The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health – a research unit within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – defines “Total Worker Health” as “policies, programs and practices that integrate protection from work-related safety and health hazards with the promotion of injury and illness prevention efforts to advance worker well-being.” This approach prioritizes changes to improve physical, organizational and psychosocial factors that present possible risks in the work environment. During their kickoff presentation on Monday, April 23, from 10:30 a.m. to noon in the Hinners Auditorium in Building 8, Chia-Chia Chang and Sara L. Tamers of NIOSH will define and clarify the Total Worker Health paradigm, as well as provide a brief history of its origin and evolution. They will then explore scientific research and opportunities to improve safety and health outcomes, citing examples of workplace policies, programs and practices that have the potential to improve worker safety and health and advance overall worker well-being across different occupations and industries.
Chia-Chia Chang, MBA, MPH, is the coordinator for partnership and new opportunity development in the NIOSH Office for Total Worker Health, helping bring on more than 30 partners for its affiliate program. She writes feature articles on the work of these partners for the TWH in Action! online newsletter and participates in presentations and workshops across the country to help others understand the value of Total Worker Health approaches. She has been instrumental in building support for the science behind Total Worker Health, allowing partners from academia, the nonprofit community and labor organizations to become champions for Total Worker Health in their respective workforces.
She began her career in the federal government as a Presidential Management Fellow, organizing educational forums around the country for the Social Security Administration to highlight initiatives that facilitate the return to work for people with disabilities. She also developed Medicaid and health financing policies at the Office of Management and Budget and on Capitol Hill.
Sara L. Tamers, Ph.D., MPH, is a team lead in the research program arm of the NIOSH Office for Total Worker Health. With Total Worker Health gaining increasing importance, her work is becoming vital to building the scientific evidence behind the policies, programs and practices which encompass Total Worker Health approaches. She led the development of the first National Total Worker Health Agenda, focusing on research, practice, policy and capacity building. The agenda guides efforts to advance Total Worker Health initiatives for the next decade. Tamers works closely with the NIOSH Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health to strengthen the connection between research at academic institutions and NIOSH.
She has received fellowship awards from the Harvard School of Public Health, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and National Institutes of Health.
