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Occupational Safety and Health Program
The Occupational Health Program (OHP) Office plans, develops, and
recommends VHA’s overall goals and strategic objectives for occupational
safety and health. It provides advice, interpretation, and
implementation of policies and programs related to occupational safety and
health (OSH) issues through:
- identification of performance measures and monitors for the Network
- review and analysis of OSH-related legislation, and review and
response to legislative initiatives
- identification, in collaboration with field personnel, the primary
OSH educational needs; and organization of appropriate training of CME
products
- coordination and collaboration of OSH activities with other Federal
departments and agencies, including NIOSH, CDC, NIH, EPA, and OSHA
In order to accomplish its objectives, the OSH Program office
routinely
- Develops, maintains, and analyzes databases related to accident and
injury tracking, medical surveillance, occupational safety, and
occupational/employee health.
- Interprets Federal guidelines and regulations related to OSH for VHA
staff.
- Responds to findings and recommendations from various government and
non-government oversight and advisory groups (GAO, IG, OSHA, etc.) and
modifies policies and procedures accordingly.
- Provides consultation and advice to VA Medical facilities on OSH
Programs.
- Develops products and services to support policies, disseminate
knowledge, and support field improvement activities.
OHP (136) works closely with the Safety and Technical Support Program
(10N) to coordinate and review policies, develop implementation
strategies, and provide field support.
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Charles Welch, III joined the
Occupational Health Program in 2005. He received a Bachelor of
Arts (cum laude) in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts,
a Masters in Psychology from the University of Regina (Canada), a
Doctorate in Child and Family Development from the University of
Georgia, and a Postdoctoral Certificate in Psychiatric Epidemiology
from the Johns Hopkins University. From 1987 to 1999, he
served as Program Manager and then as Assistant Director, Field and
Core Support Programs, with VHA's Health Services Research and
Development (HSR&D) Service. Subsequently, he served as a
Biostatistician/Epidemiologist with the Office of the Medical
Inspector, with a special interest in performance measurement
issues. Dr. Welch is primarily involved with the access,
transfer, validation, and analysis of data from the Automated Safety
Incident Surveillance and Tracking System (ASISTS) corporate
database. Specific interests include the conduct of
risk-adjusted analyses of the incidence and timing of employee
injuries (and their associated costs).
Steve Sloane joined
the Occupational Health Program in 2001.
He received his Bachelor of Arts from Haverford College and
a Masters in Healthcare Administration from the Tulane University
School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
Mr. Sloane began working in VHA in 1993 at VA San Francisco
as an Administrative Resident, following with work in several
offices at VA Connecticut including Planning, Quality Management,
Surgical Service, and Human Resources as the facility Workers’
Compensation Program Manager.
He left VA Connecticut to become the VISN 1 Workers’
Compensation Program Manager, working closely with Central Office
on such topics as the OIG Workers’ Compensation Program review.
Mr. Sloane takes the lead on administrative issues in occupational
health, including development of educational programs and
work-related injury and illness data analysis.
Pamela Hirsch
joined the Occupational Health Program in 2002.
She has a Bachelor's of Science from Columbia University
and Masters degrees from Columbia University and Boston
University. Her
academic background includes teaching as an Assistant Professor
and Coordinator at Tompkins Cortland Community College Nursing
Program. Ms Hirsch
worked as an occupational health nurse in VHA since 1991, at the
VA Boston Healthcare System and Washington DC VAMC, and at Columbia
Presbyterian Medical Center of New York City.
Ms Hirsch takes the lead on clinical matters in
occupational health. Such
matters include the occupational health record keeping system, the
Occupational Health Guidebook, and clinical quality improvement
programs.
Eileen
R. Coyne joined the Occupational Health Program as the
VHA National Workers' Compensation Program Manager. She
has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Cornell University and
a Masters' of Public Administration with certification from Troy
State. She has worked in VHA since 1993 at the facility
level as an infection control practitioner, a safety officer,
and a workers compensation manager. She coordinated VISN
activities around WC topics such as the OIG review on fraud,
waste, and abuse. Prior to her time with VHA, Ms. Coyne
served in the Army Nurse Corps as Lieutenant and Captain from
1981 through 1985 in Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit and
Instructor in a 91C School (Practical Nurses). She worked
as an Occupational Health Nurse from 1990 with the Department of
Army Preventive Medicine Department in Europe.
Ms. Coyne takes the lead on workers compensation issues.
These include training programs, field program support and
trouble-shooting with DOL field offices, audits and quality
improvement in workers compensation, and field support for
ASISTS.
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