OccPod: the official ACOEM podcast

Thank you for joining ACOEM for another episode of OccPod. In this timely conversation, host Dr. Ismail Nabeel is joined by Dr. Dominik Dabrowski to discuss substance use disorder in the workplace.

Dr. Nabeel is a Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine and the Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Dr. Dabrowski is the Medical Director at the Naval Nuclear Laboratory, with a background in both occupational and addiction medicine — he completed his occupational medicine residency at HealthPartners and an addiction medicine fellowship at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, and most recently served as an attending physician at Mount Sinai Health System.

In this episode, Drs. Nabeel and Dabrowski discuss emerging synthetic opioids – including fentanyl analogs, xylazine, and Medetomidine – and what occupational medicine physicians, MROs, and DOT providers need to know about detection, treatment, and the evolving landscape of substance use in the workplace.

Thank you for joining us for another episode of OccPod,ACOEM’s official podcast. In this episode, Dr. Nabeel is joined by. Andrew Kim, a former Navy officer and Army colonel, who is now shaping the future of healthcare in the rugged landscapes of Anchorage, Alaska, as an occupational and environmental health physician with Providence Alaska Medical Center. Learn more about Dr. Kim here: https://www.army.mil/article/273285/usamrdcs_col_andrew_kim_retires_after_two_decade_career_in_military_medicine

Looking to make your own career change in medicine? VisitOEM Explore at http://acoem.org/careers, where ACOEM members have free access to a map-based career exploration platform that includes job postings in occupational and environmental medicine.

Welcome back to OccPod! This episode features a conversation with someone who has helped shape how physicians across the country understand and apply impairment ratings, Dr. Douglas Martin.

Dr. Martin is a Past President of ACOEM and is a board-certified Family Medicine physician specializing in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Dr. Martin’s areas of expertise include workers’ compensation injuries, aviation and commercial driver evaluations, fitness-for-duty determinations, independent medical exams, and file reviews. He also serves as co-chair of the AMA Guides Editorial Panel, leading national efforts to modernize and standardize impairment rating.

Our host is Dr. Ismail Nabeel, professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine and the Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Nabeel is an ACOEM Fellow and serves on the ACOEM Board of Directors.

In this episode, Dr. Martin breaks down the long and sometimes surprising history of impairment and disability, explains how the AMA Guides have evolved, and shares what’s new in the 2024 digital updates – especially the major changes to the musculoskeletal chapters. He also reflects on artificial intelligence, transparency in guideline development, and what these updates mean for physicians, patients, and the future of equitable compensation.

Thank you for joining us for another episode of OccPod, ACOEM’s official podcast. This is the first episode of our new series, “Mysteries in Occupational and Environmental Medicine,” where we use artificial intelligence to bring historical moments to life and reflect on theirimpact today.

In this episode, Dr. Nabeel is joined by “Grace Fryer,” one of the Radium Girls whose courage and persistence helped spark lasting change in workplace safety. Her story reminds us how far we’ve come—and how important it is to keep protecting the health and safety of every worker.

More information on the Radium Girls can be found here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radium_Girls

To learn more about ACOEM and our work advancing occupational and environmental health, visit acoem.org.

Thank you for joining us for another episode of OccPod, ACOEM’s official podcast. In this episode, Dr. Nabeel is joined by Dr. Yohama Caraballo-Arias, an occupational physician and an internationally recognized expert in workplace health and well-being.

She is currently a visiting researcher and professor at theUniversity of Bologna, Italy, and recently published her book, “The 7 secrets to happiness at work: Neuroscience for Healthy, Productive and Happy Work Life,” available on Amazon.

English: https://www.amazon.com/secrets-happiness-work-Neuroscience-Productive/dp/B0F5NTML1T

Spanish: https://www.amazon.com/Los-secretos-felicidad-trabajo-Neurociencia-ebook/dp/B0C6R78J9J?ref_=ast_author_dp&th=1&psc=1

Dr. Caraballo-Arias’ research on happiness can be foundhere:  

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yohama-Caraballo-Arias

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=i6djJOIAAAAJ&hl=es

Thank you for joining us for another episode of OccPod,ACOEM’s official podcast. In this episode, Dr. Nabeel is joined by Dr. Mani Berenji to discuss the public health effects of the LA wildfires, which burned from January 7 to 31, 2025. Dr. Berenji discusses her personal experience, both as an occupational and environmental medicine physician in LA and as an Angeleno, and advises on the short- and long-term hazards of the wildfires and site cleanup.
Dr. Berenji recommends this webinar for clinicians, “VirtualGrand Rounds: Southern California Wildfire Response - What Clinicians Need to Know,” available here:

https://www.cmadocs.org/store/info/productcd/CME25_0129_VGROUNDS/t/virtual-grand-rounds-Southern-California-Wildfire-Response-What-Clinicians-Need-to-Know

See links below for more public health resources in responseto the Southern California Wildfires.

California Medical Association’s Wildfire Resources: https://www.cmadocs.org/wildfires

U.S. Small Business Association’s Disaster Assistance:
https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance

LA County’s Public Health Fire Safety and Health Information:http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/wildfire/

LA County DPH Health Advisory (January 13, 2025)
http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eprd/lahan/alerts/LAHANFire011325.pdf

Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) SouthernCalifornia Wildfire Response:
https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/Southern-California-Wildfire-Response/Pages/default.aspx

Coalition for Clean Air Wildfire Smoke and Safety Resources
https://www.ccair.org/wildfire-and-smoke-safety-resources/

Protecting yourself during fire cleanup:
https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/cleaning-up-after-the-la-wildfires-is-dangerous-heres-how-to-protect-yourself?utm_campaign=5947416-crisis-communications

Thank you for joining us for another episode of OccPod, ACOEM's official podcast. In this episode, Erin and Dr. Nabeel are joined by Dr. Maria Starchook-Moore to discuss recent initiatives by ACOEM's Private Practice Section.

Dr. Starchook-Moore discusses her personal experience as an occupational and environmental medicine physician and outlines the goals of the Private Practice Section, which aim to share information on starting a practice through podcasts, webinars, and mentorship.

An important note for our listeners – OccPod will be going on an editorial hiatus until further notice. Now is the perfect time to go back and revisit the full catalog of OccPod episodes!

Thank you for joining us for another episode of OccPod, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine's official podcast. In this episode, Erin and Dr. Nabeel are joined by Dr. David Caretto for a conversation about planning a successful medical conference.

For over 100 years, ACOEM's annual conference has been the American Occupational Health Conference, or AOHC. Planning a successful conference means weaving together education, experience, and the best and brightest in occupational and environmental medicine, or OEM.

Dr. Caretto currently serves as Regional Medical Director of Employee Services at Sutter Health – he also served as the Program Chair for AOHC 2024, which was held in Orlando, Florida earlier this year. As always, thank you for listening and don't forget to subscribe!

Thank you for joining us for another episode of OccPod. In this episode, Erin and Dr. Nabeel are joined by Dr. Matt Hamm to discuss his journey in occupational and environmental medicine, and developments in expanding opportunities for residents interested in OEM.

Dr. Hamm is the Medical Director of the Exposure Response Call Center at the Occupational and Environmental Network (OEHN) and a consultant in occupational health. He leads ACOEM's OEM Pipeline Task Force and recently completed a residency in occupational and environmental medicine at Harvard.

Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a new episode of OccPod!

Thank you for joining us for another episode of OccPod. In this episode, Erin and Dr. Nabeel are joined by Dr. Camille Napier to discuss aging in the workplace and fitness for duty.

Dr. Napier is a board-certified physician, educator, and administrator with over twenty years of experience in occupational and internal medicine disease management, wellness promotion, communicable disease surveillance, and quality improvement. Dr. Napier serves as the lead physician in Employee Health Services at Mount Sinai – she also serves as Assistant Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.