Screening program
A complete health screening, delivered in two sessions.
Blood work, heart and lung testing, a physician review and a personal consultation. Everything is done at your location, with the equipment and staff supplied by us.
The standard
What a comprehensive health program should include.
OSHA does not spell out exactly which tests a department must use. That makes choosing the right contractor one of the most important decisions in the whole program. These are the components we consider essential.
Blood panel
Total cholesterol broken down into high, low and very low density, plus triglycerides, bone minerals, electrolytes, heart and liver enzymes, protein breakdown, kidney function, glucose, uric acid, iron and hematology.
Pulmonary function test
Determines whether any obstruction or restriction limits how well a person takes in or expels air.
Resting EKG and graded exercise test
A resting electrocardiogram and a sub-maximal graded exercise test assess functional capacity and reveal any contraindications to exercise and work-related activity.
Body composition
Anthropometric and skinfold measurements establish each person’s percentage of body fat.
Individual exercise prescription
Test results are reviewed and an individual exercise program is written for each participant.
Referral when needed
If any abnormalities are noted, the individual is referred to their own physician or the organization’s occupational nurse for review.
Basic program
How the screening runs.
We test up to 30 to 35 people a day, about seven an hour, with our own equipment and staff.
Blood draw and physiological testing
A 12-hour fasting blood panel is drawn first. A copy of the results is provided to each participant.
- Health history questionnaireComprehensive history and cardiovascular risk factor assessment.
- Resting blood pressure
- Body composition evaluationHeight, weight and skinfold measurements to obtain body fat percentage.
- Resting 12-lead electrocardiogram
- Pulmonary function assessment
- Graded exercise stress testSub-maximal cycle ergometer test with 12-lead EKG and blood pressure monitoring.
- Basic hearing and vision screening
- Physician reviewA supervising board-certified physician briefly reviews all test results with the participant.
Post-test consultation
About two to three weeks after the screening, we return for a consultation session. Each participant receives an individual report packet with copies of all test results, their profiles and an individualized exercise prescription, and we review and explain it with them.
What the department receives
- Annual statistical summaryAverages and ranges for the health characteristics of the group tested, so you can chart the health of the department over time.
- Fire brigade clearance formsOne for each structural firefighter.
- Respirator clearance formsFor individuals assigned to tasks that require a respirator.
Results stay personal. Any abnormalities found during the screening are discussed with the individual, who is referred to their personal physician when follow-up is needed.
The stress test
EKG monitoring is the gold standard. The equipment is secondary.
Screening for heart disease cannot be done properly without an electrocardiograph running during the test. Protocols that watch only heart rate and blood pressure are not medically accepted for detecting heart disease.
The cycle ergometer test follows the heart rate rise a firefighter actually experiences when a call comes in. It is a screening test, kept sub-maximal on purpose: a firefighter tested to exhaustion can’t be expected to go straight out on a call in seventy pounds of gear.
Read: Firefighter Screening ProtocolsQuestions worth asking any screening contractor
- Is the stress test 12-lead EKG monitored?Or is it heart rate and blood pressure only?
- Who performs the test?Are they degreed in exercise science and ACLS certified?
- Is the physician experienced in graded exercise testing?Not every practice performs or reads these tests.
- Does the blood panel include thyroid?Thyroid disease is common enough in the fire service that it should be standard.
Basic bloodwork panel
A full executive blood panel, included in every screening.
Our panel goes above the minimum requirement. It adds a complete thyroid screen, uric acid, GGT and iron, because those tests catch diseases that are common and treatable when found early.
Chemistries
- Glucose
- Uric Acid
- Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
- Sodium, Serum
- Potassium, Serum
- Chloride, Serum
- Calcium
- Phosphorus
- Protein, Total
- Albumin, Serum
- Globulin, Total
- Albumin/Globulin Ratio
- Bilirubin, Total liver
- Alkaline Phosphatase liver
- LDH heart enzyme
- SGOT (AST) liver
- SGPT (ALT) liver
- GGT liver
- Iron
Total lipids
- Cholesterol, Total
- Triglycerides
- HDL Cholesterol
- LDL Cholesterol calculated
- VLDL Cholesterol calculated
- Total Cholesterol/HDL Ratio
- Estimated Coronary Heart Disease Risk calculated
Thyroid
- TSH high sensitivity
- Thyroxine (T4)
- T3 Uptake
- Free Thyroxine Index (FTI)
Complete blood count
- White Blood Count (WBC)
- Red Blood Count (RBC)
- Hemoglobin
- Hematocrit
- Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)
- Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH)
- MCH Concentration (MCHC)
- Platelets
- Neutrophils (Polys)
- Lymphocytes
- Monocytes
- Eosinophils
- Basophils
Why the extras matter
- Thyroid: TSH is the most common test for hypo- or hyperthyroidism. T4, T3 and FTI complete the screen.
- Uric acid: useful in diagnosing gout, renal failure and other disorders.
- GGT: a sensitive indicator of blocked bile flow, also relevant to adult-onset diabetes and pancreatic disease.
- Iron: applies to anemia as well as other diseases.
Optional services
Add what your department needs.
These can be added to the basic program or scheduled on their own.
Commonly requested
- Physician’s “hands-on” physical: exam of eyes, ears, nose and throat, dermatological check, testicular and hernia check, and palpation of the abdominal cavity
- DOT physical (the hands-on physical plus urinalysis)
- Urine drug screening, available on site
- Sports physicals, available on site
- Prostate Specific Antigen screening (PSA)
- C-Reactive Protein, cardiac (CRP)
- Tuberculosis screening (TB or PPD)
- Ovarian cancer screening (CA-125)
- Audiometric screening (hearing booth) and interpretation
- Chest X-ray and interpretation
More services
- Hepatitis B antibody screening
- Hepatitis B injections and antibody analysis (vaccine purchased separately)
- Heavy metals blood screening
- Cholinesterase, RBC blood screening
- Blood typing (ABO grouping and Rho-D typing)
- HIV screening
- Influenza vaccination (flu shot)
- Pneumonia vaccination
- Occult blood screening (Hemoccult-SENSA)
- Tetanus and DP
- Hemoglobin A1C
- QuantiFERON-TB Gold
Schedule a screening
We bring the clinic to your department.
Tell us how many personnel you need screened and where. We’ll build a testing schedule around your shifts.