Robyn Gershon
Robyn Gershon
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Clinical Professor of Epidemiology
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Professional overview
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Dr. Gershon is an interdisciplinary occupational and environmental health and safety researcher with extensive experience in the areas of disaster preparedness, healthcare safety, and risk assessment and management in high-risk work occupations. She earned her doctorate in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, School of Public Health, where she was on faculty for several years.
Subsequently, Dr. Gershon was a Professor at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, with a joint appointment in the School of Nursing.
At the Mailman School, she also served as the Associate Dean for Research and was the Director of the Mentoring Program. Her most recent faculty appointment prior to joining NYU GPH was Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She was also an Adjunct Professor in the UCSF School of Nursing, as well as at UC Berkeley where she taught public health disaster courses.
Dr. Gershon and her team conducted numerous ground breaking studies to develop and test new metrics of preparedness. Importantly, Dr. Gershon’s work has influenced the adoption of safe work practices and regulatory control measures, such as national needlestick prevention guidelines and high-rise building fire safety laws. Her numerous research studies encompass a wide range of topics, including, (to name a few): bloodborne pathogen exposure; hospital safety climate; psychosocial work stress in law enforcement; “ability and willingness” of essential workforce employees to report to duty during natural and man-made disasters; preparedness of responders for terrorist incidents; emergency high–rise building evacuation- (including the World Trade Center Evacuation Study); emergency preparedness of the elderly and disabled; mass fatality management infrastructure in the US; adherence to emergency public health measures among the general public; hearing loss risk in subway ridership; and noise exposure in urban populations.
Dr. Gershon recently completed a four-year, longitudinal intervention NIH-funded study on motivation and persistence in pursuing STEM research careers among underrepresented doctoral students. (the BRIDGE Project).
As a committed advocate for junior faculty and graduate students, Dr. Gershon will play an active role in research mentorship and advisement.
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Education
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BS, Medical Technology, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CTMHS, Medical Microbiology, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CTDrPH, Environmental and Occupational Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
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Honors and awards
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Recipient, American Society of Safety Engineers, Membership Award, Oakland, CA (2016)Recipient, John L. Ziegler Capstone Mentor Award, Global Health Sciences, University of California San Francisco (2015)Recipient, City of New York Fire Commissioner's Special Commendation Certificate of Appreciation (2006)Recipient, Survivors' Salute, World Trade Center Survivors' Network (2006)Recipient, Annual International Sharps Injury Prevention Award (2005)Delta Omega (Public Health) Honorary Society (1997)Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (Microbiology) (1976)Lambda Tau Mu Honor Society (Laboratory Science) (1976)
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Areas of research and study
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Disaster HealthDisaster Impact and RecoveryDisaster PreparednessEnvironmental Public Health ServicesEpidemiologyHealthcare SafetyOccupational HealthRisk Assessment and Management
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Publications
Publications
The impact of multifocused interventions on sharps injury rates at an acute-care hospital
AbstractGershon, R. R., Pearse, L., Grimes, M., Flanagan, P. A., & Vlahov, D. (n.d.).Publication year
1999Journal title
Infection Control and Hospital EpidemiologyVolume
20Issue
12Page(s)
806-811AbstractOBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of a multifocused interventional program on sharps injury rates. DESIGN: Sharps injury data were collected prospectively over a 9-year period (1990-1998). Pre- and postinterventional rates were compared after the implementation of sharps injury prevention interventions, which consisted of administrative, work-practice, and engineering controls (ie, the introduction of an anti-needlestick intravenous catheter and a new sharps disposal system). SETTING: Sharps injury data were collected from healthcare workers employed by a mid-sized, acute-care community hospital. RESULTS: Preinterventional annual sharps injury incidence rates decreased significantly from 82 sharps injuries/1,000 worked full-time-equivalent employees (WFTE) to 24 sharps injuries/1,000 WFTE employees postintervention (P<.0001), representing a 70% decline in incidence rate overall. Over the course of the study, the incidence rate for sharps injuries related to intravenous lines declined by 93%, hollow-bore needlesticks decreased by 75%, and non-hollow-bore injuries decreased by 25%. CONCLUSION: The implementation of a multifocused interventional program led to a significant and sustained decrease in the overall rate of sharps injuries in hospital-based healthcare workers.The public health and law enforcement stress
Correlates of infection control practices in dentistry
AbstractGershon, R. R., Karkashian, C., Vlahov, D., Grimes, M., & Spannhake, E. (n.d.).Publication year
1998Journal title
American Journal of Infection ControlVolume
26Issue
1Page(s)
29-34AbstractBackground: Studies conducted in the first decade of the AIDS epidemic indicated that, in general, dentists had suboptimal levels of compliance with standard infection control practices, including work practices designed to reduce exposure to bloodborne pathogens. This study was designed to assess current rates of compliance with these practices in a population of Maryland dentists and to identify correlates of safe work practices. Methods: We surveyed 648 Maryland dentists using a confidential, self-administered questionnaire. Results: Three hundred and ninety-two questionnaires were returned (60% response rate). We found that infection control practices were variable as reported by responding dentists. In addition, several potentially modifiable factors were found to be significantly correlated with these practices, including (1) attitudes toward patients infected with HIV and (2) safety program management within the practice. Conclusion: These data are encouraging in that recommended infection control practices are being adopted, at least among a sample of Maryland dentists. Strategies for further improvement are identified.Infection control basis for recommending one-time use of sterile syringes and aseptic procedures for injection drug users
AbstractGershon, R. R. (n.d.).Publication year
1998Journal title
Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes and Human RetrovirologyVolume
18Page(s)
S20-S24AbstractPersons who inject drugs are at increased risk for many infectious diseases, including HIV, Reuse of syringes and needles and other equipment used to prepare and inject drugs increases the risk of infection with blood- borne and other pathogens. According to standard infection control guidelines, needles and syringes and their contents fall within the critical category of patient contact because they enter the normally sterile vascular space. Medical equipment considered critical should be treated or prepared in a manner that destroys vegetative and spore-forming microbes. The simplest way to ensure this level of hygienic practice is to use prepackaged, sterile, disposable needles and syringes and to use sterile drug preparation equipment and drugs. These recommendations are made as part of a comprehensive infection prevention program designed for injection drug users.The use of total quality improvement techniques to determine risk factors for back injuries in hospital workers.
AbstractLin, M. Y., Ahern, J. E., Gershon, R. R., & Grimes, M. (n.d.).Publication year
1998Journal title
Clinical performance and quality health careVolume
6Issue
1Page(s)
23-27AbstractOBJECTIVE: To identify the risk factors for back injuries among hospital employees using quality-management techniques. METHODS: Data from employee-health records were collected from 1993 to 1995 on a total of 100 back injuries. The data were reviewed retrospectively for risk factors using quality-management techniques. RESULTS: We identified two major categories of risk factors: administrative and environmental. The five most common causes of back injuries were as follows: inadequate or lack of proper training in body mechanics, not enough help in lifting, the load being lifted was too heavy, poor condition of the floor surface (slippery or uneven), and the patient was unable to help. The Workers' Compensation costs for the 100 back injuries was in excess of $600,000. CONCLUSION: Based on these findings, several preventive strategies are identified.Tuberculosis risk in funeral home employees
AbstractGershon, R. R., Vlahov, D., Escamilla-Cejudo, J. A., Badawi, M., McDiarmid, M., Karkashian, C., Grimes, M., & Comstock, G. W. (n.d.).Publication year
1998Journal title
Journal of Occupational and Environmental MedicineVolume
40Issue
5Page(s)
497-503AbstractIn order to estimate the risk of tuberculosis infection among employees in the funeral service industry, we conducted a risk-assessment study of a convenience sample of funeral home employees. Study participants completed a risk-assessment questionnaire and underwent tuberculin skin testing. Of 864 employees tested, 101 (11.7%) had a reactive tuberculin skin test. Reactivity to the tuberculin skin test was significantly associated with job category; funeral home employees with a present or past history of embalming deceased- human remains were twice as likely to be reactive as were non-embalming personnel (14.9% versus 7.2%, P < 0.01). Reactivity was also associated with age, gender, race, past history of close contact with a person diagnosed with tuberculosis, and work history. After controlling for age and other factors, tuberculin reactivity was found to be associated in embalming personnel with the number of years spent performing embalmings (≤20), and, in non-embalming personnel, with a history of close contact with infected individuals. Based on these results, it is recommended that funeral home employees who routinely embalm cadavers undergo annual tuberculin skin testing, receive initial training on tuberculosis prevention, and wear respiratory protection when preparing known tuberculosis cases.Compliance with universal precautions among physicians
AbstractMichalsen, A., Delclos, G. L., Felknor, S. A., Davidson, A. L., Johnson, P. C., Vesley, D., Murphy, L. R., Kelen, G. D., & Gershon, R. R. (n.d.).Publication year
1997Journal title
Journal of Occupational and Environmental MedicineVolume
39Issue
2Page(s)
130-137AbstractThis should characterized and assessed self-reported levels of compliance with universal precautions (UP) among hospital-based physicians, and determined significant factors associated with both compliance and noncompliance. The physicians (n = 322) were a subgroup of a larger study population of hospital-based health care workers recruited from three geographically distinct locations (n = 1746), and were surveyed using a detailed confidential questionnaire that assessed personal, work-related, and organizational factors. Compliance with UP was measured through 11 items that examined how often physicians followed specific recommended work practices. Compliance was found to vary among the 11 items: they were high for certain activities (eg, glove use, 94%; disposal of sharps, 92%) and low for others (eg, wearing protective clothing, 55%; not recapping needles, 56%). Compliance with all items was low (31% to 38%). Stepwise logistic regression revealed that noncompliant physicians were likely to be age 37 or older, to report high work stress, and to perceive a conflict of interest between providing patient care and protecting themselves. Compliant physicians were more likely to be knowledgeable and to have been trained in universal precautions, to perceive protective measures as being effective, and to perceive an organizational commitment to safety.Laboratory professionals' compliance with universal precautions
AbstractMcGovern, P. M., Kochevar, L. K., Vesley, D., & Gershon, R. R. (n.d.).Publication year
1997Journal title
Laboratory MedicineVolume
28Issue
11Page(s)
725-730AbstractThis study characterizes compliance with universal precautions specific to the use of personal protective equipment among hospital-based laboratory professionals. Secondary data from a cross-sectional survey of hospital- based health care workers expected to be at high risk for exposure to bloodborne pathogens were used to create a sample of 286 laboratory professionals. A theoretical model that addressed compliance with preventive behaviors provided the framework for the study's design and analysis. One 39% of the laboratorians in the study strictly complied with universal precautions of personal protective equipment. Factors correlated most strongly with compliance included employees' perceptions of the hospital's commitment to safety management and of their risk for occupational exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus.A work-systems analysis of compliance with Universal precautions among health care workers
AbstractDeJoy, D. M., Gershon, R. R., Murphy, L. R., & Wilson, M. G. (n.d.).Publication year
1996Journal title
Health Education and BehaviorVolume
23Issue
2Page(s)
159-174AbstractUniversal precautions are work practices designed to protect health care workers from occupational exposure to HIV and other bloodborne pathogens. However, despite aggressive dissemination efforts by CDC and regulatory action by OSHA, compliance remains less than satisfactory. This article argues that the minimization of risk from bloodborne pathogens requires a multilevel or work-systems perspective that considers individual, job/task, and environmental/organizational factors. The available literature on universal precautions suggests the potential of such an approach and provides insight into the limited success of current worker-focused mitigation efforts. In particular, specific opportunities exist to develop and apply engineering controls, to improve the design and organization of jobs and tasks, and to create organizations that facilitate and reinforce safe behavior.Facilitator report: Bloodborne pathogens exposure among health care workers
AbstractGershon, R. (n.d.).Publication year
1996Journal title
American Journal of Industrial MedicineVolume
29Issue
4Page(s)
418-420AbstractSeveral psychosocial and organizational factors have been identified as important correlates of compliance with safe work practices among health care workers. In particular, compliance with 'universal precautions'-a set of work practices which were designed to minimize exposure to bloodborne pathogens- has been found to be associated with several potentially modifiable factors. The development of interventional strategies designed specifically to target these factors (e.g., HIV/AIDS attitudes, safety climate) are important objectives in the overall risk management approach to occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens.Methodologic issues in intervention research - Health care
AbstractHersey, J. C., Collins, J. W., Gershon, R., & Owen, B. (n.d.).Publication year
1996Journal title
American Journal of Industrial MedicineVolume
29Issue
4Page(s)
412-417AbstractTo better understand the methodological challenges faced by intervention research in health care, workshops reviewed two intervention studies to reduce back injuries among nursing home staff and two studies on the use of precautions to prevent occupational transmission of bloodborne pathogens. These studies adapted rigorous designs to real-world settings and made good use of multiple measures to detect effects and communicate this information to policy makers. The studies grappled with issues about implementation integrity and would benefit from better theory of administrative practices associated with a safety-conscious work environment.Operationalizing theoretical constructs in bloodborne pathogens training curriculum
AbstractSinclair, R. C., Gershon, R. R., Murphy, L. R., & Goldenhar, L. M. (n.d.).Publication year
1996Journal title
Health Education and BehaviorVolume
23Issue
2Page(s)
238-255AbstractThis article describes how the protection motivation theory (PMT) was used to inform the production of video curriculum for a bloodborne pathogens training program for hospital nurses. Although hospital nurses are well acquainted with the work practices designed to prevent bloodborne pathogen exposures (universal precautions), there is evidence that they do not always follow them. First, the onginal PMT is adapted to reflect what is currently known about the role of affect in health behavior prediction. Second, the authors show how the four PMT message constructs-probability of occurrence, magnitude of noxiousness, response efficacy, and self-efficacy-guided the planning, shooting, and editing of the videotapes. Incidental to this process was the operationalization of these message constructs in such a way that affective reactions would result. The results show that this video curriculum successfully aroused negative affect in the target audience. Only by carefully planning and documenting how message constructs are operationalized in health education materials can one be sure of achieving theory-based (and thus the most replicable) message design.Stress and occupational exposure to HIV/AIDS
Work-related stress and psychological distress in emergency medical technicians.
AbstractRevicki, D. A., & Gershon, R. R. (n.d.).Publication year
1996Journal title
Journal of occupational health psychologyVolume
1Issue
4Page(s)
391-396AbstractEmergency medical technicians (N = 65) participated in a study on work environment characteristics, work-related stress, and psychological distress. Data were collected at baseline and 6 months. Work-related stress was associated with lower work group support and poor supervisory behavior. Work-related stress was strongly related to psychological distress. Changes in work-related stress were significantly related to changes in psychological distress. Findings support the work-related stress, psychological distress model.Behavioral factors in safety training
Compliance with universal precautions among health care workers at three regional hospitals
AbstractGershon, R. R., Vlahov, D., Felknor, S. A., Vesley, D., Johnson, P. C., Delcios, G. L., & Murphy, L. R. (n.d.).Publication year
1995Journal title
AJIC: American Journal of Infection ControlVolume
23Issue
4Page(s)
225-236AbstractObjective: To assess and characterize self-reported levels of compliance with universal precautions among hospital-based health care workers and to determine correlates of compliance. Design: Confidential questionnaire survey of 1716 hospital-based health care workers. Participants: Participants were recruited from three geographically distinct hospitals. A stratified convenience sample of physicians, nurses, technicians, and phlebotomists working in emergency, surgery, critical care, and laboratory departments was selected from employment lists to receive the survey instrument. All participants had direct contact with either patients or patient specimens. Results: For this study, overall compliance was defined as "always" or "often" adhering to the desired protective behavior. Eleven different items composed the overall compliance scale. Compliance rates varied among the 11 items, from extremely high for certain activities (e.g., glove use, 97%; disposal of sharps, 95%) to low for others (e.g., wearing protective outer clothing, 62%; wearing eye protection, 63%). Compliance was strongly correlated with several key factors: (1) perceived organizational commitment to safety, (2) perceived conflict of interest between workers' need to protect themselves and their need to provide medical care to patients; (3) risk-taking personality; (4) perception of risk; (5) knowledge regarding routes of HIV transmission; and (6) training in universal precautions. Compliance rates were associated with some demographic characteristics: female workers had higher overall compliance scores than did male workers (25% of female and 19% of male respondents circled "always" or "often" on each of the 11 items, p < 0.05); and overall compliance scores were highest for nurses, intermediate for technicians, and lowest for physicians. Overall compliance scores were higher for the mid-Atlantic respondents (28%) than for those from the Southwest (20%) or Midwest (20%, p = 0.001). Conclusions: This study supports earlier findings regarding several compliance correlates (perception of risk, knowledge of universal precautions), but it also identifies important new variables, such as the organizational safety climate and perceived conflict of interest. Several modifiable variables were identified, and intervention programs that address as many of these factors as possible will probably succeed in facilitating employee compliance.Occupational Risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, and Hepatitis C Virus Infections Among Funeral Service Practitioners in Maryland
AbstractGershon, R. R., & Alter, M. J. (n.d.).Publication year
1995Journal title
Infection Control & Hospital EpidemiologyVolume
16Issue
4Page(s)
194-197AbstractOBJECTIVE: To estimate the risk of exposure and infection with bloodbome pathogens, a seroepidemiologic survey was conducted among funeral service practitioners (FSPs) in Maryland. METHOD: Of 262 members of the Maryland State Funeral Directors Association, 130 (49%) volunteered to participate in the study. In addition to a brief questionnaire, designed to assess both occupational and non-occupational risk factors for bloodbome pathogen infection, participants were screened for markers of human immunodeficiency vims (HIV), hepatitis C vims (HCV), and past hepatitis B vims (HBV). Titers for antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) also were examined and compared with histnrv of henatitis B vaccination,. RESULTS: Seroprevalence for HIV, HBV, and HCV infection was 0.8%, 4.6%, and 0%, respectively. Nearly 19% of participants reported at least one bloodbome exposure in the past 6 months. The one HIV infection and all but two of the HBV infections were correlated with well-established non-occupational risk behaviors. Disposable gloves were worn by 96%, and eating, drinking, or smoking during embalming were infrequent. Sixty-one percent of FSPs reported having received one or more doses of hepatitis B vaccine at some time in the past. Of those who reported having received all three doses of vaccine, 67% had adequate titers to hepatitis B surface antibody, the marker of protection related to vaccination. CONCLUSION: Compared with prior studies of FSPs, this study found a low rate of occupational exposures and a high rate of hepatitis B vaccination, suggesting improved compliance with recommendations for preventing transmission of bloodbome pathogens in the workplace. (Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1995;16:194-197).Review of accidents/injuries among emergency medical service workers in Baltimore, Maryland
Safety climate in healthcare settings
The influence of employee, job/task, and organizational factors on adherence to universal precautions among nurses
AbstractDejoy, D. M., Murphy, L. R., & Gershon, R. M. (n.d.).Publication year
1995Journal title
International Journal of Industrial ErgonomicsVolume
16Issue
1Page(s)
43-55AbstractUniversal precautions (UP) refer to recommended work practices designed to help prevent occupational exposure to HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne pathogens in health care settings. However, despite widespread dissemination of UP guidelines and subsequent government regulatory action, worker adherence remains less than satisfactory. The present study used hierarchical, multiple regression analysis to examine the relative influence of four sets of factors on worker adherence to UP: demographics, personal characteristics, job/task factors, and organization-level factors. Data were analyzed on a sample of 451 nurses employed at a large U.S. medical center. Consistent with the general hypothesis of the study, job/task and organization-level factors were the best predictors of adherence. Using the results from the study, a heuristic model of the adherence process is proposed that highlights the contributions of job hindrances and organizational safety climate to UP-related behavior. A three-pronged intervention strategy is also presented that emphasizes (1) the availability and accessibility of personal protective devices, (2) the reduction of UP-related job hindrances and barriers, and (3) improvements in safety performance feedback and related communications. Given the preliminary nature of this study, several recommendations for future research are also offered.A case study in improving safety management
Correlates of attitudes concerning human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome among hospital workers
AbstractGershon, R. R., Curbow, B., Kelen, G., Celantano, D., Lears, K., & Vlahov, D. (n.d.).Publication year
1994Journal title
AJIC: American Journal of Infection ControlVolume
22Issue
5Page(s)
293-299AbstractBackground: Correlates of attitudes related to HIV and AIDS for both clinical and nonclinical support hospital workers have not been well described. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among employees of an acute care, inner-city hospital to assess attitudes related to HIV and AIDS. Results: A 51% response rate was obtained, with completed questionnaires obtained from 321 clinical workers and 245 nonclinical workers. The proportions tolerant of patients with HIV infection were 83% and 78%, respectively. Factors associated with a tolerant attitude in clinical workers included personally knowing someone with AIDS, high scores on general AIDS knowledge, high knowledge scores on modes of transmission, low levels of fear, and accurate perceptions of occupational risk. In nonclinical workers, factors associated with tolerance included having been tested for HIV, personally knowing someone with AIDS, accurate perceptions of occupational risk, low levels of fear, high scores on general AIDS knowledge, and high knowledge scores on modes of transmission. Conclusions: Although the study was cross-sectional, the data suggest potentially modifiable factors associated with AIDS-related attitudes. These factors may be amenable to intervention among both clinical and nonclinical support hospital employees.Universal precautions: An update
Safety in the clinical microbiology laboratory
TB control in the hospital environment.
AbstractGershon, R. R., McArthur, B. R., Early, E. T., & Grimes, M. J. (n.d.).Publication year
1993Journal title
Healthcare facilities management seriesPage(s)
1-33AbstractTuberculosis is again on the rise in the United States. Several outbreaks of TB in hospitals have heightened interest in the development and use of mechanisms that prevent the spread of this airborne pathogen. Controlling the spread of TB to hospital patients, workers, and others can be accomplished through various administrative engineering and design controls, and infection control programs, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The hazard of TB is real, but workers, patients, and visitors can be protected by implementing programs that guard against the diseases spread in the hospital environment.