Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 1, 1994 TAG: 9401010064
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
She helps care for Roanoke's nearly 2,000 municipal workers - from secretaries and laborers to police officers and firefighters.
Brown treats sick and injured workers and, if needed, refers them to doctors or hospitals.
She does everything from giving physical examinations to new employees and treating workers' on-the-job injuries to giving flu shots.
Brown is an occupational health nurse for Roanoke, one of only three such government employees in Virginia. The other two are in Virginia Beach.
Brown tries to hold down the city's health-care costs, control workers compensation claims and improve worker productivity.
City Manager Bob Herbert credits her with saving taxpayers thousands of dollars. The city's costs have been reduced because of wellness and health-training programs, vaccinations, tests, examinations and screenings for municipal employees, he said.
When City Council recently renewed its health insurance for city employees, Herbert said Brown helped hold down the increase.
Salem, Roanoke County and many other localities contract with clinics or doctors to provide medical services similar to those Brown offers.
"We contract with Lewis-Gale, and we have a nurse three or four hours on some days," County Administrator Elmer Hodge said. "We more than pay for her with lower insurance costs."
Salem also contracts with Lewis-Gale for its nursing services. "It is part of our employee assistance program," said City Manager Randy Smith.
Roanoke finds it cheaper to have a full-time nurse on the payroll than to contract for the work, Herbert said. Brown's salary is about $30,000 a year.
Before hiring Brown, Roanoke also contracted with private nurses and doctors.
Brown regularly monitors the weight of firefighters, police officers and other public-safety officers to help them keep fit and prevent heart problems.
Whenever anyone is 10 pounds overweight, she gives him or her five weeks to lose the extra weight.
"Most of them are good and lose it. If not, I recommend a combination of diet and exercise to reduce their weight," she said.
She speaks to new police recruits about nutrition and weight control. She offers classes on stress management and weight reduction.
The city also offers exercise programs to firefighters to help them stay in good physical condition.
Brown also oversees the city's policy against smoking, either on or off the job, for public-safety workers who have been hired since 1989.
She trains employees on procedures to follow if they are exposed to blood to lessen the possibility of contracting AIDS.
Each year, she gives hundreds of shots to city employees to protect them from flu, tetanus and other illnesses.
Herbert said Brown has established a family atmosphere with city employees and has gained their confidence.
"You don't have to be sick to go to see her," Herbert said. "Employees can go by and talk about diet, stress or other health issues."
As a private nurse before she accepted the city job, Brown worked primarily in hospital intensive-care units.
"I worked with people who were very ill or dying. This job is completely different," she said.
"Here, I am trying to improve health, prevent illness and increase health awareness."
Brown, 53, has a nursing degree from Virginia Western Community College. She is president of the Virginia Association of Occupational Health Nurses.
She knows firsthand that poor health can affect the lives and professions of city employees.
Most of Brown's services are free for city employees.
She stays busy because her staff consists of one person: her secretary. The city Health Department provides some services, but Brown does most of the work alone.
"The bottom line is that we do what we can to keep down costs and make employees more aware of health and wellness," Brown said.
by CNB