Jennie Kwon, DO, MSCI, Associate Professor of Medicine, Section Director, Healthcare Epidemiology & Antimicrobial Stewardship, in the Infectious Diseases Division, has been appointed to the National Academy of Medicine Standing Committee on PPE for Workplace Safety and Health.
The appointment is a standing committee of the NAM, sponsored by the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) of the CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). It is an advisory committee that provides guidance for the creation, certification, deployment, and use of PPE in a variety of settings including hospitals, firefighters during wildfires, mine workers, etc. Read more.
During COVID, for instance, the Standing Committee provided recommendations for healthcare settings, but there is also a focus now on fire fighters and the general public with an increase in wildfire frequency. A membership on the Standing Committee is appointed for a period of three years and provides expert council on existing and emerging issues. Members also speak to new technologies, innovation in PPE, etc, and help advise the NPPTL branch of NIOSH.