The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) announced last week the establishment of the Heartland Center for Occupational Health and Safety at the University of Iowa.
The new center will provide graduate training, continuing education, and outreach in occupational medicine, industrial hygiene and occupational health nursing in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.
The Heartland Center is the newest of 16 Education and Research (ERCs) funded by NIOSH to meet the nation''s ongoing needs for trained occupational health and safety professionals.
"We are pleased to welcome the Heartland Center as our newest ERC, building on the University of Iowa''s proven excellence in educating health professionals and developing strong local partnerships in its home state," said NIOSH Director Linda Rosenstock. "The new center puts NIOSH-supported ERCs in every region of the United States, providing strong, innovative research and education in occupational safety and health."
Among other benefits, creation of the Heartland Center will:
- Allow for expansion of current training and education partnerships in Iowa to the other states in the Federal Government''s Region VII -- Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.
- Expand recruitment and training opportunities for groups under-represented in occupational safety and health disciplines, including Native American students.
- Expand the number of occupational physician trainees in the university''s residency training program to serve regional needs.
ERCs graduate almost half of the nation''s post-baccalaureate occupational health and safety specialists, including the majority of occupational health nursing and occupational medicine graduates.
by Virginia Sutcliffe