James E. Blessman MD, MPH
jambles@med.wayne.edu

Role

My name is James Blessman and I am an assistant professor in the Division of Occupational Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences. In this capacity, much of my time is spent serving as the Medical Director for Detroit City Employees, where I am asked to address occupational safety and health issues for municipal workers, with an emphasis on police officers and firefighters.


Education

I received my medical degree from Michigan State University in East Lansing in 1984. From there I completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids in 1987 (now Spectrum Health), and then completed a second residency in Occupational Medicine and obtained a Masters in Public Health from the University of Washington in Seattle Washington in 1989.


Training/Experience:

As a faculty member in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences since 1989 I have had several enhancing experiences. Highlights include self-study in database design, which has allowed me to design a system that is now used to track over 40,000 workers compensation claims in the City of Detroit, as well as a database that I use for continuous lifelong learning. I have also served as a grant reviewer for NIOSH for 4 years, and in the year 2003 was asked to serve on the National Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH). In 2001 I was chosen as one of the 45 practitioners in the country to received training on methods to increase the physical activity of communities.


Research Interests:

In my travels I have come to recognize the importance of wellness, and the challenges that the health system has in dealing with workers who have delayed recovery. I have therefore directed efforts to better characterize and understand these issues. Most specifically I am interested in 1) interventions that help others develop and maintain positive wellness behaviors, 2) documenting the occupational health impact of wellness, 3) implementing and assessing the value of comprehensive occupational safety and health plans, and 4) designing systems and processes that effectively address and manage workers with delayed recovery.