Occupational Health Program (OHP)

HealthPoint Occupational Health Program

The Occupational Health Program (OHP) partners with the employee, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), and Human Resources (HR) to understand working conditions and to ensure that precautions are taken to protect the university’s most valuable asset—our employees.

The HealthPoint Occupational Health Program (OHP) is open by appointment only. OHP is not accepting walk-ins at this time. Open Monday-Friday for appointments from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

If you need to schedule an appointment, please call 512-471-4647.  If you are calling Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. and no one answers, please be sure to leave a message.  A representative from OHP will call you back promptly.  If you are calling after hours, weekends, or holidays, please leave a message and a representative from OHP will return your call the next business day.

If you have an injury that requires emergency treatment, please call 911. 

Work injury treatment provided by OHP is not filed as workers’ compensation and is not subject to the IMO Provider Network requirements. If OHP refers you for follow-up to an external provider, typically a workers’ compensation claim will be submitted to UT System and OHP will refer you to a provider in the IMO Provider Network.

For treatment, management, and follow-up of work-related injuries and illnesses please call the Occupational Health Program at 512-471-4647.

Services

• Health risk assessments for research animal work, lab safety programs, and higher risk work and activities.
• Health risk counseling for issues that may impact your job functions.
• Medical clearance and fit testing for job required respiratory protection
• Job specific TB screening, drug testing, vaccinations* and titers for UT employees.
• Treatment, management, and follow-up of work-related injuries and illnesses
• Fitness for duty consultations

* Travel Immunizations are provided by University Health Services

Scheduling an Appointment with OHP 

To schedule an appointment, call 512-471-4OHP (4647). Hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., closed for lunch noon-1 p.m  Open Monday-Friday for appointments from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.

The concealed carry of handguns is prohibited in patient care areas at UT Austin, including those areas in which professional mental health services are provided.

For treatment during hours of closure, follow the guidelines below.

Advanced Medical Care

For emergency work-related injuries, call 911 and ask to be transported to the nearest hospital. If the injury involves an animal, chemical or biological exposure, request transport to a St. David's affiliated emergency room (PDF).

If urgent consultation with the HealthPoint Occupational Health Program is needed, please call 512-471-4OHP (4647) and press 1 to be connected to an on-call nurse.

Additional & After Hours Support

During periods when OHP is closed (and depending on the provider, even when they are open), you may select an in-network provider from the IMO Workers’ Compensation Provider Network. In the Austin area, several in-network urgent care and occupational health options include:

• Texas MedClinic, Every day 8 a.m to 11 p.m.
• Concentra Medical Centers, Monday-Friday 8 a.m to 5 p.m.
• Next Level Urgent Care, Monday-Sunday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Personal Health Conditions

For personal health care needs, contact your personal health care provider. Currently, the OHP only offers work-related health care services.

COVID-19

If you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19, you should isolate yourself from others and test for COVID-19. Please follow the CDC guidance for common respiratory viruses. 

If you would like to schedule a telehealth visit with a doctor to discuss your symptoms, available treatment, and/or to obtain additional guidance on when it is safe to return to work, you may access a medical health provider at MD Live. 

Faculty and staff are no longer required to report COVID-19 exposures, symptoms, or positive cases to the Occupational Health Program. If staff wish to work remotely during their isolation period, they should contact their supervisors to coordinate a remote work schedule, if available. 

If you are a UT Select benefits participant and you have a question about a personal medical condition for yourself or a covered family member, you may call the Blue Cross Blue Shield Nurseline. This free service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 1-888-315-9473.

OHP Programs and Resources

OHP

The OHP provides services to employees working with research animals and other hazards in a research setting. This service is referred to as the OHP program and is offered at no cost to the employee.

Initial and Recurring Enrollment

Enrollment is provided to researchers and personnel working with or exposed to animals, animal cell lines, or tissues. Persons working with biohazardous materials such as chemical, physical or radiological agents that require medical attention and follow up should contact the OHP for guidance.

Enrollment requirements vary by research protocol. You may be notified for an update by the eProtocol System or by OHP staff directly. To prevent delays in the eProtocol System, submit all required documents to OHP at least 72 hours in advance of the deadline.

If you would like a consultation about working with biohazardous materials such as human blood-borne pathogens, cell lines, or tissues please contact OHP.

Initial Enrollment

To enroll as a new program participant, please complete the OHP Health Assessment Questionnaire (required for personnel working with research animals and other hazards).

Submit your completed Baseline Questionnaire by one of the following methods:

• Email - healthpoint.ohp@austin.utexas.edu (Please be aware that email communication can be intercepted in transmission or misdirected.)
• Fax - 512-471-2666
• In Person (or through our after hours drop box if the clinic is closed)
• UT Box

Information about TB screening requirements is included on the Health Assessment Questionnaire.

The health assessment questionnaire will be reviewed by OHP staff, after which you may be contacted to discuss additional recommendations with the nurse. Let the nurse know if you would like to discuss other health concerns. There will be no cost to you as an employee for these services.

Please note this questionnaire will satisfy the TRACKS requirement:

• OHP-Labs with low risk categories (AN0020)
• OHP-Labs with high risk categories (AN0023)

Recurring Enrollment

To update your program enrollment, please complete the OHP Update Questionnaire and submit via one of the same methods listed above for initial enrollment. 

Please note that updated questionnaires are required:

• Every three (3) years for persons enrolled in OHP-Labs low risk categories (AN0020)
• Annually for persons enrolled in OHP-Labs with high risk categories (AN0023)

The questionnaire will be reviewed by OHP staff, after which you may be contacted to discuss additional recommendations with the nurse. Let the nurse know if you would like to discuss other health concerns. There will be no cost to you as an employee for these services.

Lab Animal Allergy

Allergic reactions to animals are among the most common conditions affecting the health of employees involved in the care and use of research animals. The university has engineering, administrative, and personal protection strategies in place to prevent the development of lab animal allergy (LAA). To learn more about the prevention of LAA at the university, read the OHP Lab Animal Allergies Information Guide for Personnel Working with Animals below:

Biosafety Information and Resources

Working in research requires dedicated attention to detail including the details involved in workplace safety practices that protect employees, students, university property and the community. Useful information sheets and manuals on biosafety topics including Bloodborne Pathogens, Lentivirus, Viral Vectors, Working with Wild Rodents, Working with Human Xenografts and many more topics are available on the EHS Biosafety page. Your department will also have lab-specific safety procedures available to review and may require lab or protocol-specific training.

If you work with lentivirus vectors and have an exposure involving lentivirus, please see the Instructions for Medical Care of Lentivirus Vector (LVV) Exposures.

Safety Guide for Field Researchers

Fieldwork is an important part of teaching and research at The University of Texas at Austin. Since fieldwork activities take you off-campus, this off-campus field guide (PDF) is intended to help you plan and prepare for health and safety problems you might encounter in the field.

Confidentiality

Information you provide to the Occupational Health Program is protected from unauthorized or indiscriminate release of personal health information, and medical records are maintained in a confidential manner and separate from department or Human Resources personnel records. Read our Notice of Privacy Practices (English), (Spanish)