Occupational Health Program (OHP)
Occupational Health is a specialized healthcare branch that focuses on employee health and safety in the workplace. This field is comprised of multiple disciplines focusing strongly on workplace injury, pre-employment testing, occupational medicine, and work-related illness. The UTRGV Occupational Health Program is a multipurposed program designed for both compliance with applicable rules and regulations and to provide a greater level of customer service to UTRGV stakeholders who need occupational medicine related services. There are several departments that are involved in the program, EHSRM, HR, UTRGV Health, Employee Health Services, Student Health Service and the School of Medicine. The Occupational Health Program will serve to meet the needs of UTRGV by providing for pre-employment assessments, vaccinations, testing, Bloodborne pathogen exposure response, and fit testing services.
Services
The Occupational Health Program provides the following services on one or more of the UTRGV campuses.
Animal Care Occupational Health Program
The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (8th edition) mandates that each institution must establish and maintain an Occupational Health and safety program (OHSP) as an essential part of the overall program of animal care and use.
Pre-employment assessments
Certain entities on campus are required to have a physical prior to employment to ensure that they are physically capable of doing the job (i.e. physical plant employees) or do not having any underlying conditions that could affect their employment or position. A Department of Transportation (DOT) physical is a health examination mandated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. A DOT physical helps determine if a driver is physically, mentally, and emotionally fit to operate a CMV.
Respiratory Protection Program
OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard requires that a respirator be provided to each employee when such equipment is necessary to protect the health of such employee and that a Medical Evaluation, signed by a competent person, be completed prior to fit testing. The Occupational Medicine program will serve this purpose.
Vaccinations and Testing Program
Vaccinations
UTHEALTH Policy Number 17.019C requires that all managed clinical operations clinical personnel are required to have evidence of immunization or immunity against influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B and/or any disease deemed an imminent health threat by UTRGV leadership. All health care personnel are required to have an initial TB skin test or IGRA test. Employees who work in clinical microbiology will be evaluated for meningococcal vaccine.
Testing
Exposure to an infectious disease such as TB warrants an assessment of the patient as well as those exposed. An occupational health program allows for the proper case management of any type of outbreak as well as management of any reporting to the local Health Officials.