Chapter Reports
January 2017
ILLINOIS CHAPTER
The Illinois Chapter met November 29, 2016 at Morris Hospital, Morris, IL. Members who attended the AOHP National Conference provided updates to other meeting participants. It was decided that, of the quarterly meetings scheduled, two will be teleconference business meetings.
The AOHP/IRMS business relationship continues. IRMS will donate an AOHP membership at the next ICT/IRMS annual Worker’s Compensation Symposium, scheduled for May 4-5, 2017, at the Wyndham Hotel in Springfield, IL.
Chapter members are involved in a multitude of projects and initiatives, including:
• Stephanie Phillips, Southern Illinois Healthcare Carbondale, IL: Safer Sharps Survey, Work Place Violence, PPE Policy, Confined Spaces, and Slips, Trips and Falls
• Chris Hansen, Julie Davis and Lorraine Pacha, Genesis Health System, Davenport, IL: Flu clinics and four-year health assessment for 5,000 employees; and a system-wide needle standardization project, completed in July 2016 to Smiths Medical products, which covers all sizes of needles. Scalpel blade standardization went system-wide in January 2017. The success of the Diligent Smart Movers Safe Patient Mobility program led to an expansion from the original initiative to additional hospitals and ambulance services.
• Denise Knoblach, ABOHN: Working on a poster presentation to promote professional certification in occupational health nursing; developing a presentation that will identify values and benefits of nursing specialty certification as identified by the research; and updating the website to identify continuing education resources that offer free nursing CEUs.
Reported by Chapter President Lorraine Pacha, BSN, RN, COHN
NASSAU-SUFFOLK/NEW YORK CHAPTER
On November 4, 2016, one of our longstanding members and Chapter Secretary, Margaret Dellaporte, retired from South Oaks Hospital, Amityville, NY after a 40-year career in nursing. We wish Margaret all the best, and we thank her for her years of service to AOHP and South Oaks Hospital as an occupational health professional.
Our chapter met on November 29 at Winthrop University Hospital. Four members who attended the AOHP National Conference in Myrtle Beach presented highlights from conference presentations.
A new Chapter Secretary was appointed on December 1. Michelle A. Chester, DNP, MSN, BSN, RN, FNP-BC is the Director of Corporate Employee Health Services for the Northwell Health System. She has an extensive and varied nursing background. We welcome Michelle to our chapter leadership team and are grateful that she has offered to fill this vacancy.
Our next meeting was held on January 24, 2017 at Winthrop University Hospital and included an educational program on ADA Issues of Pregnancy and Fragrance Sensitivities.
Reported by Chapter President Alfred Carbuto, MS, RN-BC, FNP, COHN-S
VIRGINIA CHAPTER UPCOMING EVENTS
Spring Conference
April 7, 2017
Riverside Doctors Hospital
Williamsburg, VA
Hosted by Donna Duerson
Summer Conference
July 14, 2017
Bon Secours VA Health System
Richmond, VA
Hosted by Connie Lovelace
Stay tuned for more information.
Reported by Chapter President Nancy Pike, RN