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The Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association (MAEA) recently named St. Luke’s Occupational Medicine as the recipient of the organization’s Excellence Award for Environmental Health and Safety, highlighting the program’s Worksite Injury Prevention Program. The department also received awards and recognition from federal and state legislators, the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the Schuylkill County Commissioners.

The St. Luke’s Occupational Medicine program was selected for this award for its “comprehensive approach to worker well-being by protecting safety and enhancing health and productivity for the benefit of workers, employers, and the work environment,” according to Darlene J. Robbins, president of the private, nonprofit organization that serves 345 member companies spread over 24 counties. This comprehensive program, she added, empowers employees to take control of their health at work and at home.

The work of the Occupational Medicine program supports the mission of the Northeast PA MAEA by helping to keep employees healthy. “The health of a workforce ultimately affects a company’s bottom line,” Robbins said, “and happy, healthy employees will continue to choose you as their employer.”

The Worksite Injury Prevention Program is a direct extension of St. Luke’s Occupational Medicine, which has been providing employers in the Lehigh Valley and New Jersey exceptional worker compensation injury and illness care for more than 35 years.  By providing access to more than 20 convenient locations, the team of Board-Certified Occupational Medicine physicians, industrial athletic trainers, nurse case managers and Network Specialists ensure that individuals receive high quality, coordinated care.

The Worksite Injury Prevention Program brings immediate care to the employee’s place of work, while mitigating workplace injury risks and hazards, according to St. Luke’s University Hospital Network’s Corporate Health and Wellness Director Kyra Dodson. The program’s objective is to prevent workplace injuries through assessment, evidence-based solutions, and employee education, said Dodson.

The St. Luke’s program uses the expertise of Industrial Athletic Trainers to prevent employee injury on-site while offering exceptional continuity of care with St. Luke's Board-Certified Occupational Medicine Physicians and Nurse Case Managers. The Worksite Injury Prevention Program, working in tandem with St. Luke's Occupational Medicine, offers employers a comprehensive model of employee well-being and care with proven results.

Recently, Dodson said, the Worksite Injury Prevention program achieved a 64 percent musculoskeletal injury reduction rate with its employer partners. “This reduction in injury equates to a reduction in worker compensation costs to employers, while preventing injury and bettering the health of the employee base.”

Further, when workplace injuries do occur, Dodson says that St. Luke’s Occupational Medicine is the “one-stop shop” for the region’s workforce. “While it has created a leading worker compensation injury care program,” she said, “much effort and focus are placed on the prevention of work-related injury, making the department and program stand out in the field of reactionary care.”

The Worksite Injury Prevention Program continues to expand and meet the service needs of the region’s employer community, according to Dodson. “The program has a demonstrated history of delivering end-to-end service and support for our partners, from implementing on-site COVID screening and testing at the height of the pandemic to adding customized training, educational seminars and wellness services to our array of on-site programming.”