Welcome to the WOEMA WINDOW. This e-newsletter is sent to members by email on a monthly basis. The e-newsletter provides links to this page. Below are the items that appeared in the July 2021 issue.

President’s Corner

By Scott A. Krasner, MD, MPH, FACOEM

It’s hard to believe that my tenure as President is half over, and I ask myself, have I helped WOEMA and our members fulfill our goals? Have I steered WOEMA in the right direction?

I tend not to dwell on the past as I am a “glass is half-full” type of person. However, it is in looking over the past 6 months that I gain the insight to steer for the next 6 months. So, to answer my own question, YES, we are heading in the right direction. We are overcoming the Covid 19 pandemic and have continued to provide our education series, participate and lobby for legislative changes as it affects our members, and push for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion for all.

But our path has not been easy; although I may be at the helm, without you, our members, I would have nothing to steer. In essence we are all steering that which we call WOEMA. So, to guide you I would like to offer something taught to me 50 years ago when I was learning how to drive, five points on defensive driving, and how it applies to us:

First, Aim high in steering. By setting our sights high we can achieve our most worthy goals. Second, Get the big picture. Understand how WOEMA and our activities are integral parts of all our lives. Third, Keep your eyes moving. Do not stay stagnant, for the only constant in life is change. Fourth, Make sure others see you. WOEMA must be and is visible to our Occ Med community. And finally, Always leave yourself an out. With the many activities within our field, always be flexible to adapt as needed, and WOEMA will be there for support.

With this advice I am honored to be steering us into the next 6 months, which will culminate with WOHC 2021, hosted in Phoenix, Arizona. I encourage ALL to register and attend and let WOEMA continue to play an active role in your professional endeavors.

See you at WOHC 2021!

WOHC 2021 – See you there!

Well fellow WOEMA, ACOEM members, and those of you that can’t wait to become members, the time is drawing near. WOHC 2021 is just around the corner and waiting for all of you to come celebrate its “in-person” return. The invitation is out there. You’ve received the postcard. Now just open up that website: woema.org/WOHC-2021, look at the incredible sessions that are beckoning you to enjoy. The Phoenix Bird is unfolding it’s wings and extending an embrace to all of you. You have until July 9th to capture the early bird discount. Your stay at the Hyatt Regency will be rewarded with an EXTRA 2000 travel points and the most up-to-date COVID safety precautions. Stay tuned for some exciting videos. A little this and a little that to entertain you pre-conference! Visit the website early and often. Smile a little and laugh a lot!!!!

See you at the conference. We can’t wait!!!

REGISTER HERE

Rosalie Banasiak, MD, FACOEM
Chair WOHC 2021

Alya Khan, MD, FACOEM
Vice Chair WOHC 2021

Interact, Network, and Connect via the New WOEMA Member Community Forum!

WOEMA is excited to announce the NEW Member-only Community Forum! Here is where you can share thoughts, articles, and questions with your fellow WOEMA Members.

Purpose and Intent

WOEMA’s Community Forum is a membership privilege. Education of its participants is the primary purpose by providing open discussion of WOEMA topics. Members should limit the content of their posts in these sections with this in mind and refrain from drifting from the topic of the original post.

To access the forum, you have 2 options after you log-in to your WOEMA profile: 

OR

Click here to enter the Member Community Forum: https://woema.memberclicks.net/community-forum

How to Utilize the Forum

  • Replying to the topic would add a new response to the topic list. Replies can include file attachments
  • Subscribing to a topic means that anytime a member replies to a specific post, anyone who has clicked "Subscribe" will receive an email with a link to the forum post. Members can view a list of My Subscribes, where they can quickly un-subscribe from any topics no longer relevant to them.
  • Favoriting a topic will add the topic to a member's My Favorites list. This list is available anytime under My Posts, and can act as a running list of topics a member is interested in revisiting later. Unlike "Subscribe," members won’t receive emails when they favorite a topic, so this is a less intrusive way of staying up to date on topics relevant to you.

Click here to enter the Member Community Forum: https://woema.memberclicks.net/community-forum

Rules of Usage

  • Conduct towards others: You may post a supporting or contrary opinion at any time, but, be respectful and do not criticize, degrade, or threaten others.
  • Advertising: Do not post commercial messages. This includes, but is not limited to, marketing, selling, or soliciting products or services. However, members may post information from a vendor or post a link to a website where additional inspection related information, services, or products are offered.
  • Prices: Do not post any information regarding prices for services or information concerning market shares, sales territories, profit margins, pricing practices, discounts, or other terms or conditions of sale or the selection or rejection of customers.
  • Intellectual property: Do not post any information or material protected by copyright, or use any words, logos, or other marks that would infringe upon the trademark or other intellectual property rights of the owners of such marks without the permission of such owners.
  • WOEMA Policies: The Community Forum may not be used for discussing WOEMA policies other than questions seeking the opinion of other inspectors as to the meaning or application of current policy. The Board of Directors, WOEMA’s Executive Director, or WOEMA staff do not respond to inquiries posted on this Community Forum. Contact your Board of Directors or WOEMA headquarters as needed.
  • Privacy: Do not post any confidential information or any information that would infringe upon the proprietary, privacy, or personal rights of others. Be aware that anything you post can be copied, pasted, and spread to the world.
  • For legal use only: Do not post any illegal information or material or utilize the Community Forum in any illegal manner. State law prohibits anticompetitive practices. No express agreement or understanding is required; an agreement can be inferred from statements or conduct. Antitrust laws generally prohibit any agreement or understanding inconsistent with the right and obligation of competitors to exercise independent business judgment in pricing their products or services, dealing with their customers and suppliers, and selecting the markets in which to compete.
  • Hold harmless: By using this Community Forum each member agrees to abide by these rules and further agrees to hold WOEMA and any and all of its board members, officers, employees, or other representatives harmless from any liability for damages arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this Community Forum.

Legal Notice and Disclaimer

The WOEMA Community Forum and all WOEMA activities are services provided by WOEMA in furtherance of its nonprofit and tax-exempt purposes.

WOEMA accepts no responsibility for the opinions and information on the Community Forum whether posted by WOEMA or others.

WOEMA does not represent or warrant that information posted is accurate, complete, or current. WOEMA disclaims all express warranties included in any materials or information, and further disclaims all implied warranties, including warranties of merchant-ability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement of proprietary rights. The use of information on this site is strictly voluntary and at the user’s sole risk. In no event shall WOEMA be liable for damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the use of any information posted on this site.

By posting material, the posting party warrants and represents that it owns the copyright with respect to such material, has received permission from the copyright owner, or that the material is in the public domain. The posting party further warrants and represents that it otherwise has the full and unencumbered right to post such material and that such posting will not infringe on the rights or interests of others. In addition, the posting party grants to WOEMA and users of this Community Forum, a non-exclusive, irrevocable license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information or material in any manner, without payment to or further permission from the posting party.

WOEMA reserves the right to take editorial control of postings and may alter or remove any post without notice or permission from the posting party or suspend or terminate Community Forum privileges of any member who does not abide by these rules.

JEDI Report

WOEMA announced efforts to improve Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in June 2020. Since its inception on Juneteenth (June 19) 2020 as the Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the JEDI Committee has accomplished the following:

  • Defined diversity in terms of age, race and ethnicity, gender identification, sexual preference, disability, and religion.
  • Hosted a popular fireside chat on JEDI issues as part of WOHC 2020.
  • Sponsored two well-attended educational webinars on systemic racism in medicine and its impacts on health care disparities:
    • Understanding Racism in Healthcare (Two-part series with presentations by Drs. Rhea Boyd and Danielle Hairston).
  • In honor of Black History Month (February), featured Dr. Donna Baytop in a WOEMA newsletter article and podcast.
  • In honor of International Women’s History Month (March), issued an email to members acknowledging the contributions of Past WOEMA Women Presidents.
  • Issued a statement condemning violence and hate directed against the Asian American/ Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and issued an email to members in honor of AAPI Heritage Month (May).
  • Issued a statement acknowledging LGBTQ+ Pride Month (June).
  • Utilized social media to expand outreach: weekly postings on WOEMA's LinkedIn and Twitter accounts highlight evidence-based articles focus on issues in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Topics have included COVID-19 health disparities, Women's History Month featuring Alice Hamilton, and microaggressions and racism in graduate medical education. Be sure to follow WOEMA on social media.
  •  Disseminated a member survey to assess current diversity as defined by the JEDI committee, attitudes, and educational needs and provided a summary in the April WOEMA Window. Graphical results of responses may be accessed here.

Blue Sky Project Aims to Improve Work Comp Quality

A subgroup of WOEMA’s Legislative Committee continues to meet and flesh out its “Blue Sky” project, which will develop a set of legislative prescriptions aimed at improving care in Workers’ Compensation systems. Chaired by Dr. David Caretto, the group includes Drs. Bob Blink, Rajiv Das, Steve Feinberg, Krystal Lin, Chang Na, Paul Papanek, and lobbyist Don Schinske. 

The goal of the project is to create five or six specific policy proposals that WOEMA could sponsor over time, all of which could lead toward better medical decision-making and improved outcomes for injured workers. Among the ideas being discussed are revising the physician reports to be more functionally based, revising the criteria for the E&M CPT codes to capture information more pertinent to occupational injury or illness, incorporation of quality assurance measures, and improvements to the AME/QME process.  

The group has started work on an umbrella document describing the intent of Blue Sky, the nature of “quality” in Workers’ Compensation, and the rationale for particular improvements. As part of the project, the Blue Sky team will be seeking input from WOEMA members. The work will also get shared with other stakeholders in the system, as changes to Work Comp ultimately require employer and labor buy-in.

Those wanting more info about the project can contact Don Schinske at [email protected]. We look forward to keeping members apprised of our progress!

Resident's Corner

Oluseyi Awodele, MD, MS earned his undergraduate degree in Physiology & Neurobiology from the University of Connecticut. He earned his medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine and completed Transitional Year Internship at Naval Medical Center San Diego. Dr. Awodele served as a U.S. Naval Flight Surgeon during his active-duty military service and continues his dedicated service in US. Navy Reserves. Prior to starting residency at UC Irvine, Dr. Awodele worked as a Medical Director at Concentra Occupational Medicine clinic. Upon graduation, he will return to practicing clinical occupational medicine within a major integrated healthcare delivery system in Southern California. Dr. Awodele won the Poster Contest at the 2020 WOHC Virtual.

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