Media Invited to Attend AOHC 2008, April 13-16 in New York

Session #2100 - 8:30am to 10:00am
AOHC Opening Session/C.O. Sappington Memorial Lecture
This annual lecture addresses major issues in the field of occupational and environmental medicine. Howard Frumkin, MD, MPH, DrPh, Director of the National Center for Environmental Health, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will discuss "Climate Change - The Public Health Response."

Meal Session 803 - 7:00am to 8:15am
ACOEM/OSHA Recordability of Workplace Injuries
Members of the media are invited to attend this special meal session! The program will focus on OSHA recordability of workplace injuries and the pressures under which occupational physicians find themselves to under-report on the Log 300. Bring along your breakfast and hear from the experts.

Session 308 - 2:00pm to 5:00pm
Veterans Health Transitions and Disability Evaluations

The Honorable James B. Peake, MD, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, will be a member of the faculty. Dr. Peake is the principal advocate for veterans in the U.S. government and directs the nation's second largest Cabinet Department, responsible for a nationwide system of health care services, benefits programs, and national cemeteries for America's veterans and dependents. This session will focus on the issues and challenges faced by the veteran population as it transitions from active duty military service to community integration and care within and external to the VA health systems. Perspectives on transition challenges, the role of disability evaluations, care of veterans in rural areas, and emerging trends and/or ideas for the future will be discussed.

Session 400 - 8:30am to 10:00am
Depression in the Workplace

Session 403 - 10:30am to 12:00noon
Vanderbilt's Physician Wellness Program - Helping Physicians Cope with Depression, Drugs, and Disruptive Behaviors

The Depression in the Workplace Project is a combined effort by the ACOEM Health and Productivity Section and Mental Health Committee to address this topic in a systematic, evidence-based fashion utilizing the pooled input of nationally recognized experts in clinical and corporate practice and research. The most recent milestone in this evolving effort is publication in this April's issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine of 15 articles addressing basic science, prevention and treatment, and management at the organizational level. This session will provide an overview of both the project and the topic.

The session will be followed by a discussion of Vanderbilt University & Medical Center's Physician Wellness Program (PWP). Begun in 1988, this program addresses primarily psychological, workplace and relationship problems. About 900 physicians have received care via the in-house program since 1999, the large majority of which are self referred.

Members of the media are invited to attend the launch of the Depression in the Workplace Project at 8:00am on Wednesday, in Salon 1 on the 5th floor of the Marriott Marquis, and discuss the project with Drs. Garson Caruso and Larry Myette, the lead authors of the Depression Project, prior to sitting in on the session. Reporters will have another opportunity to talk with Drs. Caruso and Myette at the 10:00am break. In addition, Dr. Mary Yarbrough will be available at that time to discuss Vanderbilt's PWP.

The AOHC advance program is available on line at www.acoem.org. Media registration is at the AOHC Registration Desk on the 5th floor of the Marriott. The Desk will be open on Saturday, April 12 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm; on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday from 6:30am to 6:00pm; and on Wednesday from 7:00am to noon. Registration is mandatory in order to receive a press badge necessary to gain admission to the above noted activities and other sessions.*

We hope you will include AOHC 2008 in New York City in your upcoming plans!

*Note - Media registration privileges and credentials are limited to editors and reporters. Credentials will not be extended to those in management, public affairs, public relations, or marketing departments. Freelance writers must provide a letter detailing their assignment on the letterhead of their editor or publication. The AOHC staff reserves the right to determine and evaluate press credentials for AOHC.