National Supplemental Screening Program

ORAU Coordinating the Evaluation of Former Energy Workers Through National Supplemental Screening Program

Under the National Supplemental Screening Program (NSSP), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) offers free customized medical tests to former site employees who may have been exposed to hazardous substances at work. The screenings are designed to identify occupational diseases such as chronic respiratory illnesses, hearing loss, kidney or liver disease and some forms of cancer.

Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), along with our partners National Jewish Health, Comprehensive Health Services (CHS), University of Colorado and Axion Health, manages this program by:

• Leveraging a nationwide network of clinics to provide medical evaluations to the former DOE employees, regardless of where they are living today
• Establishing a secure paperless system for transferring patient information among the partners
• Partnering with leading occupational medicine groups to design the exams, to review all findings and to prepare the results letter for each participant

The ORAU team also brings extensive experience in finding and contacting former workers to notify them of their eligibility.

All workers complete a health and exposure questionnaire. They then receive a screening exam that includes components such as a physical exam, blood testing and a hearing test. Based on their work history, workers may receive additional tests such as lung function testing, chest X-ray, and specialized exams related to beryllium, asbestos or epoxy resin exposures.

The NSSP also offers access to the toll-free National Jewish Medical and Research Center Hazard Information Line for medical questions, educational materials about occupational health hazards, and access to advisors who understand workers compensation.

The program serves former DOE employees, contractors and subcontractors from:

• Argonne National Laboratory
• Fermi Lab
• Hanford (production workers)
• Kansas City Plant (production workers)
• Savannah River Site
• Princeton Plasma Physics Lab
• Pinellas Plant (production workers)
• Rocky Flats (production workers)
• Former workers who can’t be served by other site-specific programs because of distance

If you are a former worker, visit our National Supplemental Screening Program Web site for more information on how to participate.