The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare (AOHP) have committed to continuing their collaborative partnership to improve workplace safety and health in the healthcare setting with the renewal of their memorandum of understanding (MOU). The initial five-year MOU, which was signed in December 2006, has been extended for an additional five-year period.

“This partnership is important to our continued efforts to protect healthcare workers who have dedicated themselves to helping others,” explains NIOSH Director John Howard, MD. “Renewing the MOU affords us greater opportunities to combine our resources to put NIOSH research into practice in the healthcare setting.”

The MOU officially continues the collaboration between NIOSH and AOHP to promote best practices associated with workplace safety and health issues in the healthcare setting by:

• Developing and disseminating information on healthcare worker health and safety at appropriate conferences and through print and electronic media, including the NIOSH and AOHP Web sites.
• Participating in conferences, meetings and other key events where occupational safety and health issues are addressed.
• Advancing the effectiveness of occupational health and safety research, and promoting and facilitating the transfer of research results to practice.
• Exploring working with the NIOSH Education and Research Centers as a resource for training and research.
• Participating in appropriate committees of both NIOSH and AOHP.

“As a leading advocate and resource for health and safety protections for healthcare workers, AOHP is excited to continue our partnership with NIOSH to improve the health and safety of our members,” comments AOHP Executive President Dee Tyler, RN COHN-S FAAOHN. “We are pleased with what our organizations have accomplished together during the first five years of our MOU and look forward to building upon that foundation into the future.”  

AOHP, with nearly 1,000 members, is the defining resource and leading advocate for occupational health and safety in healthcare, representing tens of thousands of healthcare workers throughout the nation. The association promotes health and safety for healthcare workers at local, state and national levels through: advocacy; occupational health education and networking opportunities; health and safety advancement through best practice and research; and partnering with other invested stakeholders. In 2011, AOHP celebrated its 30th successful year as a national association. For more information about AOHP, visit the Web site at www.aohp.org.   

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. Created through the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Department of Health and Human Services. NIOSH helps to ensure safe and healthful working conditions by providing research, information, education and training in the field of occupational safety and health. For more information about NIOSH, call 800.232.4636 or visit the NIOSH Web site at www.cdc.gov/niosh/ .