattle area for a job as the facility EH&S manager with an aerospace/defense company. In 2015, I achieved a milestone in my career and became a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH). A few years later, I transitioned into a contractor role for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a CIH for the planning and requirements group that supported technical operations for the Western region.
Most recently, I joined a small environmental, health & safety consulting firm as a partner and principal in the Seattle area. Consulting has been challenging but rewarding. I’ve enjoyed using my previous experiences to come up with solutions to help clients solve complex problems. Just last month I became a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), which was another goal of mine. I look forward to a long and fulfilling career with the mission of demonstrating the value of the occupational health professional. We play a unique role in protecting worker health, public health and the
environment, and providing value to businesses by producing favorable results.
I believe the educational experience I had at RMCOEH prepared me to enter the workforce with confidence and provided the tools and resources necessary to adapt to an evolving profession. The professors and staff were knowledgeable, personable, and involved. My fellow students were motivated and supportive. I have enjoyed hearing about everyone’s successes and the impacts they are making—it’s always great reuniting at conferences and events.
Above: Jason Storrs at work
Left: Jason Storrs with his wife and 3 children
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So Long, Farewell. . . . Selected Quotes from the Class of Spring 2018 What I love about our program is the curriculum taught and the faculty. In the short time you’re here, there’s so much you learn and can take into the field with you. The faculty are there every step of the way to see you succeed. --Jesse Zmoos
I have enjoyed my time at RMCOEH. All the faculty and staff I have worked with have been so helpful and kind. Occupational health is an interesting and important topic to study, and I am glad I chose the University of Utah to do so. The grants and stipends available have made graduate school much less stressful than it could have been, as it allowed me to focus on my studies. -- Alexandra Cox
This program prepared me for the workforce not only with the knowledge, but also the experience to succeed. --Reginald Beales
I don’t know why more people don’t study industrial hygiene. This program has been an excel-lent experience and one of the best opportunities I’ve ever seen. --- Aaron Cox
I really appreciated how invested each of the staff and faculty members were in our success academ-ically and professionally. I always felt like I had the help and guidance needed to do well in the pro-gram. I feel well prepared to work in the health and safety field! -- Danielle Mecate
This course employs wonderful professors with real-world experience who bring their expe-rience into the school environment, making the courses more helpful and applicable after school. --Charlotte Robison-Hanchett
The Class of 2018 from Left to Right: Christopher Moore; Frank Ben Borsch; Alexandra Cox; Jesse Zmoos; Danielle Mecate; Aaron Cox, Charlotte Robison-Hanchett; Reginald Beales.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Leon Pahler.
