EILEEN McNEELY

Dr McNeely became involved in occupational health issues while working as a family nurse practitioner in Appalachia. This experience ignited an interest in social determinants of health and well-being. Her research focuses on the effects of broader institutional arrangements, such as social class and work organization, on worker health outcomes.

Currently, she is studying health care organizations, in particular, the worker health effects that are associated with the organizational environment for staffing, use of overtime and reliance on contingent or contract work relationships. She is interested in understanding what constitutes a healthy work organization. Her research projects include an examination of the changing nature of work in the US Department of Energy nuclear weapons complex and its impact on work, safety and health.

Dr McNeely is also interested in questions of access and quality in the delivery of health care to workers. She is involved in studying how occupational low back pain is identified and managed in the community and how treatment and outcomes differ for certain classes of workers.