Fire Department rebrands physician office, reports TB/hearing screenings and plans for electronic health records

Dr. Jennifer Brokaw, supervising physician for the Fire Department's employee‑health unit, told commissioners the office has been rebranded from a physician‑centric model to the "Office of Employee Health," is fully staffed for the first time since 2019, and is restarting health checks and preventive programs that were paused during the pandemic.

Nurse Practitioner Stephanie Phelps described a mobile TB and hearing program launched in November that completed roughly 1,381 screenings and identified six confirmed positives. "Of the almost 1,400 members that we had screened, we did have 6," Phelps said, and explained the department uses the blood‑based QuantiFERON test to screen where logistics make skin tests impractical.

Broader workplace health plans include an RFP for health checks, consideration of bringing TB and hearing screening in‑house, and an electronic health record (EHR) contract that the department said is near final review with the city attorney. "We're gonna transfer to an electronic health record," Brokaw told the commission, saying the move will allow members to access their records for employment and medical needs.

Commissioners asked about the new bivalent COVID booster guidance and whether N95s protect against TB; Brokaw and Phelps explained N95s offer protection and that DPH guidance had recently framed a bivalent booster as a long‑duration dose for most people. They also described expanded behavioral‑health resources and a confidential employee assistance program that provides therapy sessions to members.

The department did not request action at the meeting; commissioners commended the office's work and urged continued outreach and program implementation.