Sponsorship Information
for OEM-L,
Occupational & Environmental Medicine’s Electronic Forum
OEM-L is a free-access
e-mail forum that has been growing continually since Dec 1993. It is a
professionally governed community of specialists within Occupational &
Environmental Medicine, who consult one another on a daily basis. Now a
dynamic conversation among more than 3,500 subscribers from more than 75 countries worldwide, the forum produces
about 10 messages each day, regarding any of hundreds of topics related
to OEM issues. These include all of the following:
– Announcements of new regulations,
web-sites, jobs and professional conferences
– Discussions of difficult cases, administrative
assignments, and prevention challenges
– Review of new events in medical science,
especially those reaching the public’s attention
In early years, costs associated with this service were carried entirely by Duke Univ. Occup. Medicine and the Association of Occupational & Environmental Clinics (AOEC), and temporarily supported by the Mobil Foundation and a 1996 grant from the US Commerce Dept. When the list’s founder and moderator moved to the NIOSH Educational Resource Center at the University of N.Carolina in Chapel Hill, the maillist, archives, and traditions were re-located in toto, in July 2006.
In light of
OEM-L‘s unchallenged
success and stability, external and ongoing support has more recently been obtained from
commercial sponsors and the forum’s readership.
The forum is an attractive candidate
for support, because we have daily access to thousands of active OEM practitioners,
both directly and through re-routed mail. Additionally, content reaches far beyond our subscriber base. A survey performed among our
members showed that each routinely sends selected messages to more than
6 additional readers. Nothing else in our specialty has such immediate and focused impact.
The forum’s requested budget of $50,000
covers reimbursement to UNC for professional time of the forum’s moderator
and network support, as well as necessary travel expenses so that OEM-L
can be promoted at each meeting of the ACOEM and of the AOEC. The forum
is very well represented at these meetings, and professional presentations
of OEM-L‘s workings and advantages are the chief source of new subscribers.
AOEC’s sponsorship (for the maillist and related web-work) already provide
$25,000. Thus only $25,000 in total contributions will insure the
continuity of the list, and will provide the sponsors with recognition
from our community.
Founded in December, 1993,
growth has been continual.
reaching more than 3000 current subscribers
representing more than 60 countries
exchanging more than 12 "broadcast messages"
daily.
Messages are frequently
"echoed"
To non-subscribers (surveyed subscribers each
routinely send selected messages to more than 6 non-subscribed colleagues)
To other forums (including IH-List, Canadian, Safety, AgHealth,
Drug-testing, and British OEM lists)
To the World-Wide Web, where archives and
resources are continuously available at 5 separate sites and servers, including
international echo-sites.
The community is actively moderatedand widely endorsed
As faculty member in Occupational Health Nursing at UNC’s School of Public Health (& affilated Duke Occup. Envir. Med. prg), Dr. Greenberg provides nearly daily content from external sources and continually
monitors the forum’s content and functionality.
Unsubscribing firmly removes offenders who
violate rules of decorum, successfully protecting OEM-L‘s professional
tone .
Support by AOEC, AAOHN and ACOEM sections represent the
most important clinical organizations in Occupational & Environmental
Medicine. Dr. Greenberg has served as designated editor for AOEC & ACOEM’s electronic publications, including their web pages and serves on the appropriate
oversight committees for each group.
In 2000, the American
College of Occupational & Environmental Medicine presented Dr.
Greenberg its "The Health Achievement Award", its annual recognition of
a "unique achievement in the field of occupational & environmental
medicine".
The forum is purely professional
Commercial messages are prohibited
Even valid announcements are restricted to
single factual (non-hyperbolic) release
Sponsors are acknowledged by short descriptions of their involvement, their corporate function and contact information.
Claims, competitive remarks and graphical elements are forbidden.
Costs are tiny, compared
to other means of reaching such an elite audience
Alternative costs (journal advertising and
direct-mail) are exorbitant
Duke provides infrastructure and faculty support
at minimal cost
Recognition on the OEM-L web-domain
and listing in periodic broadcast sponsor acknowledgment messages to the
forum.
Disclaimer regarding any responsibility for
broadcast content
"Corporate" Sponsors who contribute
more than $2,500 annually receive:
Acknowledgment to our readers of sponsorship:
On all broadcast messages for a period of
2-3 days on a rotating basis, footer includes name,web-link, mission statement
Example Sponsor footer:
Kodak
Health Safety & Environment Program
Our Commitment: To
make measurable improvements in the health, safety and environmental aspects
of our products, services, and operations…every day…every month…every
year.
Free to display the ‘sponsor’ shield (seen
at right) on sponsoring website
Live web-links and logos on our entry
and instructional pages
Listing in professional presentations on this
topic by Dr. Greenberg.
Free to display the ‘sponsor’ placard shield
(seen at right) on sponsor’s booth at professional meetings
Corporate sponsors are allowed to distribute
one announcement message each month of a commercial nature, eg promoting products offered
by their firm. Such commercial messages are otherwise STRONGLY prohibited (rules for the usual
broadcast content are posted) and usually anger the OEM-L readership (not so if from a sponsor and obviously endorsed by the forum’s moderator) .
Colleague
Supporters are encouraged to contribute $50 annually (but amounts are optional). Supporters receive:
Recognition on the OEM-L web-domain and listing
in periodic broadcast sponsor acknowledgment messages to the forum.
Disclaimer regarding any responsibility for
broadcast content
Free to display the ‘supporter’ shield (seen
at right) on sponsoring website
Acknowledgement by UNC School of Public Health of a qualifying
contribution to a not-for-profit educational institution, usually considered a tax-deductible event
Benefactors who contribute $150 or more annually
receive:
Acknowledgment along with all other Benefactors as a collective Sponsor (in rotation
with other sponsors) on broadcast messages, on all pertinent forum-related web-pages
and in professional presentations on this topic by Dr. Greenberg.
How to actually contribute:
1) Checks payable to (and sent to) :
Association of Occupational & Environmental Clinics (AOEC) "Supporting OEM-L"
c/o
(click for email)
Sent to: AOEC
1010 Vermont Ave., NW #513
Washington, DC 20005
AOEC is a licensed non-profit, who can acknowledge your support as a charitable donation.
For supporters paying from institutional accounts, we can generate an invoice from AOEC for your contribution. Please
us with this request.
2) VISA / Mastercard
payments can be authorized by phone or fax or PayPal:
c/o
(click for email)
(v) (888)347-AOEC (2632) _or_ (202) 347-4976
(fax) (202) 347-4950
via PayPal (your VISA or Mastercard or bank account, click below)
Plans for future growth (through
separate funding) are dynamic, including:
Development of a multi-disciplinary, credential-requiring community of Occupational Health professionals to support shared disaster plans and to coordinate disaster response across regional and similar industrial sectors. OHDEN is the Occupational Health Disaster Expert Network, and has a website and impressive pandemic flu reference site.
Active recruitment of OEM residents, including
reimbursing their faculty-reviewed online replies to queries from developing countries, where exposures are more remarkable and resources (library, expertise, governmental support) are more limited.
For further information,
contact Gary Greenberg, MD MPH FACP FACOEM