Dr. Pamela Hess is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions in the Department of Occupational Therapy, with a joint appointment in the Department of Surgery. Her clinical background includes inpatient acute care pelvic health. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration and a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, specializing in women's health and surgical ergonomics and wellbeing. In her current role, she is developing programmatic initiatives to support the surgeon’s wellbeing in the out of the OR. Lastly, she is also a certified pilates instructor.
In this episode, Dr. Hess:
a) Shares her personal journey, training and how she became interested in surgical ergonomics
b) Explains the details and components of the Comprehensive Operating Room Ergonomics (CORE) program she helped launch at the University of Indiana, where she worked prior to moving to Florida. The program was focused on preventing surgeon work-related musculoskeletal disorders and led to a publication in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy.
c) Emphasizes the importance of assessing work both inside and outside the operating room and highlights best practices including paying attention to one’s setup, posture and taking short breaks.
d) Stresses the importance of a strong core and provides information about Surgilates, a strength and stretching program she has developed (based on her Pilates training) specifically for surgeons and other personnel working in the OR.
e) Discusses some of the specific issues relating to ergonomics for women proceduralists, and provides tips for working in procedural areas while pregnant.
f) Reminds us that pelvic floor dysfunction can affect all proceduralists, regardless of sex, and consulting a physical therapist or occupational therapist is essential in this scenario.
You can follow Dr. Hess on LinkedIn and email her at pamgotr@gmail.com if you’re interested in surgical ergonomics coaching,
Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook and please reach out to us if you have any suggestions regarding episode ideas and guests or if you'd like to be a guest on the show
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