Expert Details
Occupational Medicine, Disability/Impairment Evaluations, Environmental Med., Public Health Programs
ID: 726691
Texas, USA
sub-specialty certification in aerospace medicine (occupational medicine for flyers). He was involved in all listed areas of expertise at air base level for 8 years, and at headquarters level and NASA for 13 years. Subsequently he was a full time occupational medicine specialist with three major corporations, involved in all aspects listed areas of expertise, in venues ranging from refinery clinics through corporate headquarters with responsibility for worldwide programs as VP for occupational health, environmental protection, and safety (ITT Corp.). More recently he spent five years as a designated medical expert for the Social Security Administration, testifying in 1300 federal disability appeal hearings regarding impairments and functional capacities of the appellants. For the past several years he has been extensively involved in environmental toxicology and medical causation as consultant to the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District's program addressing potential health effects of various environmental exposures in the local community. For more than two decades he has been Adjunct Professor in Environmental and Occupational Health at the Univ. of Texas School of Pubic Health San Antonio Campus, having developed and taught its first master's level course in occupational health.
Expert's career has been in the specialty of preventive medicine. He has extensive experience in each of its sub-specialties of occupational medicine, aerospace medicine, and public health/general preventive medicine. He spent 21 yeas in the US Air Force as a board certified aerospace medicine specialist, this activity culminating with his assignment at NASA Hq as medical director of the Space Shuttle Program (during the pre launch period). For 16 years he was a full time occupational medicine specialist with three major corporations, involved in all aspects of the listed areas of expertise, ranging from refinery clinic operation through his
responsibility for worldwide programs as VP for occupational health, environmental protection, and safety programs for ITT Corp. Subsequently he spent five years as the medical consultant for environmental health matters with the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. In this position he was routinely consulted on various public health matters, e.g., he drafted the 18 part Health Department portion of the county's all hazards plan, a Homeland Security requirement.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1961 | Degree: Master of Public Health | Subject: Public Health, Occupational Health | Institution: Harvard School of Public Health |
| Year: 1957 | Degree: MD | Subject: Medicne | Institution: Washington U. School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2002 to 2008 | Employer: (Undisclosed) | Title: Physician Consultant | Department: Metropolitan Health District |
Responsibilities:Expert provided environmental health advice, prepared research and project proposals for the Public Center on Environmental Health; served as departmental environmental health expert to outside agencies; and prepared documents and gave briefings on departmental positions re. public health and preventive medicine subjects. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1997 to 2002 | Employer: (Undisclosed) | Title: Designated Medical Expert | Department: Social Security Administration |
Responsibilities:As a designated medical expert appointed by the Social Security Administration, Expert testified at more than 1300 federal disability appeal hearings. After his prior review of all available medical records, Expert provided testimony describing the applicant's impairments and functional residual capacity. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1995 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Occupational and Environmental Medicine | Department: (Undisclosed) |
Responsibilities:See above. Expert continues his consultative practice, maintaining contact with corporate medical directors and programs, and continuing his adjunct faculty consultative and teaching activities. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1983 to 1995 | Employer: (Undisclosed) | Title: Vice President-Health, Environment, and Safety | Department: World Headquarters, NYC |
Responsibilities:As ITT's VP for Health, Environment, and Safety, Dr. Wiittmer set policy and standards for and directed the activities of more than 50 employee heatlh clinics worldwide. He provided policy guidance on environmental protection, industrial hygiene and safety program activities for the ITT's 8 subsidiary corporations. He directly supervised a headquarters staff of 12 senior health and safety professionals. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1981 to 1983 | Employer: (Undisclosed) | Title: US Medical Director | Department: World Headquarters, NYC |
Responsibilities:As US medical director, Expert had direct operational and budgetary responsibility for Mobil's three regional medical directors' missions and activites, which included operation of 12 employee heatlh clinics at refineries (8), chemical, and plastics plants. He daily provided toxicology, health effects, wellness program, case management, exposure protection and general medical advice to operational officials at all levels within Mobil Corp. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1980 to 1981 | Employer: (Undisclosed) | Title: Assistant Medical Director | Department: Medical Department |
Responsibilities:As assistant medical director at Conoco Hq, co-located at Conoco's largest refinery, Expert assisted and substituted for the corporate medical director in all his activities, and assembled the first Conoco Medical Dept. manual of directives and best practices for its refinery and headquarters clinics. He provided part time coverage to the local refinery employee health clinic. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1979 to 1980 | Employer: (Undisclosed) | Title: Dean; Chmn., Dept of Microbiology, Adj. Prof, Occupational Health; Assoc. Prof, Dept. of Medicine | Department: School of Allied Health |
Responsibilities:Expert was the first Dean of the School of Allied Health, responsible for the staffing, budgeting, and functioning of six degree programs. He was also Acting Chairman of the Department of Microbiology, tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, and Adjunct Professor of Occupational Health in the School of Public Health. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1958 to 1979 | Employer: US Air Force | Title: Flight Surgeon, Hospital Commander, Chief Flight Surgeon/Director of Plans and Hospitalizatin, USAF | Department: Medical Corps |
Responsibilities:Expert served 21 years in USAF's Medical Corps, successively as a squadron flight surgeon; headquarters chief of aerospace medicine; hospital and clinic commander; NASA headquarters Space Shuttle medical director; and Air Force Surgeon General's Director of Plans and Hospitalization (responsible for USAF Medical Service budget, manpower, operational plans and programs, and medical education and training activities). |
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Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| Expert is a Fellow of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, of the American College of Preventive Medicine, of the American College of Physicians, of the Aerospace Medical Association, and of the New York Academy of Medicine. From 19XX-19XX he was electee to the board of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and was Secretary of the College from 19XX to 19XX. He was President, New York Occupational Medical Association, in 1992 (Executive Committee 19XX-19XX). |
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| Expert is a certified specialist diplomat of the American Board of Preventive Medicine with sub-specialty certification in Aerospace Medicine. He is a licensed physician in Texas (since 19XX) and holds currently inactive but renewable physician licenses in New York, California, and Missouri. |
| Professional Appointments |
|---|
| Expert is Adjunct Professor in Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Texas School of Public Health, and Clinical Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York. |
| Awards / Recognition |
|---|
| Expert holds numerous military awards and decorations, the highest being the Air Medal and the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster. He has been a Who's Who in America biographee since 19XX, and a Who's Who in the World biographee since 20XX He is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Scholastic Honorary Medical Society, and the Delta Omega Scholastic Honorary Public Health Society |
| Medical / Professional |
|---|
| Intern in Surgery, U. of Virginia Hospital 19XX-19XX Resident in Aerospace Medicine, USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, 19XX-19XX |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| He has six publications in the aerospace medicine literature, and wrote a literature review column for the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (19XX). |
Additional Experience
| Expert Witness Experience |
|---|
| Designated as Medical Expert, US Social Security Administration, 19XX. Testified before federal judges in 1300 disability appeal hearings, 19XX-20XX. Cases heard were appeals after second disapproval of disability applications. Duties were detailed review of all medical records, presentation under oath of medical impairments and residual functional capacities of applicant, and responses to questioning by applicant's attorney and judge. |
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| Developed and taught the first master's level Occupational Health course for the new San Antonio branch of the Univ. of Texas School of Public Health Master in Public Health Program, 19XX. Frequent subsequent guest lecturer on Corporate Occupational and Environmental Health Programs. Annually approved the agendas, moderated and presented at ITT Occupational Health Conferences for worldwide attendees, 19XX-19XX. Annual lecturer in Occupational Health, U. Texas School of Public Health, San Antonio |
| Other Relevant Experience |
|---|
| For 25 years Expert has maintained a close association with his fellow leaders in corporate occupational and environmental health programs. Since 19XX he has been a member of the Medical Directors Forum, a select group limited to 30 top corporate medical directors that networks closely and meets annually for a two day discussion seminar on all current and anticipated professional and organizational challenges for corporate environmental and occupational health and wellness programs. |
Fields of Expertise
human health assessment, medical causation, occupational disease, occupational epidemiology, occupational exposure, occupational injury, occupational toxicology, occupational health, occupational medicine, environmental medicine, preventive medicine, public health, public health epidemiology, aerospace medicine, chemical exposure, chemical health hazard management, industrial chemical toxicology, industrial toxicology, human-health risk assessment, occupational safety, environmental health, environmental exposure assessment, environmental epidemiology