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Occupational Health Employees Recognized for Covid-19 Pandemic Efforts

University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine (UTGSM) Deans and Department of Family Medicine faculty recognized Occupational Health employees for the compassionate preventive guidance they have been providing to University of Tennessee Medical Center team members during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since March 2020, Occupational Health staff including Jennifer Parris-Horner, Clinical Service Assistant; Brenda Leach, Clinical Specialist; Glenna Bergan, Clinical Services Specialist; and Robin Zwolinski, Medical Administrative Assistant have collaborated with the medical center's Infection Prevention and Control Program to communicate with team members regarding COVID exposure, testing and their eligibility to return to work. As COVID cases surged, Ms. Parris-Horner and Ms. Leach have been calling more than 40 people per day, including on weekends, to notify team members of exposures, test results and return to work status while Ms. Bergan and Ms. Zwolinski collaborated by taking on their usual case load.

UTGSM Dean Paul Hauptman, MD, surprised staff by honoring them in a meeting via Zoom. He was joined by Deans Rajiv Dhand MD, Amy Paganelli, and William Metheny PhD; Family Medicine faculty Anthony Wilson MD, Jon Parham DO MPH, David Stockton MD, and Kelly McDaniel; and Kandi Hodges from the Dean's Office.

Dr. Parham said, "When the pandemic began, we wondered how to react. This was unprecedented, and everyone stepped up to help guide hospital team members. Our staff were on the phones from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, including weekends. I know their work helped prevent the disease from spreading more than it did within the hospital and the community."

Occupational Health began as a subdivision of Family Medicine in 1995 to serve medical center team members with pre-employment screenings and occupational injury. The subdivision also has contracts with local organizations including a partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to monitor the health of former employees of the Manhattan Project.

Top Photo
L-R: Jennifer Parris-Horner, Brenda Leach, Glenna Bergan, Robin Zwolinski

Bottom Poto
Top L-R: Dr. Jon Parham with Brend Leach, Glenna Bergan, Robin Zwolinski and Jennifer Parris-Horner; Dr. Anthony Wilson; Kelly McDaniel
Middle L-R: Dr. William Metheny, Dr. Rajiv Dhand, Dr. Paul Hauptman
Bottom L-R: Amy Paganelli, Kandi Hodges, Dr. David Stockton

Posted: February 11, 2021


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