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More than 7,000 occupational health physicians, nurses and other health and safety professionals will head to Philadelphia, May 12-19, for AOHC 2000 -- The Future is Now!.
The 59th annual joint conference is co-sponsored by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) and the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN).
"Americans'' workplaces change overnight, and the only way to prepare for change is to confront it head on," said AAOHN President Deborah V. DiBenedetto. "Our conference will examine the tough issues -- workplace violence, our aging workforce, genetics in the workplace, and overcoming gender communication barriers at work."
Other topics include the state of health care, ergonomics, the Family Medical Leave Act, and legal, ethical and regulatory issues.
The AAOHN opening session, Tuesday, May 16 at 8 a.m. will feature Tim Porter O''Grady, Ed.D., Ph.D. Porter will focus on the transformation of the provider''s role in a new age for health care.
Tuesday afternoon, guest speaker Marthe Kent, OSHA director of the directorate of safety standards program, will discuss OSHA''s standard-setting process and the hurdles OSHA must overcome in promulgating a new standard.
The ACOEM/AAOHN joint plenary session begins at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, May 17 and features a debate on the future of health care. J.D. Kleinke, medical economist and health care business columnist for The Wall Street Journal, will present his opinions on the challenges and opportunities created by the current transformation of the U.S. health care system. Viewpoints from an insurer''s perspective and a provider''s perspective will be presented by Dr. W. Allen Schaffer, chief medical officer for CIGNA HealthCare, and Dr. William N. Kelley, CEO, University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Thursday at 10 a.m., Dr. Bernie Siegel, author of such books as "Love, Medicine & Miracles" and founder of Exceptional Cancer Patients, will share "Prescriptions for Living," based on his latest book of the same title.
Pre- and post-conference continuing education workshops, open to AAOHN members, are scheduled Saturday, May 13 through Monday, May 15 and Friday, May 19. These half- and full-day workshops require an additional registration and fee.
Some 350 exhibitors will be on hand to display a variety of safety, occupational health and other products and services. Exhibits are open Tuesday, May 16 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, May 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Thursday, May 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
by Virginia Sutcliffe