{"id":13568,"date":"2026-03-13T07:44:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T11:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jordanbarab.com\/confinedspace\/?p=13568"},"modified":"2026-03-22T14:05:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T18:05:32","slug":"small-but-mighty-how-one-organization-has-championed-worker-health-for-nearly-four-decades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jordanbarab.com\/confinedspace\/2026\/03\/13\/small-but-mighty-how-one-organization-has-championed-worker-health-for-nearly-four-decades\/","title":{"rendered":"Small but Mighty: How One Organization Has Championed Worker Health for Nearly Four Decades"},"content":{"rendered":"

D<\/span>ateline: September 28-October 2, 1986, Las Vegas Nevada:\u00a0 <\/strong>The American Public Health Association was holding its annual meeting.\u00a0 A small group of friends — occupational health clinicians, educators, and advocates — \u00a0gathered around the pool after attending the days sessions. They were fired up. It wasn’t a grand summit or a federal initiative. It was a handful of passionate people, poolside, in Las Vegas \u2014 the kind of conversation that usually fades with the weekend. This one didn’t.<\/p>\n

They discussed how workers need occupational health and safety services \u2013 beyond the company doctor, services that will be separate and independent of what a company might provide (or benefit from.)<\/p>\n

And a bold idea took hold.\u00a0 Why not establish an organization to do just that?<\/p>\n

That informal gathering became the seed of a national organization that, nearly four decades later, remains one of the few organizations in American medicine dedicated solely to the health of workers and the communities where they live.<\/p>\n

From that gathering, the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC<\/a>) was formally incorporated as a non-profit 501c3 organization in early 1987, with a simple but powerful overarching mission: To facilitate the prevention and treatment of occupational and environmental illnesses and injuries through collaborative reporting, research, and clinical practice<\/p>\n

AOEC: A Network Born of Necessity <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Every day, millions of people go to work in environments that carry both overt and hidden health risks \u2014 from chemical exposures, toxic dusts, infectious diseases, unguarded machinery, lack of personal protective equipment, and company policies that push profits and production deadlines over safety and health.\u00a0 They and others live near industrial sites or busy roadways that spew toxins into the air<\/a> or they live in communities with polluted drinking water<\/a>.<\/p>\n

AOEC\u2019s specific goals are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. To aid in identifying, reporting, and preventing occupational and environmental health hazards and their effects.<\/li>\n
  2. To encourage the provision of high-quality clinical services for people with work or environmentally related health problems.<\/li>\n
  3. To increase communication among occupational and environmental health clinics by sharing information that will better enable them to diagnose and treat occupational and environmental diseases.<\/li>\n
  4. To facilitate liaison between clinics and agencies responsible for workplace and environmental monitoring.<\/li>\n
  5. To provide a source of data for research projects related to occupational and environmental health.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    AOEC Programs and Accomplishments: A Legacy to Be Proud Of.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/h2>\n

    For nearly four decades, AOEC has stood at the intersection of medicine, public health, and worker advocacy to address occupational and environmental challenges head-on. It is an organization of both clinics and individuals committed to improving the health of workers and communities exposed to environmental hazards. It bridges critical gaps by providing training and resources for current and future OEH providers; treating and caring for current and retired working populations; \u00a0assessing and addressing connections between work and the environment; facilitating a clinical network and serving as a communication hub for those seeking OEH information and care.<\/p>\n

    Here are some of its most noteworthy programs and accomplishments:<\/p>\n

    The Exposure and Asthmagen Code System<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    One of AOEC’s most enduring technical contributions is the development of a standardized Exposure and Asthmagen Code List<\/em><\/a>,<\/em> first created in 1994. Designed to help member clinics systematically identify both existing and emerging occupational and environmental health concerns, the coding system gives clinicians a common language for documenting patient exposures \u2014 enabling meaningful data aggregation across the network and supporting population-level research. This standardized database remains an active tool for AOEC members to this day.<\/p>\n

    The Occupational Health Internship Program (OHIP)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    A major investment in the future of the field, OHIP<\/a> is a national summer internship that places students directly with worker support organizations \u2014 unions, worker centers, and advocacy groups \u2014 to learn occupational safety and health from those most affected by it: working people themselves.<\/p>\n

    To date, 433 OHIP interns have been placed with 138 community-based organizations and unions to work on 226 OSH projects in 31 locations across the country and U.S. territories. OHIP alumni describe the program as formative, with many going on to careers in occupational medicine, public health, and labor advocacy. The program reflects AOEC’s deep commitment to the pipeline of future occupational and environmental health professionals and advocates.<\/p>\n

    Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSU). <\/strong><\/h3>\n

    One of AOEC’s important contributions to public health came through its long-running support of the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSU)<\/em><\/a> \u2014 a national network created in 1998 by the CDC’s ATSDR with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), specifically to address children’s unique vulnerability to environmental hazards.<\/p>\n

    AOEC served as the administrative and programmatic backbone for the 10 regional PEHSUs for many years. Primarily located in academic centers, the PEHSU network members have educated more than 600,000 clinicians and clinician trainees and more than 400,000 community members\u00a0on health effects related to children\u2019s environmental hazards. In addition, PEHSUs have provided\u00a0over 12,000 consultations\u00a0to health professionals, community leaders and community organizations, state and local officials, parents and pregnant women, and\u00a0published\u00a0over 1300 works\u00a0related to children\u2019s environmental health. \u00a0AOEC remains an active partner in the PEHSU program.<\/p>\n

    The OEM-List and Member Communications<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    AOEC has long served as a convening force for the occupational and environmental medicine community through the OEM-List<\/strong><\/a>, a professional listserv that facilitates real-time communication among clinicians, researchers, and public health professionals across the country. This tool, alongside a monthly member newsletter and an active web presence, keeps members informed about federal regulatory developments, emerging research, job opportunities, and calls for advocacy \u2014 ensuring that AOEC’s network functions as a living, responsive community rather than a static directory.<\/p>\n

    Clinical Resources and Information <\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Through its Training Resource Library<\/a>, AOEC provides a collection of training and educational resources for people working or interested in occupational and environmental safety and health including blogs and listservs.<\/p>\n

    Through its OEM Information Page<\/a>,\u00a0 AOEC provides information<\/em> for clinicians who see working patients and inspiration <\/em>for those who may want to explore a future in this rewarding area of clinical practice.\u00a0 As a specialty, OEM offers a unique blend of direct clinical care of workers with public\/population health.\u00a0But clinicians of all disciplines find it useful to better understand their patient\u2019s work- and environmentally-related risk factors.\u00a0 From obstetrics to pediatrics and on through to gerontology, these risk factors can be critical to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.<\/p>\n

    Additionally, through its Clinic Directory<\/a>, anyone can access information about how to contact an OEM member clinic, thus providing referral sources for workers and their families who need care and advice about OEM exposures and health effects.<\/p>\n

    World Trade Center Health Program Involvement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    In recent years, AOEC has taken on a growing role in expanding the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program’s National Provider Network<\/strong> \u2014 connecting occupational and environmental medicine clinicians with the program that monitors and treats first responders, recovery workers, and survivors affected by the September 11, 2001 attacks. This work is a testament to AOEC’s role as a trusted partner in large-scale occupational health responses to national tragedies.<\/p>\n

    EPINet Surveillance System<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    In June 2025, AOEC expanded its portfolio by assuming oversight of the Exposure Prevention Information Network<\/a> (EPINet) \u2014 a surveillance system originally created by the International Safety Center to track occupational sharps injuries and blood and body fluid exposures in healthcare settings. Since 1992, hospitals have submitted data on these exposures, helping identify patterns and drive safety improvements that protect healthcare workers from bloodborne pathogens and infectious disease. AOEC’s stewardship of EPINet reflects its expanding role as a hub for occupational health data infrastructure. EPINet remains the only national surveillance system for bloodborne and infectious disease exposures among healthcare professionals.<\/p>\n

    Advocacy and Policy Engagement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Beyond clinical care and research, AOEC has consistently engaged in advocacy at the national level. The organization monitors legislative and regulatory agendas, participates in hearings and public comment processes, and coordinates its membership to amplify the voices of workers and patients in policy discussions that affect occupational and environmental health standards.<\/p>\n

    This advocacy role flows directly from the ICOH International Code of Ethics for Occupational Health Professionals<\/a> and from AOEC\u2019s patient bill of rights<\/a>.\u00a0 AOEC-affiliated clinicians focus and act in the best interest of their patients and communities, even when that means navigating the inherently conflict-ridden dynamics of workplace medicine \u2014 where the interests of employers and employees do not always align.<\/p>\n

    Bottom Line<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Nearly four decades after its founding, AOEC stands as a unique institution in American medicine: a small but mighty nonprofit that bridges clinical excellence, public health research, worker advocacy, and federal partnership. In a field where the consequences of failure are measured in preventable illness, injury, and shortened lives, AOEC’s collaborative model has proven that collaboration and shared knowledge two of the most powerful tools available. [And full disclosure: I was one of the founders and currently serve on the Board of Directors.]<\/p>\n

    But its work is far from finished. As new occupational and environmental threats emerge \u2014 from climate-related health impacts to novel chemical exposures in modern workplaces \u2014 AOEC continues to build the infrastructure, train the next generation of practitioners, and advocate for the patients who too often have no other champion.<\/p>\n

    For workers, families, and communities confronting the health consequences of the environments where they live and work, AOEC remains an essential ally. I encourage you to get to know the organization, use its resources, and support it if you are able. As you can imagine, every dollar counts, especially when federal funding for non-profits like AOEC is under threat.<\/p>\n

    Your tax-deductible contribution<\/a> will make a real difference<\/u>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    AOEC stands ready to build on its legacy and, with your help, meet the OESH challenges of tomorrow.\u00a0 Onward together!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Dateline: September 28-October 2, 1986, Las Vegas Nevada:\u00a0 The American Public Health Association was holding its annual meeting.\u00a0 A small group of friends — occupational health clinicians, educators, and advocates — \u00a0gathered around the pool after attending the days sessions. They were fired up. It wasn’t a grand summit or a federal initiative. It was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":13571,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[244,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-occupational-disease","category-illness"],"yoast_head":"\nSmall but Mighty: How One Organization Has Championed Worker Health for Nearly Four Decades - Confined Space<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics has Championed Worker Health for Nearly Four Decades\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/jordanbarab.com\/confinedspace\/2026\/03\/13\/small-but-mighty-how-one-organization-has-championed-worker-health-for-nearly-four-decades\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Small but Mighty: How One Organization Has Championed Worker Health for Nearly Four Decades - 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