As reemerging pathogens and evolving viruses complicate front-line practice, occupational health teams are facing unprecedented pressures. The session “Old Foes, New Threats for Health Care Workers – Challenges for Occupational Health in 2026,” 10:30 a.m. ET, Thursday, Oct. 22, will feature three experts who will offer practical, case‑based guidance for protecting health care workers amid shifting infectious threats.
Aaron Milstone, MD, MHS, professor at Johns Hopkins University with joint appointments in pediatric infectious diseases and epidemiology, and Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS, CIC, professor at the UNC School of Medicine, will moderate the session.
Session speaker Denise McCulloch, MD, MPH, assistant professor at Fred Hutch Cancer Center and the University of Washington, will focus on measles and highly pathogenic influenza A — two pathogens that are increasingly relevant across U.S. health care facilities.
When it came time to settle on the most pressing threats to cover in the session, “it was hard to choose because there are unfortunately so many,” Dr. McCulloch said. The rapid spread of measles in communities with declining vaccination rates and the complexities of responding to novel influenza strains ultimately won out.
She plans to use recent cases from her institution to help attendees evaluate and strengthen their own response plans. Her goal is for participants to leave feeling able to “make my action plan for my measles response … or [to identify] here’s what I am missing from my action plan.”
In her session presentation on protecting immunocompromised and pregnant health care workers, Emily Stoneman, MD, associate professor of infectious diseases at the University of Michigan, will address a critical gap.
“There’s not a lot of great guidance out there,” she said. “For a lot of us, we’re kind of winging it as we go along.” With measles resurging and longstanding Centers for Disease Control and Prevention committees now disbanded, she emphasized the need for clear, actionable frameworks that clinicians and hospital epidemiologists can apply immediately.
Patrick J. Reich, MD, associate professor at Washington University in St. Louis, will examine how pressures to be at work when sick affect respiratory virus dynamics and heighten risks for both workers and patients.
While occupational health is sometimes overlooked in health care, the session will explore ways to strengthen preparedness and protect vulnerable members of the health care workforce in the face of current challenges.