National Security and Emergency Management

ORISE prepares DOE and other government agencies by managing and conducting programs, studies, research, exercises and training related to national security and emergency preparedness.

Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site

ORISE provides expertise in the medical management of radiation incidents through the operation of the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS), a dedicated DOE facility located in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Worker Health Studies

ORISE provides DOE and the scientific community with important information regarding the long-term health outcomes affecting current and former energy workers.

Health Communication and Training

ORISE collaborates with federal, state and local agencies to provide health communication and training solutions that enhance the well-being of the public and the nation’s workers.

Scientific Peer Review

ORISE manages a credible and customizable peer review process that is helping DOE and other government agencies make informed decisions about the quality of the science they pursue.

University Radioactive Ion Beam Consortium

The University Radioactive Ion Beam (UNIRIB) consortium consists of eight member universities that partner to perform basic nuclear physics research using the fast-growing technique of radioactive ion beams.

Scientific Research Opportunities

ORISE manages research participation programs at the undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate and faculty levels at DOE and other government facilities across the United States.

Climate and Atmospheric Research

Through the Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, ORISE works closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to perform research focused on air quality, contaminant dispersion and climate.

Environmental Assessments and Health Physics

ORISE instills confidence in environmental cleanup through survey assessments, health physics evaluations and hands-on, laboratory-based training in the radiation sciences.

Climate and Atmospheric Research

Through the Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, ORISE works closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to perform air quality, contaminant dispersion and climate research.

Health Physics

Through Oak Ridge Associated Universities, ORISE's managing contractor, health physics and radiation safety training courses are offered for participants performing work in the radiation sciences.

Radiation Emergency Medicine

Continuing education courses taught through the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS) at ORISE focus on radiation emergency medicine and the medical management of radiation incidents.

Emergency Preparedness

ORISE emergency planners train government agencies on how to build effective response and preparedness plans, as well as teach best practices to improve communication among emergency response teams.

Health Communication and Training

ORISE develops training and education programs designed to address public health topics. Training is delivered via e-learning, multimedia applications and traditional classroom instruction.

Health Communication

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Oak Ridge Institute for Science Education

Nurse Triage Lines Support

ORISE contributes to CDC Public Health Policy Competition win

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Influenza Coordination Unit (ICU) recently won the 2012 Annual Public Health Policy Competition for a proposal to explore the use of nurse triage lines during an influenza pandemic. As a key partner, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) provided critical coordination, research, development of educational materials, and consultation to support the project, which has been underway since September 2011.

The CDC ICU hosted the Nurse Triage Line Stakeholders Meeting in March of 2012.

The project is exploring the use of nurse triage lines as a promising method for reducing disparities in access to quality health care during an influenza pandemic. Nurse triage lines are used daily in the United States for routine patient care and can be used during emergency response as an alternative to face-to-face visits, for those with mild illness or those seeking information. By reducing the burden on health care resources, nurse triage lines allow health care providers to focus on those with severe symptoms and provide care that is both more timely and cost-effective.

Following a successful stakeholder meeting in March 2012, the CDC project lead praised the ORISE team for “exemplary and consistently excellent support, contributions, and materials which substantially contributed to the success of the recent meeting and this ongoing effort.”

ORISE is managed by Oak Ridge Associated Universities for the U.S. Department of Energy.