By Nick Dmitrovich
The Naval Aerospace Medical Institute (NAMI), located in Pensacola, FL, has become the first military organization to receive program certification from the National Association of Occupational Health Professionals(NAOHP).
NAMI completed a Three Year Certification with Outstanding Achievement and earned a score of 100 percent compliance to the standard, furthering its standing within the occupational health industry as one of the “best of the best.”To receive this certification, NAMI’s programs were evaluated in comparison to NAOHP standards in six categories: administration and organization, operational framework, staffing resources, clinical services, quality management, and sales and marketing.
Perhaps the most important part of this certification, for both NAMI and NAOHP, is that it will allow both organizations to share best practices within the occupational health industry and work together toward advanced innovation.“A program like NAMI provides an excellent example for other occupational health programs across the country,” said Donna Lee Gardner, NAOHP Reviewer and Senior Principal with RYAN Associates.
“Their quality monitoring is exceptionally structured, and they recognize the value that NAOHP certification provides in being able to collaborate with the general industry and share best practices. Commander Robert Carpenter, NAMI’sDirector of Clinical Services, and his staff have done an outstanding job.”NAMI’s purpose is to support Navy And Marine Corps aviation units through expert aeromedical consultation, services development, and application of aeromedical standards and training of aeromedical personnel for operational assignments. In a typical month, NAMI’s various units manage a caseload of roughly 1,000 people while simultaneously conducting training and evaluations.
The responsibilities of NAMI are huge in scope but are highly focused. To put it simply, they make sure medical personnel receive the best possible training in all fields of aerospace medicine and determine if a person is best qualified for their task. In many ways, the organization is similar to the general occupational health industry in terms of the work it conducts, but its mission is dedicated exclusively to aerospace, Navy, and Marine Corps Medical needs while also adhering to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA)standards. As such, the institute is also responsible for the training of aeromedical personnel for operational assignments.
