NYS Occupational Health Clinic Network - Protecting the Workers

Each year, thousands of workers in New York get sick or are injured on the job. Since 1987, the New York State Occupational Health Clinic Network (OHCN) has assisted New Yorkers by helping them to return to work quickly and safely and by preventing disease and injuries. They have a proven record of assisting the working population in New York. The OHCN clinics are located throughout the State, including a clinic specializing in farm worker health and safety.

To locate an occupational health clinic in your area click here: Occupational Health Clinic Locations and Phone Numbers

Clinical Practice Reviews

Physicians of the Occupational Health Clinic Network have developed a series of clinical practice reviews. These were published in the January 2000 issue of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine - a dedicated issue entitled "The Diagnosis and Treatment of Occupational Diseases: Integrating Clinical Practice with Prevention". These reviews are intended to assist clinicians in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of common occupational diseases. Complimentary access to the issue is offered on the Internet via Wiley InterScience, sponsored by the New York State Department of Health. To view the articles and/or download them go to Clinical Practices Reviews .

Related Links

Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics
The Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) is an international network of more than 60 clinics and more than 250 individuals committed to improving the practice of occupational and environmental medicine through information sharing and collaborative research. The chief long-term goal of AOEC is to facilitate the prevention and treatment of occupational and environmental illnesses and injuries through collaborative reporting and investigation of health problems.

What Can The Occupational Health Clinic Network Offer You?

Experts in occupational medicine can help you achieve the best possible recovery if you are sick or injured on the job by:

  • Taking A Complete Work History To Determine If Your Illness Or Injury Is Related To Work
  • Identifying Appropriate Medical Tests
  • Working With Your Other Doctors
  • Developing A Specialized Treatment Plan
  • Providing A Disability Assessment
  • Assisting With Rehabilitation Services

Experts in health and safety can help prevent you and your co-workers from becoming sick or injured on the job by:

  • Talking To You About Your Job And Workplace
  • Visiting Your Workplace To Assess Potential Hazards
  • Assisting Your Employer In Reducing Unhealthy Or Dangerous Work Conditions
  • Working With Your Employer Or Union To Make Your Workplace Safer
  • Helping You Recognize And Avoid Hazards At Work
  • Recommending The Right Protective Equipment

Trained staff can assist both you and your family with the stress caused by being sick or injured on the job by:

  • Answering Your Questions
  • Supporting You Throughout Your Diagnosis, Treatment And Recovery
  • Filing The Necessary Paperwork For Your Insurance Or Workers' Compensation Claims
  • Talking To You About Sources Of Income And Other Services You May Be Eligible To Receive
  • Providing Support Groups For You To Discuss Problems With Other Workers
  • Offering Training In Relaxation Techniques
  • Helping With Job Retraining

Who Can Use The Occupational Health Clinic Network?

The Occupational Health Clinics are available to all workers, retirees and residents in New York State. No worker will be turned away because of an inability to pay and the OHCN clinics can bill directly to most major health insurance carriers.

You could benefit from a visit to an OHCN clinic if:

  • Your Wrists, Hands Or Arms Ache Or Feel Numb, Especially At Night
  • You Work With Asbestos, Solvents, Lead Or Other Dangerous Materials
  • You Have A Hard Time Breathing When On The Job
  • You Have Been Injured On The Job
  • You Have Been Told You Have Asbestosis, Carpal Tunnel, Occupational Asthma, Occupational Hearing Loss, Work-Related Muscular Skeletal Problems Or Other Work-Related Conditions

If your co-worker, friend or family member has been sick or injured on the job, please share this brochure with them.

Your medical information is confidential and will not be shared without your consent unless required by law, including the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and OSHA regulations.

For more information, contact your local Occupational Health Clinic , or the

New York State Department of Health at: 1-866-807-2130

What Can The Occupational Health Clinic Network Offer Your Business?

Experts in occupational medicine can help your employees who are sick or injured on the job achieve the best possible recovery by:

  • Taking A Complete Work History To Determine If Their Illness Or Injury Is Related To Work
  • Identifying Appropriate Medical Tests
  • Developing A Specialized Treatment Plan
  • Providing Disability Assessment
  • Assisting With Rehabilitation Services

Experts in health and safety can help you prevent your employees from becoming sick or injured on the job by:

  • Assessing Potential Workplace Hazards
  • Sampling For Airborne Contaminants And Exposures At The Worksite
  • Recommending Engineering Controls, And Safe Work Practices And Operations
  • Assisting In Developing Health And Safety Programs
  • Recommending Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment
  • Providing Employee Education And Training

Health and safety experts can also assist in ensuring that your workers return to work safely by identifying alternative, "light-duty" and work restriction programs.

What Specific Services are Available Through the Occupational Health Clinic Network?

OHCN clinics provide a variety of standard medical examinations for workplace exposures or for OSHA standards requiring medical surveillance, including:

  • Asbestos
  • Formaldehyde
  • Lead
  • Occupational Noise
  • Bloodborne Pathogens
  • Hazardous Chemicals in Labs
  • Lyme Disease
  • Respiratory Protection

Some clinics also offer other occupational medicine services including:

  • Hazardous Material Exposure And Surveillance Evaluations
  • Independent Medical Examinations (IMEs)
  • Scheduled Loss Of Use Assessments (SLOUs)
  • Health Promotion And Wellness Services
  • Pre-Placement Physical Examinations
  • Return-To-Work And Fitness-For-Duty Evaluations
  • Workers' Compensation Evaluations And Hearing Testimony

Who Can Use The Occupational Health Clinic Network?

The Occupational Health Clinics are available to all workers, retirees and residents in New York State. No worker will be turned away because of an inability to pay and the OHCN clinics can bill directly to most major health insurance carriers. Each patient is assured confidentiality. Patients' medical information is confidential and will not be shared with patients' consent unless required by law, including the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and OSHA regulations.

For more information, contact your local Occupational Health Clinic ,

or the New York State Department of Health at: 1-866-807-2130.

Information for Health Care Providers

Background

The clinics of the OHCN are a resource for health care providers treating patients with potential work-related illnesses and injuries. They have diverse treatment teams of physicians, nurses, industrial hygienists and social workers that assist providers in assessing and managing their patients' work-related conditions and, if necessary, provide worksite and social work interventions. The OHCN's board certified occupational medicine physicians and staff are also experts in dealing with the Workers' Compensation system and assisting patients during the compensation process.

The OHCN clinics are open to workers, retirees and residents of New York State with potential work-related illness and injuries. Because they receive public funding, they offer a sliding fee scale to assure access for uninsured and underinsured patients and can bill directly to most major health insurance carriers. Moreover, because of their occupational focus, the clinics are able to offer services that compliment the care patients receive from their primary care physicians and other specialists.

Specialty Services

Specialty services include: occupational illness and injury prevention education, medical surveillance examinations, respirator fit testing and clearance examinations, fit for duty examinations and a variety of wellness safety programs.

Physicians in New York State are encouraged to contact the OHCN clinic in their region to determine how they can utilize the clinics' occupational health services for their patients with potential work-related conditions. For more information, contact your local Occupational Health Clinic , or the New York State Department of Health at: 1-866-807-2130.

Clinical Practice Reviews

Physicians of the Occupational Health Clinic Network have developed a series of clinical practice reviews. These were published in the January 2000 issue of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine - a dedicated issue entitled "The Diagnosis and Treatment of Occupational Diseases: Integrating Clinical Practice with Prevention". These reviews are intended to assist clinicians in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of common occupational diseases. Complimentary access to the issue is offered on the Internet via Wiley InterScience, sponsored by the New York State Department of Health. To view the articles and/or download them go to Clinical Practices Reviews .

Diagnosis of Occupational Diseases Article

Occupational disease is under-recognized. Failing to consider the workplace factors that may contribute to a patient's condition can result in the ordering of unnecessary tests, inappropriate referrals, and of equal or greater importance, a missed opportunity to protect others who may be at risk. To read more click here