Officer Health and Wellness: Building a Program in Partnership with Local Healthcare Providers

Monday, October 21, 2024

2:00 PM – 3:30 PM ET

Location: 259B

Submitter and Speaker(s)

Jonathan Enriquez, MD, FACC

Officer
Roeland Park (KS) Police Department
Roeland Park, Kansas, United States

Speaker(s)

JP

Jason Park, MD

Captain, Medical Director/SWAT Team Medic
Kenner (LA) Police Department
Kenner, Louisiana, United States
Jonathan Sheinberg, MD, FACC

Lieutenant, Senior Staff
Baylor Scott and White Cardiology
Austin, Texas, United States
JOHN M. VIOLANTI, PhD

Research Professor
University at Buffalo, SUNY
Buffalo, New York, United States
Franklin H. Zimmerman MD, MD

Senior Attending Cardiologist, Assistant Professor of Cardiology
Phelps Memorial Hospital
Briarcliff Manor, New York, United States
Shelley Zimmerman, MS

Chief
San Diego (CA) Police Department
San Diego, California, United States

The average LEO lifespan is 21.9 years less than civilians; line of duty deaths from medical conditions often outnumber gunfire or auto accidents. Officer health and wellness programs are imperative to save officers’ lives, improve staffing/retention, and to protect the public. Three viable options exist for officer health and wellness. Department-based programs engage officers at the workplace and be integrated into workflow and culture, but require cost, time, and staffing. Third-party companies offer fee-based in-house screening and specialized care. Health-system partnerships are emerging as a care model for any size agency, at variable to no cost to the department, but require healthcare leadership engagement. Overlapping systems of care are needed to improve LEO health and wellness. This presentation will be followed by a panel discussion on approaches to health and wellness.