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.
ORAU, along with our partners National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Comprehensive Health Services (CHS), and Occupational HealthLink (OHL), took a unique approach in our competitive proposal to manage the program:
- We are leveraging a nationwide network of clinics to provide the medical evaluations to the former DOE employees, regardless of where they are living today.
- We have established a secure paperless system for transferring patient information among the partners.
- We have partnered 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.
The screenings are designed to identify occupational diseases such as chronic respiratory illnesses, hearing loss, kidney or liver disease, and some forms of cancer. All workers complete a health and exposure questionnaire. Then they receive a basic screening that includes components such as a physical exam, blood testing, and a hearing test. Based on work history, some workers may receive additional tests such as lung function testing, chest X-ray, or specialized exams related to beryllium, asbestos, or epoxy resin exposures.
ORAU communicates all results, including recommendations for follow-up exams, with the workers.
The NSSP also offers access to the toll-free National Jewish Center Health 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
- Kansas City Plant (production workers)
- Princeton Plasma Physics Lab
- Pinellas Plant (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 site for more information.
