EXPANDING THE SPECIALTY OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE - THE ROLE OF THE CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER

Passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1971 represented a major milestone for occupational and environmental medicine. Creatio n of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) flowed d irectly from the legislation, and the specialty of occupational medici ne entered a new era. As the 25th anniversaries of OSHA and NIOSH are celebrated, consideration of the future of the specialty of occupation al an environmental medicine seems timely. In this lecture, an expande d role for the specialty is proposed, based on an analysis of the forc es shaping the practice of public health and the opportunities that th ese forces present. This analysis suggests considering the concept of a ''Chief Health Officer'' serving the broad health needs of the workp lace.