About ACOEM

ACOEM VICE PRESIDENT CANDIDATES

Vice President Candidate

Faiyaz A. Bhojani, MD, FACP, DrPH, FACOEM, FACPM

 
Candidate Statement
I am honored to announce my candidacy for Vice President of ACOEM, driven by a deep passion for advancing worker health and organizational well-being. Over the past two decades, my involvement with ACOEM has been both fulfilling and transformative. I have served in key leadership roles, including Speaker of the House of Delegates and as a member of the Board of Directors. My grassroots experience with TXCOEM and SOCOEM has given me a profound understanding of our members’ needs and the vital role our components play in shaping the future of ACOEM.

Our organization faces serious challenges: declining membership and revenue, a limited pipeline of new talent, an aging membership, and issues with culture, governance, finances, and transparency. While we've made some progress, there's much to do.

I'm committed to tackling these issues through member engagement, open communication, accountability, and fiscal responsibility. It won’t be easy but I am confident that with your support, together, we can build a stronger future.

Our College is at a pivotal moment, with significant challenges and incredible opportunities to influence public health policy, enhance workplace safety, and promote holistic health strategies. What I offer is a leadership style grounded in authenticity and accountability. I will prioritize mechanisms that give members a strong voice in ACOEM’s initiatives while fostering a transparent and united organization. I will focus on enhancing communication, advancing clear strategies that drive operational excellence, enhancing meaningful member and stakeholder engagement, and ensuring responsible spending with a business mindset. I am also dedicated to strengthening ACOEM’s marketing and branding to improve its value proposition to members and externally.

With humility and a deep sense of responsibility, I put myself forward for this role. Together, we can build ACOEM’s sustainability and renewed success, ensuring a healthier, safer, and more resilient workforce for the future.

What do you see as the most important issue facing ACOEM / OEM currently?
Our College stands at a crossroads, facing a complex set of challenges, including declining membership and revenue, a limited pipeline of new talent, member engagement and empowerment issues, an aging membership, and concerns around culture, governance, finances, and transparency. Additionally, we need to address our marketing and branding to better communicate our value proposition to both members and the broader community.

However, even amidst these challenges, we have incredible opportunities to shape public health policy, enhance workplace safety, and champion holistic health strategies. I am confident that we with the right strategy and input from you, our members, we will overcome these obstacles and seize these opportunities.

With your support, we will navigate this pivotal moment with determination and purpose. Together, we will build a stronger, more sustainable, and impactful ACOEM that leads the way in occupational and environmental medicine.

How would you increase visibility of OEM and ACOEM in the medical/health care community?
To elevate OEM and ACOEM’s visibility, a multi-pronged approach is needed, focusing on both internal and external factors.

Internally, fostering a vibrant community and empowering members, especially our younger colleagues, is paramount. We will cultivate a sense of ownership by actively involving them in shaping ACOEM's future through specialized feedback forums, committee participation, mentorship opportunities, and leadership roles. We must also prioritize addressing issues of culture, governance, finances, and transparency to build a stronger, more unified organization.

Externally, we will establish strategic partnerships with other medical organizations, public health agencies, policymakers, labor organizations, regulatory bodies, and industry leaders. These collaborations will showcase ACOEM's thought leadership and expertise in addressing critical health and safety challenges. Actively engaging in public health discussions, offering expert commentary, and leveraging digital platforms can expand our reach and influence. Additionally, we will review and revamp our marketing and branding strategy to effectively convey our unique value proposition.

By proactively tackling these areas and harnessing data-driven insights, ACOEM will solidify its position as a driving force in occupational and environmental medicine. This strategic approach will enhance our visibility and also empower us to create a lasting impact on the health and safety of workplaces.

What, in your opinion, is the value proposition for ACOEM going forward?
ACOEM plays a pivotal role in advancing occupational and environmental medicine by providing a supportive community, professional development, and a platform for advocacy and collaboration. Its value proposition can be viewed from two key perspectives: its members and the broader healthcare community.

For Members, ACOEM cultivates a strong sense of community and provides numerous opportunities for active participation and leadership. It supports professional growth through continuing education, resources, and access to the latest advancements in the field. Additionally, members benefit from ACOEM’s advocacy, as it influences policymakers, regulatory bodies, and other stakeholders to shape public health policy and enhance workplace safety standards.

For the Broader Healthcare Community, ACOEM offers a rich array of resources and educational programs aimed at enhancing knowledge and skills in occupational and environmental health. Through strategic partnerships and thought leadership, ACOEM is a leading voice in the field, providing expert insights and driving meaningful progress in health and safety.

Opportunities for Continuous Improvement: ACOEM can enhance existing programs, particularly in education, while continuing to build on the sense of community fostered through events like AOHC, a key strength.

Unexplored Opportunities: Boldly venturing into new partnerships will unlock further potential and expand ACOEM’s impact in the field.

Back to Top

Vice President Candidate

Darryl Lesoski, MD, MPH, FACOEM

Candidate Statement
I have been practicing hospital-based Occupational Medicine since finishing my residency in 1997. I remain very active at Michigan component level and wish to return to ACOEM.  It was due to my job demands that I had to step away from the College level as we grew from 1 to 4 clinics.  Now is the time to come back as I have the appropriate time and commitment to serve as your Vice-President.  We are all facing significant challenges in our daily jobs and at the College level that need to be continually addressed as we continue to "grow" the College to meets the needs of BC/BE OEM physicians as well as all providers who practice Occ Med daily. 

We have plenty of challenges at ACOEM - membership numbers, meeting the needs of OM practitioners, residencies, CME, outreach and collaboration with other medical specialties, and having transparency, and a professional working relationship at the College Governance level.

I believe I have the demeanor, experience, willingness to seek collaboration, and ability to seek to understand all sides of an issue and work for mutually acceptable solutions.  Work at the Board level is work and we all must be able to set aside our personal agendas, personal beliefs, and seek to work as professionals towards a solution for whatever issue we need to tackle.  I truly enjoyed the Board level activities and my involvement in the past which makes it an easy decision to seek a volunteer role as VP.  I would welcome the opportunity to come back to the Board and continue my service to our profession, to ACOEM, to our members, to our nation of workers (as well as international workers), and work collaboratively with each Board member. 

THANK YOU for considering me to represent you as your ACOEM Vice President. 

What do you see as the most important issue facing ACOEM / OEM currently?
In no particular order:
Membership numbers, Membership engagement, continued world-wide awareness about the expertise within OEM specialty, showing the value of OEM to the various stakeholders, and a working Board level governance.

How would you increase visibility of OEM and ACOEM in the medical/health care community?
Continue the great work of what has been done and continues by the great number of members; working directly with/through various specialty colleges/associations and state level medical associations; continue the outreach to all medical students searching for this great specialty by showing the variety of practices, offering student rotations, and looking at the satisfaction and lifestyle of the OEM specialty. I do not believe we need to do anything "significantly" different but continue to explore the various means to reach new providers at all levels of their career path.

What, in your opinion, is the value proposition for ACOEM going forward?
National and state level advocacy by the many members of the College for our specialty; MD treatment guidelines; Expertise and guidance through the College and component members; Ability to interact, influence, and develop working relationships in the Special interest sections; Be a part of a wide-range of practice settings and practitioners through the development of relationships and mentorships; Opportunity to personally grow and develop your leadership skills at the state and national level; support of the College by being a member of ACOEM; access to all members via email and forums for help in your practice at any time (invaluable) while knowing the fact you can meet members during educational sessions and meetings.

Back to Top

ACOEM DIRECTOR CANDIDATES

Director Candidate

Michael Berneking, MD, FACOEM, FAAFP, FAASM

Candidate Statement
Colleagues,

I am pleased to be a returning candidate for the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Board of Directors.  

For those of you who may not know me well.  I have nearly 25 years of OEM experience in a variety of settings.  Having experience in on site care, stand-alone clinic care, military OEM, and most recently hospital based OEM gives me a background to understand and appreciate the varied roles and responsibilities of our membership.  

My leadership experience is also broad.  I have served in both Section and Component leadership roles including President of the Michigan component.  I have and continue to serve on a several committees for other organizations.  I am privileged to be approaching 20 years of service in uniform as an Army Flight Surgeon.  My military service has required number of leadership roles including that of unit command.

My reason for remaining on the board is to represent you!  I am here as your representative.  I am one of you.  I am an in-the-trenches OEM clinician and understand the day to day challenges we all go through.  As a company commander many years ago I had an open door policy.  It has served me well and I will continue that tradition with all of our members – my door is always open.  I want to encourage all of you, should I have the privilege of returning to board service, to reach out and let me know how ACOEM can improve, evolve, and grow.  Ultimately I wish to fulfill another childhood lesson from the Boy Scouts – I want give back, and to leave ACOEM a better place than I found it

I am honored to have the opportunity to contribute to ACEOM's legacy of excellence. I respectfully ask for your support in this endeavor.

What do you see as the most important issue facing ACOEM / OEM currently?
I see several challenges to OEM ranging from evolving as an organization, reimbursement, supply of clinicians, medical information technology and the coming of Artificial Intelligence, financial stability, and more.  My opinion is that our biggest challenge is remaining visible and relevant.  OEM is a unique specialty and often runs below the radar.  Our contributions are often under-recognized for the value they bring to any organization or company. As companies look to cut costs, medical care is a favorite on the chopping block.  It is clear we can not continue to do things the same way we have done before.  New generations of OEM professionals need to be cultivated and welcomed.  We need to change how we present ourselves to the world in an age of social media, AI, and on demand content.  We can evolve to meet these challenges, and by doing so, will help address many of the other challenges our profession faces.

How would you increase visibility of OEM and ACOEM in the medical/health care community?
Visibility, the quality or state of being seen or the degree to which something has attracted attention, is a bit narrow in my opinion.  Being visible is only part of the issue.  The attention or visibility needs to be a positive one and one with value and relevance to our audience.  We also need to understand that being “visible” will involve change on our part.  

When speaking about visibility to the medical community, we need to remember that we have more than one audience.  It’s not just our clients and patients but also regulators, peers, future health care professional colleagues.  There is no one strategy that will address all of those.  There needs to be individual, data driven, multipronged approaches to this problem.  This might include a more dynamic approach to CME/education, use of AI, mobile friendly resources, and on demand activities.  We will need to be more inclusive – welcome professionals trained in other specialties who also do OEM such as our FP, ER, IM colleagues.  We need to be our own advocates – we are the experts.  We need to get out in our communities and share.  Podcasts, social media, traditional media, conferences, networking events are all options.

What, in your opinion, is the value proposition for ACOEM going forward?
Value is in the eye of the beholder.  We need to meet the stakeholders where they need us.  A “build it and they will come approach” is likely to fail.  

Regulators, policy makers and industry need to see the value of OEM professionals with expertise in a variety of disciplines that are outside of the mainstream of medicine but directly impact their work.  I speak of things like the impact of environment and climate changes on the workforce, safety in the workplace, emerging threats such as PFAS and infections, and so on.  

We also may need to look beyond traditional outcomes data and remind our stakeholders that OEM has non-economic benefits as well.  We can use data so show investing resources in OEM results in decreased employee turnover, a positive workplace culture of safety and innovation, generate loyalty and reduce other non medical costs such as lost productivity, poor performance, insurance costs, etc.  
We need to collaborate with our non-OEM colleagues to be a home for them as well.  By helping those practicing OEM as part of their primary practice we have the potential to significantly improve the quality of OEM nationally.

Back to Top

Director Candidate

Rupali Das, MD, MPH, FACOEM

Candidate Statement
I was hooked on Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM) as a medical student after being introduced to the specialty during a rotation at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. After completing an Internal Medicine residency and an OEM fellowship, I devoted my career to improving worker health and reducing environmental hazards. I’ve had an amazing career in OEM, from clinical practice to academic medicine. I led statewide public health programs to track and prevent various occupational illnesses and environmental exposures, served as Executive Medical Director for the California Division of Workers’ Compensation, and gained immense experience as a corporate medical director. 

As Past President of the Western Occupational and Environmental Medical Association (WOEMA) I am familiar with the responsibilities, challenges, and rewards of serving on boards and am a collaborative leader. At WOEMA I promoted the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI), member education, and legislative advocacy to improve occupational and environmental health.

ACOEM is an integral part of my professional identity. ACOEM’s rich resources helped me promote excellence in clinical care, recommend strategies to prevent illness and improve health in workplaces, and advance policies to protect communities and the environment. ACOEM leaders provided me guidance in my daily work and as well as in navigating my career. 

I am prepared to accept the challenge of serving on the Board to help to make the organization stronger, more connected to its membership, and future-facing. I bring extensive experience and leadership skills, as well as fresh perspectives and new ideas. Issues that need board attention are ensuring the pipeline of ACOEM members and residency-trained OEM physicians; enhancing communications with membership and components; and establishing transparency of operations and board workings. If elected to the Board, I look forward to serving ACOEM and you as members to improve the field of OEM.

What do you see as the most important issue facing ACOEM / OEM currently?
Of the many challenges before ACOEM, the one needing the most attention is ensuring the pipeline of residency-trained, board-certified OEM physicians and future leaders in our field.

While rooted in history, OEM encompasses many topics that today are widely recognized as being current and important to the public and could be incentives to enter the field for young students and those contemplating their future careers. These include public health, the social determinants of health, wellness, environmental health, lifestyle medicine, underserved populations, and climate change. Our field is multi-disciplinary, collaborative, and has the potential to impact the health of large populations. Surveys have shown that the OEM physicians are highly satisfied with their work and with work-life balance. 

Nonetheless, OEM remains a niche field, unknown to most medical students and residents. In clinical practice, most physicians discover OEM after experiencing stress or dissatisfaction in another medical specialty and never become residency trained or board certified in their new chosen field. This adversely impacts the focus on improving workplace safety, quality of clinical care, and return to work. Additionally, there is little incentive to join ACOEM, reducing its revenue, impact, and efficacy.

There is much opportunity to improve awareness of our specialty.

How would you increase visibility of OEM and ACOEM in the medical/health care community?
We need a multifaceted approach to improve visibility of OEM and ACOEM. My focus would be on attracting more diverse and younger audiences. 

We need to introduce OEM as an exciting potential career choice and ACOEM as a welcoming organization to undergraduate college students and as early as high school. This would involve creating age-appropriate curricula either for use as guest lectures by ACOEM members or for inclusion as part of science or career classes. Collaborating with high schools and colleges that focus on underrepresented students would expand both the potential OEM pipeline and the pool of physicians dedicated to serving underserved areas.

I recommend increasing the number of scholarships for residents in any specialty who wish to present posters at or attend AOHC. Introducing dedicated resident scholarships for JEDI-related posters could further attract new, diverse members to our field. To make this successful we may need to pursue external sponsorship. Outreach to other residency programs should present this as a collaborative partnership and a way to expand practice expertise.

Inserting OEM into all medical school curricula is a challenge that we must continue to pursue. This would increase interest and lead to OEM rotations for medical students and residents.

What, in your opinion, is the value proposition for ACOEM going forward?
ACOEM is the voice of medical professionals who care about workers and the environment. It is the only medical organization that provides tools to prevent harm and provide care to individual workers and entire workforces, and to ensure a safe and healthy habitat for all. It is uniquely rooted in a rich social and scientific history, yet future facing. 

ACOEM members can access state of the art evidence-based guidance to help evaluate and manage work-related illness and injury in individuals and promote a healthy lifestyle at work as well as in other settings, regardless of the type or size of employer.

ACOEM focuses efforts on ensuring a healthy life for all individuals by providing expertise to help detect and reduce the impact of environmental toxins on humans and by promoting methods to mitigate further environmental degradation, for example due to climate change.

ACOEM’s forward-thinking work is connected to the real world and focuses on underserved working populations and environmental justice issues. This appeals to a new generation that values public health and social issues.

ACOEM membership offers entry into one of the happiest medical specialties and networking opportunities to choose from a wide array of careers.

Back to Top

Director Candidate

Pamela Hymel, MD, MPH, FACOEM

Candidate Statement

Click here to view Dr. Hymel's Candidate Video Statement

I have a track record of being an action oriented, effective leader as part of the Board of Directors in professional organizations such as ACOEM, WOEMA, NBGH and others, as well leading large clinical operations for private employers such as Disney, Cisco and Hughes.   As current VP/CMO, for Disney Experiences, I lead a team of diverse medical professionals.    Additionally, by being part of the UCI Residency Advisory Committee, I give time to support the education of physicians and other occupational health professionals  . 
 
I am running for the Board of Directors for several reasons.    
 
I am fully aware there is significant concern over “pipeline” issues.  I intend to help the college pave new career pathways for incoming occupational medicine physicians and promote recruitment and retention of new OEM physicians through both the residency (soon to be NRMP) pathway, as well as the so-called “mid-career” or non-traditional pathways.   
 
I would like to explore how to best incorporate non-physicians into ACOEM and OEM in general.   I value the contributions of non-physicians to our field, and I, personally work closely with non-physicians daily.  There are better ways to welcome non-physicians into ACOEM without changing our physician-led/physician-focused medical specialty society.  We can integrate non-physicians into our ranks in a more collaborative and less disruptive manner. 
 
There is a significant opportunity for ACOEM to be a lead organization on the effects of climate change on health.  I am currently serving on a national commission addressing this subject and would like to see more members of ACOEM leading these discussions.     
 
Finally, I think the ACOEM Board would benefit from having more experienced executive physicians participating in its decision-making process.  I have led non-profit organizations, as well as large corporate entities, through very complex and dynamic issues. The ultimate goal is to ensure the future of ACOEM.

What do you see as the most important issue facing ACOEM / OEM currently?
There are three important issues I feel ACOEM/OEM need to address.  The most important is to continue to find ways to recruit physicians into the field of OEM.   Now that the OEM physician NRMP (national residency matching program) match is a reality, ensuring medical students and residents know about this opportunity will be key to increasing the pipeline.  Additionally we need to develop new creative ways to fund existing and expanded residency slots in occupational medicine.  Secondly, we Finding ways train physicians who are in primary care specialties but working in occupational medicine. 

We should have a campaign focused on recruiting physicians who practice occupational medicine at urgent care clinics, employer locations, etc. to attract them to be members of ACOEM. The third issue is to develop surveys of ACOEM member’s preferences and  educational and practice needs so that ACOEM can develop new, financially viable programs to meet our members needs.

How would you increase visibility of OEM and ACOEM in the medical/health care community?
Getting upstream is very important to make sure we begin to educate medical students about the field is critical to attracting young physicians into the specialty.   Exploring opportunities to create innovative pathways into an occupational medicine residency should be a focus.   For instance, Loma Linda University was able to design a PG1 year for occupational medicine residents right out of medical school.  This will make it more attractive as a career choice for some young physicians because it sets the path with more certainty and mimics other residencies.  For the past several years i have served on the CERC committee with a focus on increasing ACOEM visibility.  Development of the OEMME award, as well as creation of an expert volunteer list of speakers helps us be poised to give evidence-based answers to occupational and environmental issues as they arise.    Being seen as an expert voice will also raise visibility of both ACOEM and OEM.

What, in your opinion, is the value proposition for ACOEM going forward?
ACOEM serves as the “home” of the physician specialty with among the highest practice satisfaction and lowest burnout rate among physician specialties.  It is because of the diversity of opportunities, tremendous demand for our skills and expertise and positive work-life balance compared to other specialties.   Knowing this, ACOEM is well poised to attract more physician members looking for benchmarking, education and networking opportunities and we must continue to position ourselves to be more visible in the medical field.

Back to Top

Director Candidate

Michele Kowalski-McGraw, MD, MPH, FACOEM

Candidate Statement
I have experience in Occupational Medicine in multiple health systems and I am dually certified in Family Medicine and Occupational Medicine. As Lead Physician in Occupational Medicine in the Community Care Dept., I am working to bridge Occupational Medicine and Primary Care. One of my main focus areas is development of CDC’s Occupational Data for Health, which will facilitate communication about work between patients and their providers to be used for improved individual patient care and population health. I also serve as Physician Wellness Director for my Dept. and UCSD Sanford Compassionate Communication Affiliate Faculty Leader since 2023.

Before joining UC San Diego Health, I was the system medical director of Occupational Medicine/Employee Health at Geisinger Health. I was also associate medical director of Occupational Medicine at Lehigh Valley Health and adjunct professor, Department of Clinical Sciences at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, where I taught primary care communication skills and introduced Occupational Medicine to students.

I completed residency in Occupational and Environmental medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and in Family Medicine at University of Maryland. I earned my medical degree from Temple University and a master's degree in public health from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

I am a fellow and active member of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) and have experience in speaking on topics such as health informatics, fitness for duty with respect to use of opioid and benzodiazepine medication use, prevention of blood borne pathogen exposure, and wellness. I am currently Chair of the ACOEM Council on External Relations and Communications. It would be an honor to serve on the ACOEM Board of Directors to shape the future of the specialty that has inspired me and enabled me to further preventive health for my patients and the populations we serve.

What do you see as the most important issue facing ACOEM / OEM currently?
The most important issue facing ACOEM/OEM currently is the pipeline of occ docs.  It’s exciting to me to see the work that is being done by my colleagues here at ACOEM to improve the process by which new docs are matched to our specialty, and I appreciate the work being done to educate students about our specialty.  I’ve had the privilege to work with medical students and residents through my occupational medicine career and it’s rewarding to see the appreciation of the work we do as they learn.  The Council of External Relations and Communications(CERC) is also working hard to increase the visibility of our specialty through media outlets and a Speakers and Subject Matter Expert Bureau.

How would you increase visibility of OEM and ACOEM in the medical/health care community?
I am currently working to increase the visibility of OEM and ACOEM in the medical/ health care community through outreach to my primary care colleagues both at UCSD and on a national level through AAFP.  I presented “ What Do You Do: Capturing Work Info to Help Patients and Populations” at the AAFP FMX last fall and I am currently working to develop additional CME and presentations for primary care. I am also serving as Chair of the Council of External Relations and Communications (CERC )where we work to increase visibility of OEM for both the medical community and lay public.

What, in your opinion, is the value proposition for ACOEM going forward?
Occupational and environmental factors are increasingly being recognized as important social determinants of health for individuals and populations.  In order to best collect and use this information, expertise will be needed.  ACOEM will continue to serve as the repository for this expertise!  In addition, the principles and practice of OEM may inform improvements in the medical system moving forward. The value proposition for members is to be part of this movement, and to gain inspiration and education in developing expertise.

Back to Top

Director Candidate

Douglas Martin, MD, FACOEM, FAAFP, FIAIME

Candidate Statement

Click Here to View Dr. Martin's Candidate Video Statement

My journey with ACOEM Leadership is not yet complete. Several ACOEM Leaders have encouraged me to run for the Board, and after much consideration, I am listening to them. There is much work to do, and my experience, approach to issues, meticulous attention to detail, and ability to drive consensus is sorely needed at the Board level. I am the only candidate that has the ability to bring the corporate memory to the table. While it is important to understand the history, the more important part is to study this history so that the same mistakes are not made again. With the challenges of declining membership and limited finances (which is not by the way, unique to specialty medical associations) there will need to occur a revision to the status quo and ACOEM will no longer be the same. This is not a prediction, but a truth, and other specialty organizations have already figured this out. As they say, you need to get into a position where you are at the table, and not part of the menu; a critical analogy that ACOEM needs to understand lest we lose our position to other stakeholders. You know me for multiple ACOEM projects and services: Past President, Past Speaker, Past Section President, CoCreator of the Basic OH Guides web resource, CoChair of the Preventing Needless Work Disability Project, member of the National Association of Parliamentarians, Chair of MRO Training, AMA Guides Training, Musculoskeletal Treatment Education. Author of 6 Essentials Program offerings, MRO Jeopardy emcee, COGA member, Accreditation ACCME expert (I have been a part of 8 ACCME reviews), and much more. I am a tireless advocate for our specialty and for our organization. I humbly ask for your vote for Director so that I can serve you for the next 3 years.

What do you see as the most important issue facing ACOEM / OEM currently?
Visibility and Stakeholder Gravitas. 

OEM is a unique specialty. A big challenge is that other organizations frequently like to "claim our turf", meaning that we need to continually be on guard as the mouthpiece, thought leader, and subject matter expert for workplace and worker safety and worker treatment for work related injuries and illnesses. We desperately need a marketing mantra; a tag line of sorts that can be easily recognized by both public and professional groups. We also need to pay very close attention to pipeline development. Over half of our membership are 60 years of age or older. We need to think about how we are going to continue with what we want to do with this basic challenging fact. So, ramping up undergraduate and medical school visibility is a must, not an option. At the same time, we need to position ourselves within government so that we are the recognized experts that can be relied upon for scientifically correct answers which of course will lead to public trust in what we stand for and what we do.

How would you increase visibility of OEM and ACOEM in the medical/health care community?
We need a recognizable tag line. This requires a marketing approach. This tag line needs to be faced not only to the medical and health care community but also to the public. We need to be more visible at the AMA level. There are ways to do this with promoting educational events at the AMA Annual and Interim Meetings. Ultimately, it would be great if we could have an ACOEM member run for, and be elected to, an AMA officer position or Board of Trustees seat. We also need to do a better job of collaborating with other specialty organizations. A small example of something I accomplished in this area is that I was successful in having the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) place on their web resource page a link to our Basic OH Guides web page. But, we need to do more.

What, in your opinion, is the value proposition for ACOEM going forward?
Membership needs value, and value is measured in terms of whether the benefit either meets or exceeds the cost. We need member engagement and not just that, but excitement. One thing that some might think is trivial but also one that I am going to suggest we borrow from the AMA is to stop calling "ACOEM" as though it is some outside entity. I hear folks say "ACOEM thinks this", or "ACOEM is going to do that". This is not how this should be looked upon. WE ARE ACOEM. So, instead we should be referring to "our ACOEM" in a possessive terminology viewpoint. This should also be a change in the way we provide written and verbal communication, and that includes papers, emails, speeches, etc.

Back to Top

Director Candidate

Marina Mathew, MD, MPH, FACOEM

Candidate Statement
I am expressing interest in the opportunity to serve as one of ACOEM’s Board of Directors for the 2025-2028 position.  I believe my education, work experience and passion for leadership would be a great contribution to ACOEM Board of Directors.    
By way of background, I am an Occupational Medicine Physician that is double board certified in both Internal Medicine and Occupational and Environmental Medicine.  I have practiced as an Occupational Medicine Physician at three Global Fortune 500 companies that gives me a unique perspective on - remote and congregate health care needs not only domestically but internationally.  
Below, I have highlighted a few of reasons for my desire to join the ACOEM Board of Directors term (2025-2028): 

• As a seasoned physician leader with over 15 years of Occupational Health Medicine experience I deal with setting health direction and recognize the importance of occupational risk factors that contribute to disease burden in our workforce.  I would bring to the table my perspective, experiences and see value to sharing the style and approaches that are unique to my success to help with the technical and health governance stewardship needs for ACOEM.  I have experience with occupational health policy and procedure development and implementation.  
• I have a passion for effective communication and my excellent written and oral communication skills would encourage constructive discussion, drive productive ideations and strengthen connections.  
• My professional goals include continuously learning and increasing my skills and contribution to the field of Occupational Medicine.  If given an opportunity to join the ACOEM Board of Directors, it would contribute to my professional growth by allowing for strong partnerships that will allow us to explore improvements and eventually drive effective change within the ACOEM organization.

1. Expand Educational Initiatives
2. Strengthen Professional Networking
3. Leverage Digital and Social Media
4. Foster Collaborations and Partnerships
5. Highlight Success Stories and Case Studies
6. Offer OEM Certification and Recognition Programs for these other MD/DO's of ABMS.

Director Candidate

Judith Green McKenzie, MD, MPH, FRCP, FACP, FACOEM

Candidate Statement
 
Click Here to View Dr. McKenzie's Candidate Video Statement 

My passion for OEM was shaped by an upbringing in a small tropical town witnessing doctors making house calls, and public health professionals working to eliminate habitats of disease vectors and ensuring school children were immunized. After earning a Molecular Biology degree from Princeton, a Medical Degree from Yale, and completing Internal Medicine training at NYU/Bellevue, I discovered OEM. It was the perfect blend of Medicine, Public Health, Epidemiology, and Environmental Stewardship. An intense personal journey included starting my OEM Fellowship at Johns Hopkins five weeks after the birth of our first child, which required that my husband and I relocate. Penn Medicine tenure followed, launched 4 months after our daughter ‘s birth.

I have led clinical, research, administrative, and educational missions at two major academic medical centers: Professor and OEM Chief at Penn Medicine, and Professor (PAR) of Medicine, OEM Chief, and Executive Director of Health, Safety, and Environment for Johns Hopkins Health System and University. I currently serve as an OSHA Medical Officer. Some key achievements include receiving the 2015 ACOEM International Lifetime Kehoe Achievement Award for Excellence in Education and Research, the 2023 ACOEM Kammer Merit in Authorship Award, being inducted Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London, UK, and being recognized in the top ten percent cited public health researchers (2022).

As a national leader in OEM education, I chaired the ACGME Preventive Medicine Review Committee and collaborated with ACOEM and ABPM leadership to achieve ACGME approval for OEM as a distinct specialty. Approximately 8% of all newly ABPM-certified OEM physicians were trained under my leadership as program director of the largest civilian OEM residency (UPenn). Additionally, I have chaired NASEM Committees and served on ABPM Examination Committees. It would be an honor to bring my passion, experience, and expertise to the ACOEM BOD.

What do you see as the most important issue facing ACOEM / OEM currently?
Our specialty faces an existential threat, exacerbated by potential for stagnation and contraction rather than innovation and growth necessary to meet current and future demands. The shortage of OEM physicians has persisted for decades. Since the early 20th century, the care of American workers has evolved from a lack of safeguards to the establishment of workers' compensation, the oldest form of social insurance in the US, and the rise of the "Industrial Physician," who understood the hazards in rapidly expanding industries of the time. The first OEM residency was established in 1947. At its peak, there were 53 residencies. Twenty remain. This shortage of training opportunities, combined with the lack of visibility of our field, has resulted in many OEM physicians entering the specialty mid-career. I and several of our members, have written about the root causes of this issue—reduced training programs, the inadequate number of OEM physicians, and the need for a more integrated team to fulfill our mission. Clearly, OEM physicians provide specialized essential services. Effectively addressing this situation will require careful planning, innovative thinking beyond conventional approaches, and focused execution. Fresh solutions are vital needed for this long-standing problem. The time to act is now.

How would you increase visibility of OEM and ACOEM in the medical/health care community?
Increasing the visibility of OEM and ACOEM within the medical and healthcare community is a complex challenge requiring a multi-faceted approach. As our specialty has grown and become more established, the hazards faced by workers have also evolved. Our society shifted from a predominantly industrial workforce to a more service-oriented economy, as well as introduced new industries with unique risks, such as the yet-undefined dangers associated with electric vehicle battery manufacturing and disposal. 

Industries like warehousing continue to pose long-standing ergonomic challenges. Environmental hazards, such as heat-related illnesses/deaths and incidents like the recent train derailment in East Palestine, further emphasize the importance of OEM expertise.

To raise our visibility, it's essential for OEM professionals to leverage epidemiological tools to study these evolving hazards, interpret basic science for the public, and publish and amplify our findings. With my extensive experience in academic leadership, scientific research, government service, and public health program management, equipped with epidemiology and critical assessment skills, I can help lead the development of such initiatives within ACOEM. While ACOEM already creates and publishes timely and relevant position statements, establishing a platform to amplify our collective voice more effectively could significantly enhance our visibility within the broader healthcare landscape.

What, in your opinion, is the value proposition for ACOEM going forward?
ACOEM is the largest professional organization for OEM specialists. Its members, the nation and the global community, are ACOEM’s primary stakeholders. The College serves as "the trusted home and champion for all professionals who practice OEM" and has the unique opportunity to leverage its members' expertise to address virtually any workplace or environmental issue, both domestically and internationally. A strong multidisciplinary team approach is required to recognize, diagnose, treat, and prevent injuries and illnesses resulting from workplace, home, and environmental exposures. Appropriately harnessed - the health, safety, and well-being, locally and globally, of workers and communities can be further enhanced. In a nation with inadequate numbers of OEM professionals relative to the workforce and overall population, working within a multidisciplinary team is vital. Each member plays a distinct role and must fulfill it effectively. Just as public health professionals in my hometown collaborated with healthcare and environmental experts to ensure a safe and healthy environment locally, ACOEM has found success globally by capitalizing on its existing human resources. By recognizing the value and expertise of all its members and clearly defining their roles, ACOEM can continue to successfully deliver on its promise to its stakeholders.

Back to Top

Director Candidate

Chang Na, MD, MPH, FACOEM

Candidate Statement

Click Here to View Dr. Na's Candidate Video Statement

Dear esteemed colleagues,

I am seeking your support for my candidacy to the ACOEM board of directors. I have a proven track record of dedicated service to ACOEM. I have had the privilege to serve many of you for the past few years as the secretary/treasurer and eventually the Chair of the Transportation section. And it was truly an honor and pleasure to serve as your Speaker of the House of Delegates, which is where member voices are heard on various issues through the resolutions process. In addition to experience within ACOEM, I also have numerous years of experience serving in leadership roles in my county and state medical societies as well as the American Medical Association, where I have learned to build consensus and foster collaboration to achieve shared goals.  

Thank you for considering my candidacy. I look forward to the opportunity to serve our esteemed college and contribute to our shared mission.

What do you see as the most important issue facing ACOEM / OEM currently?
The most critical issue facing OEM currently is the shortage of OEM specialists. We need to increase the number of students entering our specialty. Towards this goal, it has been wonderful to be part of the ACOEM ambassadors program to increase awareness of OEM as a field. We desperately need more funding to expand training opportunities for the future OEM workforce. This is a challenge faced by many specialties and I have years of experience working on legislative advocacy through my leadership roles in organized medicine.  We need to continue to expand the care team and work on ways to work collaboratively to make OEM care accessible to more workers. If elected, I plan to make this a consistent focus during my tenure on the board.

How would you increase visibility of OEM and ACOEM in the medical/health care community?
I have endeavored to be a positive brand ambassador for OEM and ACOEM in my various roles in the community, my medical group, and in organized medicine groups such as the American Medical Association. When there are community events like health fairs, I volunteer and look for opportunities to talk about the field of OEM. I volunteer to give continuing education sessions on disability and other topics in my medical group and use that as an opportunity to share what OEM is with colleagues from other specialties. I hope to continue to attract more OEM colleagues to engage in these types of activities as well as share successful strategies to spread the word about OEM and ACOEM.

What, in your opinion, is the value proposition for ACOEM going forward?
At every AOHC, I hear many colleagues express how meaningful the networking and personal connections were at the event. This is why I have volunteered many hours to the college and continue to renew my membership and engage at every level. There are many challenges facing our specialty and ACOEM. We must confront these challenges together and I truly believe that ACOEM will continue to be the preeminent home for OEM specialists where we collaborate and advance together as one OEM family.

Back to Top

Director Candidate

Lori Rolando, MD, MPH, FACOEM

Candidate Statement
Hello. I am Lori Rolando. I am an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Executive Director of Faculty and Staff Health & Wellness at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and I am respectfully submitting my candidacy for ACOEM Board of Directors. My journey through Occupational Medicine over the last 16 years has been extraordinarily fulfilling.  I have been privileged to oversee a wide range of programs to maximize the well-being and productivity of the VUMC community, as well as engage in ACOEM leadership at the Component (Tennessee) and Section (Medical Center Occupational Health) levels. Through my involvement in these and other ACOEM activities such as being a Tennessee Delegate to the House of Delegates, I have gained a strong appreciation for the importance of service to ACOEM. 

The knowledge we share, connections we make, and initiatives we champion are fundamental to the ongoing strength of the College as well as the health and safety of the workers we serve. There are myriad important issues facing the College and health care in general as we move into the future, and I have been inspired by the passion with which my colleagues have worked to address them on our behalf. I recognize that as we navigate these and other challenges and opportunities, it will be imperative to be analytical, measured, compassionate, and thoughtful. I also understand that respectfully listening to differing opinions and considering all aspects of an issue on which action is being deliberated will be key. Thus, I promise that I will strive to always act thoughtfully and with the best interests of the College and its membership in mind. 

Therefore, I humbly submit my name for consideration to serve the College and you, its membership, as a member of the Board of Directors.

What do you see as the most important issue facing ACOEM / OEM currently?
I think our most important issue continues to be ensuring the viability and continued growth of our organization and our specialty. I recognize that this may not be the most unique idea, and I could have selected any one of a wide range of specific issues that are at the forefront of occupational medicine right now.  But there is a reason this has been a continued focus; everything else we wish to impact comes from our strength as an organization and our visibility as a specialty.  Ensuring that we can recruit a new generation to our specialty, grow our College membership, remain a financially viable organization, and encourage and mentor a new generation of leaders (within our organization and the specialty itself) will position us well for the future, and will allow us to put the unique expertise we have in protecting the health and safety of workers and their environments to use across all of our available platforms.

How would you increase visibility of OEM and ACOEM in the medical/health care community?
Increasing visibility will be key to continuing to grow our specialty. Rather than suggest a very specific “do this; don’t do that”, I would first, as a member of the Board, want to gain a detailed understanding of avenues currently in use and be thoughtful about identifying gaps which could be potential opportunities for growth.  How we navigate this would depend on what the objectives are. Who are we trying to reach and what do we want them to know? For example, increasing visibility with policy makers would likely require a different approach than would be used to increase visibility for medical students that we would hope to recruit to our specialty. The latter, for example, could be a wonderful opportunity to leverage social media in new and innovative ways, as well as our Ambassador Program and existing member relationships with medical schools and undergraduate institutions to create excitement around our specialty for a younger generation of physicians (especially as Occ Med is now part of the NRMP).  Of course, resource availability would also need to be considered, but in today’s landscape, in many ways opportunities are limited only by our creativity level. That is an exciting place to be.

What, in your opinion, is the value proposition for ACOEM going forward?
Today, the issues impacting the safety and wellbeing of our workforce (as well as the environments in which they work) are becoming more and more complex. We are uniquely qualified to position ourselves as subject matter experts who can provide exceptional clinical care while at the same time thinking more broadly to have a far-reaching impact on society. 

I thus see the importance of our leadership as two-fold. First, when it comes to issues that are more specific to the workplace itself - from hazard recognition and mitigation to work injury care to workplace violence – we have the background and expertise to provide innovative solutions and make a difference in the daily lives of workers.  Second, employers are key stakeholders in addressing broader societal public health and wellbeing concerns. From violence to pandemic preparedness to loneliness and isolation, mental health, and parental stress (the latter 3 of which are all recent subjects of Surgeon General reports), Occupational Medicine clinicians can be leading voices for workplace initiatives to address these topics and thus have an invaluable impact on the lives of the population even outside the workplace. The opportunity for this dual influence is a privileged position to be in.

Back to Top

Director Candidate

Warren Silverman, MD, FACOEM, FACPM

​
Candidate Statement
I believe that ACOEM, contains within its membership, a tremendous untapped and often unrecognized amount of expertise that can provide many groups with knowledge and answers.  The ACOEM name has the potential to be recognized for the quality and the depth of this expertise.  At the same time, ACOEM can offer its members something very important to lifestyle and career...opportunity.   Opportunity to learn, the network, to discover new pathways, to make friends, and to find answers.  Many of you know me already.  Many have heard me speak in a variety of forums and a wide range of topics.  You know that I am passionate about what we can do.  I hope to be the voice of opportunity and return to the Board to advance and challenge the agenda.  I hope that you will help me in that quest.

What do you see as the most important issue facing ACOEM / OEM currently?
Basically, everything.  When I started in my Occupational Medicine practice, we did CDL physicals, asbestos and respiratory protection clearances and, well you know what we have done for the last 30 years.  But 20 years from now there will be no drivers or pilots, houses will be printed, AI and mechanized manufacturing will kick out the employee base.  So how to we move from here to there?
We have to think ahead and position ourselves for globalization, urbanization, climate management, ,energy resources, outer space, and adapting to the impact of AI.  We are at the AOL, "You've got mail" vantage trying to anticipate the impact of social media 20 years later, except that now it is AI, robotics and what will actually be the workplace 20 years from now.  Our young doctors will have to deal with major shifts in everything from climate to, well, the practice of medicine.  We already have AI reading ultrasounds and Pap smears with better accuracy than humans.  ACOEM has to adapt, and to be a beacon to our specialty offering new opportunities and challenges.

How would you increase visibility of OEM and ACOEM in the medical/health care community?
One thing that has always struck me in comparing with my clinical medical colleagues is who our customers are.  Most providers see the patient as their customer, fighting with administrators, insurance companies and regulators to provide help.  In OEM we deal with a wide range of stakeholders in terms of outcome.  We interface with the employee, HR, safety, the union, insurers, case managers, lawyers, and others, and corporate medical directors may face even more groups to deal with.  This positions us very well in addressing the healthcare challenges of the future.  While clinical primary care may dissipate due to AI and a variety of other forces, OEM has the opportunity to sit at many tables, including lawmakers, insurers, climate and environmental projects, industrial consultants, and population healthcare management.  We have stayed in the corporate world shadows in the past, but our future as leaders grows each day.

What, in your opinion, is the value proposition for ACOEM going forward?
It is very simple. I have travelled around the world meeting with teaching institutions, healthcare providers, Ministers of various departments in many countries and universally, they want what we have.  They want our knowledge, our regulations and enforcement, our safety, our technology and most of all, our expertise to help them solve their own problems.  ACOEM is a brand, and if we promote it properly it will be recognized as having quality and reliability by industry, governments, students and healthcare providers around the world.  We need to collaborate with mutual benefit in  many scenarios.  We need to market our knowledge and our people.  The world needs to hear our voice as it deals with the overwhelming angst that has grown in the population accompanied by fear as we transition to a very different world.  ACOEM can be a beacon to workers and citizens around the world.

Back to Top