Frequently Asked Questions regarding the University of Florida's Occupational Medicine Program (OCCMED)
The supervisor of the position should complete the UF Supervisor Checklist indicating whether any of the job duties listed apply to the position at hand. If any of the job duties apply, then a health assessment is required.
The Student Health Care Center (SHCC) is UF's provider for employees in the Gainesville area. For employees who work outside the Gainesville area such as agricultural research centers, a local physician licensed to practice in Florida may provide the health assessment. Those health assessments done outside the SHCC must match their contents with those done in Gainesville. Records of those health assessments must be sent to the SHCC for review and maintenance.
The University of Florida is committed to provide a safe working environment for students, staff, faculty and members of the general public who have access to the campus. The Occupational Medicine Program is one approach UF uses to ensure this commitment is met. Health assessments protect the safety and health of the individual and of employees, students and the general public with whom the individual may come in contact in the course of their duties.
The Occupational Medicine Program covers all University of Florida employees.
There are two major categories of health assessments given at UF. A preplacement health assessment is provided for applicants who have accepted an offer of employment where duties are in certain known risk situations and for current employees whose duties have changed into the identified risk areas. A periodic health assessment is for individuals who perform selected job duties that require health assessments at varying periods of time.
Contents of health assessments are directly related to the job duties of the position. Specifics components may be found in the UF Employee Preplacement Health Assessments: Policies and Procedures at the Student Health Care Center web site.
There are two major triggers that indicate when a department should add a record in the Health Assessment Management System. The first is when a department is filling a vacant position. The second is when a department is changing the duties of a current employee.
Once the supervisor of the position has identified that at least one of the job duties with a health risk applies to the position, the health assessment should be completed and the individual cleared BEFORE the individual begins the assigned duties.