Resource Articles

Chemical dependency is a treatable, potentially fatal and progressive illness that impacts millions of Americans. Some people have believed the fallacy that controlling drinking (or drugging) is all a matter of will power for the addict. It is no more under the control of the alcoholic than the illness of diabetes is under the control of the diabetic. Often by the time that the disease of addiction is diagnosed, the person no longer has a choice as to whether they will use alcohol or drugs. The point is long past. The person now has the disease of addiction.

Medication is commonly used to help smokers quit.  There is no magic formula to determine who needs medication.  If you smoke more than a pack a day, have had significant withdrawal symptoms during previous quit attempts, or have irre

Self Help Resources Sometimes all you need are the right tools. Here are some helpful resources that anyone can use to make quitting just a little easier.

Abuse in relationships is any behavior or pattern of behavior used to coerce, dominate or isolate the other partner. It is the use of any form of power that is imposed by one partner over the other to maintain control within the relationship. Abuse includes, but is not limited to:

Formaldehyde is a chemical used in embalming and tissue preservation, as well as in cold sterilization. Acute exposure to formaldehyde may result in pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), central nervous system (CNS) depression, or pneumonitis (inflammation of the lung tissue). Chronic exposure may cause irritation of the skin, mucous membranes or respiratory tract. Repeated exposure to formaldehyde may result in an allergic response. It is also a potential carcinogen. Primary exposure routes are inhalation and skin absorption.

When patients are treated with radioactive iodine, their blood and body fluids such as urine and vomit can contain the radioactive drug. Caregivers should understand the risks of exposure. There are two different types of radiation risks: Thyroid exposure: Having the radioactive iodine absorbed by your thyroid gland. External beam radiation: Getting radiation exposure from the contaminated body fluids, just like you would from an X-ray. Preventing thyroid exposure

​Occupational Health, Vanderbilt Environmental Health and Safety (VEHS) and Vanderbilt Infection Control and Prevention have safeguards in place to help you protect your unborn baby while you work at Vanderbilt.

If you think the employee has one of the following conditions, ask the employee to wear a surgical face mask and report to Occupational Health as soon as possible. Chicken Pox Whooping Cough (Pertussis) Measles Tuberculosis Pink Eye (mask not needed) It is recommended that people not be in the workplace when they have a fever and respiratory symptoms. You should let your employees know this recommendation and encourage them to use sick time when appropriate.

If your employee is out more than 3 consecutive days, or plans to be out that long, notify the employee that the condition might qualify for FMLA. The FMLA request and approval process includes medical certification in which the treating provider provides appropriate documentation to HR of the individual's severity of illness. Other than FMLA documentation, please do not request doctor's notes for sick time use. A doctor's note is not required for an employee to use sick time and will not change whether the absence counts as an occurrence.