The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has formed a Medical Review Board (MRB), perhaps as a way of enhancing its credibility in court. Long-time LOGISTICS TODAY readers will remember that the FMCSA’s new Hours of Service regulations were thrown out of court in 2004, with one of the reasons being that the rules did not adequately address truck driver fatigue. Read more here: http://www.logisticstoday.com/displayStory.asp?S=1&sNO=6470
According to the FMCSA, “The board will provide the necessary science-based guidance to establish realistic and responsible medical standards.” Notably, one of the experts is Barbara Phillips, chair of the National Sleep Foundation, an organization that studies the causes and prevention of drowsy driving. The full board looks like this:
• Dr. Gunnar Andersson, senior vice president for medical affairs, Rush University Medical Center, and professor and chair of Orthopedic Surgery;
• Dr. Michael Greenberg, associate director for medical toxicology, Drexel University College of Medicine and director of the Medical Toxicology Fellowship Program;
• Dr. Kurt Hegmann, director and associate professor of Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of Utah;
• Dr. Barbara Phillips, chair of the National Sleep Foundation and professor at the University of Kentucky College of Health in the Department of Preventive Medicine; and
• Dr. Matthew Rizzo, professor of Neurology at the University of Iowa College of Medicine.
Board members are appointed to a two-year term and are eligible for reappointment based on FMCSA’s needs at the time. Criteria for appointment includes medical expertise in a medical specialty, an understanding of research methods, knowledge of transportation medical issues, experience on panels that develop medical standards, a record of scientific collaboration, professional service, and experience developing teaching programs.
