The Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) member clinics will conduct a series of activities to improve occupational health and safety (OHS) through development of educational materials, training, communication, information sharing and surveillance. Recognizing that formal training in occupational and environmental medicine for health professionals, including physicians, nurses, industrial hygienists, safety professionals and ergonomists, has not increased with the need projected by the 2003 Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report recommendations, AOEC strives to increase the knowledge of primary care providers and others to augment this small workforce. The IOM Report Safe Work in the 21st Century: Education and Needs for the Next Decade's Occupational Safety and Health Personnel substantiates prior findings that there is a shortage of qualified personnel in this field. According to the IOM report in 1999 there were approximately 1,150 board certified occupational physicians. 6,400 board certified occupational health nurses, 6,400 industrial hygienists, and 1,000 ergonomists. The need for expertise in these fields exceeds the numbers trained. Since its inception in 1987 the AOEC has been actively involved in training both occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals and primary care professionals in medicine, nursing and other health related fields. While academic degree-granting programs are necessary and important, there is also a need to provide additional continuing and sustained educational opportunities and programs to primary care health professionals, community members, public health agencies as well as state, local and federal governments and private entities. The AOEC continues a long history of fruitful cooperation with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in improving OHS awareness and education. The primary goal of AOEC is to ensure that OHS clinical expertise and research findings are put into practice to improve the health of workers and prevent occupational illness and injuries. The current proposal includes three primary objectives including Educational Outreach, Occupational Health and Safety Information Sharing, and Surveillance, with specific tasks under each which AOEC believes will improve the field of occupational health and safety.
