Journal Honors Occupational Medicine’s "Renaissance Man”

Newswise — The February Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), is a special issue dedicated to the memory of Jean Spencer Felton, M.D.

Dr. Felton, who died in 2003, enjoyed a long, varied, and distinguished career as an educator, researcher, and practitioner in occupational and environmental medicine. The special tribute issue, or Festschrift, collects articles on some of the most pressing issues in the field, authored by colleagues and former students of Dr. Felton.

Dr. Michael Gochfeld contributes an extensive review of the history of occupational medicine, highlighting "the long-term and inevitable relationship between social structure and worker health." While citing the major scientific strides made by occupational medicine during the twentieth century, Dr. Gochfeld points out that the field has "not always fulfilled its social responsibility" to protect worker health.

Writing on the history of occupational health in this country, Dr. Gochfeld points out that, "The recognition of occupational diseases in the United States has often lagged by a generation behind the recognition of the same diseases in Europe." He calls on the field to remain alert to new challenges in an era of burgeoning globalization, with "jobs moving around the world in search of cheap labor in the countries with the fastest growing population and the greatest poverty."

So far, the response of international agencies to the occupational and environmental health challenges of globalization has been disappointing, suggests an article by Dr. Linda Rosenstock and colleagues. They believe that "modest funding of innovative programs" could do much to advance occupational health and safety in the developing world.

In other Festschrift contributions:* Dr. Morris Greenberg writes on "The Art of Perpetuating a Public Hazard," reviewing the long history of denial and obfuscation that delayed recognition of the health hazards to workers exposed to chrysotile asbestos.

* Dr. William W. Au and colleagues examine the emerging role of biomarkers in occupational health. With further development, molecular markers have the potential to provide "real-time" detection of exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace, particularly from unexpected hazards.

* Dr. John R. Balmes examines occupational factors contributing to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a major cause of respiratory illness. Estimates suggest that occupational causes account for 15 to 20 percent of cases of COPD, with estimated costs of $5 billion per year in the United States alone. "[S]trategies designed to prevent occupationally induced obstructive airways disease should receive high priority in the global efforts to reduce disease burden," Dr. Balmes concludes.

* Dr. Phillip Harber and colleagues report on the impact of residency programs offering formal training in occupational medicine. Such programs provide graduates with advanced skills in areas—such as toxicology and epidemiology—that remain essential to "frontline" occupational medicine practice.

* Dr. Tee L. Guidotti explores some of the issues underlying the ethics of occupational health, in which outside forces often undermine efforts to adhere to ethical frameworks. Dr. Guidotti concludes, "Occupational health may improve its standing as a social priority by recognizing and maneuvering within social frameworks that accommodate it, rejecting social frameworks that invalidate it, and reinforcing positive cultural trends within society that support it."

A preface by Dr. Joseph LaDou outlines a few of Dr. Felton's accomplishments through his "peripatetic career": his role in establishing occupational medicine training programs at both UCLA and USC; his directorship of the Occupational Health Service of Los Angeles County; his seminal research on the health effects of asbestos; and his work on government advisory panels advocating employment for people with disabilities. Dr. LaDou writes, "The Felton legacy is grounded in historical studies of our field, globally oriented to the international dimensions of its challenges, and always centered on the ethical pursuit of scientific research as teaching."

ACOEM, an international society of 6,000 occupational physicians and other health care professionals, provides leadership to promote optimal health and safety of workers, workplaces, and environments.