STE GENEVIEVE — Lisa Gibbs, FNP-BC, CDME and now COHN, was counting down the hours and years when she could finally take her Certified Occupational Health Nurse (COHN) exam.
She had to complete 3000 hours and have five years’ experience in Occupational Medicine.
She took the test in April and received official notification that she passed in May.
She started working in the Occupational Medicine department at SGCMH five years ago when she became a nurse practitioner. Occupational medicine wasn’t quite on her radar.
“It was a new job, new place, and a new career as a nurse practitioner,” she said. “After a year or so, I realized I really like this. I started looking into where to get more education, and that led me to taking state boards and classes, Department of Transportation (DOT) certification, and it just kind of went from there.”
Lisa explained that having the COHN certification validates to clients and industries that the hospital professionals possess the knowledge and skills needed to address the many facts of employee health, of which there are many as Lisa mentioned.
“We work to prevent, investigate, and treat workplace-related illnesses and injuries; make sure that all Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and other regulatory agency standards are in compliance; provide physical exams, drug screenings and vaccinations; evaluate workman’s comp claims; and provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), wellness and safety programs,” she said. “It’s a lot more than treating injuries on the job.”
Lisa enjoys the variety of working in Occupational Medicine.
I enjoy working with industry especially helping companies with their health and wellness programs,” she said. “We go onsite as well as provide all of our hospital services. Industries rely on the services we provide to help them with their bottom line. A healthy workforce is a healthy company.”
In her free time, Lisa and her husband enjoy riding side-by-sides; gardening; camping—anything outdoors.
Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital is a nonprofit county owned community hospital that works to continue to improve the health and well-being of the community. Our professional staff uses advanced technology and medicine to provide excellent, personalized, and compassionate healthcare. For more information on Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital, visit stegenevievehospital.org.