An Affair of the Heart
Attendees will dive into Kansas City's rich mix of hot barbecue, cool jazz, riverboat gambling, and western history when AOHC 2004 opens April 30.
The city's convention planners call Kansas City, Missouri, the "Heart of America," describing a lively and lovely metropolis founded more than 150 years ago where the Missouri and Kansas Rivers converge. The nation's 28th largest city offers its famed barbecue and steaks, floating casinos, art museums, jazz and blues clubs, appealing convention facilities, professional sports, and a civic love affair with fountains as the 89th Annual American Occupational Health Conference docks for an April 30-May 7 run.
AOHC is the best annual conference for occupational health care professionals, say its co-sponsors, the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Inc. and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Taking place inside H. Roe Bartle Hall at the Kansas City Convention Center, AOHC 2004 is expected to bring about 3,000 attendees to the city's compact downtown. Once there, they'll be just minutes away from one of the city's signature attractions, the riverside River Market/City Market shopping and dining area.
Conference Highlights
Both organizations have prepared expansive programs covering the latest topics in health and productivity, with sessions delving into infectious diseases, disaster preparedness, ergonomics, and many more topics of interest. This may be the final AOHC they co-sponsor; ACOEM will present the 2005 AOHC on its own April 29 to May 6, 2005, in Washington, D.C., while AAOHN conducts its own annual conference on the same dates in Minneapolis.
This year's ACOEM/AAOHN Joint Plenary Session from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 5, is a highlight of the event. This year's theme is "Occupational and Environmental Health in the 21st Century," with NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard serving as keynote speaker. Howard will discuss the scientific challenges faced by occupational health professionals and ways to foster a healthier workforce.
Other highlights of this year's AOHC include:
- Tuesday, 8 to 9:30 a.m.--AAOHN honors 2004 business, individual, and chapter award recipients and AAOHN Foundation grant recipients.
- Tuesday, 8:30 to 10 a.m.--Dr. Dennis E. Richling,president of Midwest Business Group on Health, Chicago, delivers the annual Sappington Lecture. His topic is "Occupational Health: Leading the Transformation of the Health System."
- Tuesday, 10 to 11 a.m.--Lea Ann Parsley, Ph.D, a nurse, Ohio firefighter, and 2002 Winter Olympics silver medalist in "skeleton," a bobsled-type sport, delivers the 2004 Catherine Dempsey Lecture. Parsley will speak about her life experiences and lessons learned in personal and professional arenas.
- Tuesday, 11 a.m. to noon--2004 AAOHN Annual Business Meeting, including addresses from President Susan A. Randolph and Executive Director Ann Cox.
- Wednesday, noon to 2 p.m.--ACOEM 89th Annual Membership Meeting and Luncheon, where award winners are honored and Dr. John Holland passes the gavel to the incoming president, Dr. Timothy Key, who will present his inaugural address.
- Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to noon--Case Studies in Preparedness: Biological, Chemical and Radiological. Course Director Dr. Michael Gochfeld, a professor at the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, N.J, joins three other speakers in a session illustrating responses to a "dirty bomb," anthrax, Sarin, West Nile Virus infections, and other challenges.
- Thursday, noon to 1:30 p.m.--The Future of Occupational Medicine, where Dr. Key, Dr. Holland, and a panel of experts discuss what lies ahead for occupational physicians.
Exhibits hours are:
- Tuesday, May 4: 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 5: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Thursday, May 6: 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For information about the conference, contact AAOHN at 770-455-7757, fax 770-455-7271, or visit www.aaohn.org. Contact ACOEM by phone at 847-818-1800, fax 847-818-9266, or visit www.acoem.org.
The following list of exhibitors was obtained Feb. 10 from Lawrence Leonard, exhibit manager for the conference, of Bostrom Corporation in Washington, D.C.
Exhibitor--Booth Number
A
AAOHN--437
AAOHN Journal/SLACK Inc.--343
American Academy of Physician Assistants--807
American Board for Occupational Health Nurses--207
American Board of Independent Medical Examiners--139
American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine--632
American College of Preventive Medicine--808
American Heart Association--728
American Institute for Preventive Medicine--141
American Red Cross--528
American Safety & Health Institute--817
Andover Coated Products Inc.--428
AspenMed Services--252
Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics--823
Atherotech--115
Aventis Pasteur--135-137
B
Benson Medical Instruments Inc.--311
Berna Products Corp.--248
Biolife--
Brooks Rehab Solutions--426
BTE Technologies--241-243
C
C2 Professional Services--550
Cardiac Science--415-417
CDC/ELS Program--821
CDC NIOSH--811
Certification of Disability Management Specialists Comm. (CDMSC)--816
Chattanooga Group--227
Clinical Reference Laboratory, Inc.--525-527
CMI Inc.--627
Comprehensive Health Services----418-420
Computerized Screening Inc.--552
Concentra Health Services--731-733
Corporate Health Resources--541
Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC)--822
D
Drug Free Enterprises Inc.--647
E
Eckel Industries--244
Edwards Medical--342
Ex3--350-352
Exemplar/Health Examinetics (formerly Continuum)--744
F
Florida Drug Screening--625
G
The Gideons International--805
GlaxoSmithKline--442-444
H
Healthguard International--722
Henry Schein Inc.--112-114
Hepatitis Foundation--818
I
ICPA Inc.--425
Impacto Protective Products Inc.--446
Industrial Hygiene News--225
Injured Workers Pharmacy--543
Integritas--628
Interim Occupational Health/Physicians--641
International SOS--215-217
J
Jones Medical--228
K
Kaiser Permanente--325
Kelly Healthcare Resources--548
Knorr Associates Inc.--146
Kroll Laboratory Specialists--411
L
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins--334
M
Magnatherm/International Medical Electronics--332
Maico-- Diagnostics--128
Maxim Health Systems--324
Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources--132
MedAire Inc.--617
Medgate--312
Medical College of Wisconsin--812
Medical Devices International--221
Medical Doctor Associates--737
Medical Graphics Inc.--544
Medic First Aid International Inc.--113
Meditrax/OHS Inc.--427
Medlock Consulting--542
Medsafe--133
Medtronic Physio-Control--447-449
Merck--238
Micro Audiometrics Corp.--111
Micro Direct Inc.--832
Moore Medical Corp.--220
MorTan Inc.--322
N
National Library of Medicine--643
NeuMed--331-333
NeuroMetrix Inc.--316-318
NIOSH/ERC/CE--824
NorMed--216
NovaCare Rehabilitation--313-315
Nurses Service Organization--212
O
Occupational Health Dynamics--211
Occupational Health Research--423
Occupational Health & Safety--327
OHS-COMPCARE--246
OEM Health Information Inc.--122
OMI--237
Otis Clapp--131
P
Performance Health Inc./Biofreeze--727
Philips Medical Systems--422-424
PreCare Inc.--149
Protocol OTC Med Vending--145
Psychemedics--144
R
Reed Group Ltd.--622
Richmond Products--142
RWA Associates Inc.--349
Rye Pharmaceuticals--345
S
Safetec--116-118
SAS Shoemakers--648
Shoreland--239
Sqwincher Corporation--348
Standard Malaysian Rubber Glove--
StayWell Company--526
Stereo Optical Company--338
Superfeet Worldwide LP--517
Sure-Tech Diagnostics--451
T
Textilease Medique--232-234
TheraMatrix Services Inc.--403
Titmus Optical--138-140
T.K. Group Inc.--336
Traveler's Supply Inc.--245
Tremetrics--124-126
Tulane University CAEPH--813
U
Unique Software Solutions--326-328
University of Iowa/Heartland Center for OH&S--814
University of Michigan COHSE--815
University of Minnesota School of Public Health--814
US HealthWorks--732-734
V
Varian--314
Vitalograph--612
W
WaterJel--542-544
Welch Allyn--147
Wellsource--226
Work Loss Data Institute--223
Y
Yoh Health Care--351
Z
Zoll Medical Corporation--518-520
This article appears in the April 2004 issue of Occupational Health & Safety
This article originally appeared in the April 2004 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.