Biomedical subjects

S C Loomis

Publications and source records attributed to S C Loomis.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1999

Transitional duty. An overview of program management and placement process.

Transitional duty is an effective means to return employees to work after an injury or illness. Provision of transitional duty may facilitate earlier return to work. It also helps in retaining an experienced work force, and decreases disability related costs. The occupational and environmental health nurse plays a major role in developing and maintaining a transitional duty program. Essential to programmatic responsibility is the ability to determine organizational culture, involve key stakeholders, and develop a program proposal that "sells" the program to a variety of customers. The ability to consistently evaluate and demonstrate program outcomes, once formal support is attained, is crucial to continued program support. The transitional duty placement process is a vital component of a comprehensive disability program and ensures employees are identified and placed appropriately according to their functional capacity. Routine evaluation of employees on transitional duty is essential to allow for progressive placement. The nurse plays a vital part in counseling and supporting employees and supervisors involved in the transitional duty process.

Disability Evaluation↗

PubMed1997

Methods of prioritizing and measuring occupational health risks utilizing hospital back injury data. Development of composite comparative statistics.

The employee health service of a Boston hospital wanted a method to prioritize the risk of occupational injury or illness among its employees as the first step in developing a comprehensive ergonomics program. Data from the safety office and workers' compensation third-party administrator (TPA) was combined with hospital payroll data to create rates that compared all work areas based on the common denominator of 100 full-time equivalents (FTE). Rates for four different aspects of injury experience were calculated: incidence of total reported injuries, incidence of serious injuries, level of severity of injuries, and cost. The use of these simple rates alone was inadequate to accurately prioritize risk. Because most work areas ranked differently from one rate scale to the next, it was unclear which, if any, single rate most accurately defined risk. Composite statistics that combined all of the rates were needed. The Composite Risk Indicator (CRI), the Average Relative Risk (ARR), and the Justified Average Relative Risk (JARR) were developed and examined for their utility. The JARR emerged as the best choice in this setting because it captured all available information about injury or illness experience and provided a meaningful single indicator of risk that could be followed over time.

Back Injuries↗

PubMed1997

Varicella vaccination. An overview for the occupational health nurse.

1. Varicella-zoster virus is highly communicable. Non-immune adults are susceptible to infection and, if infected, have increased risk of complications. 2. Adult varicella infection poses significant economic loss for the infected employee and potentially for exposed coworkers and the employer. Health care employers also must be concerned about transmission of varicella infection to clients. 3. Varicella vaccine is now available, well tolerated, and prevents infection in approximately 94% of vaccinees. The occupational health nurse needs to consider varicella vaccination for employees susceptible to infection.

Adult↗