Voices United

Our Mission

Occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) is the specialty devoted to the prevention and management of occupational and environmental injury, illness and disability and that promotes the health and productivity of workers, their families and their communities. The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) is an international organization that represents the voice of physicians who practice OEM.

As the global workplace becomes more complex and intertwined, OEM physicians play an increasingly vital and visible role in the prevention of disease and promotion of wellness among the world’s workforce. As the pre-eminent organization of physicians who champion the health and safety of workers, workplaces and environments, ACOEM’s mission is to provide the leadership necessary to promote the optimal health and safety of these entities by:

• educating health professionals and the public;
• stimulating research;
• enhancing the quality of practice;
• guiding workplace and public policy; and
• advancing the field of occupational and environmental medicine.

Changes and evolution in the global workplace has heightened employers’ awareness of the connection between good health and the success of their businesses. Employers’ awareness of the symbiotic relationship between worker health and productivity has resulted in the desire for OEM-created tools and programs aimed at keeping employees healthy and work environments safe. This in turn has significantly increased the demand for physicians trained in—and who understand—the complexity of factors that affect worker health.

As this trend continues, the world’s OEM physicians and ACOEM, the organization that represents them, will continue to play a unique and critical role now and for the next 100 years.