NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The safety and well-being of Nissan employees has always been the company’s top priority. As part of its commitment to workplace health and safety, Nissan recently partnered with Meharry Medical College in Nashville, the only historically black medical school in Tennessee, to arrange a visit for physician residents and faculty to the Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant. The group had an opportunity to tour the facility and learn more about Nissan’s innovative approaches to ensuring a safe work environment.
Nissan team members highlighted a number of programs that have proven successful in helping employees stay healthy and safe on the job, including athletic training and ergonomically-friendly machine designs. The visitors, who are part of the Occupational and Preventive Medicine Residencies at Meharry, also toured the medical and physical therapy clinics that Nissan has set up inside the Smyrna plant to ensure all employees receive the support they need.
“From managing work conditions that prevent injury and illness to offering first-class medical care directly at the plant, our residents and faculty were very impressed with the health and safety practices at Nissan Smyrna,” said Dr. Heather O’Hara, MD, MSPH, an assistant professor and program director for the Occupational and Preventive Medicine Residencies at Meharry Medical College. “We’re grateful to Nissan for partnering with us and supporting the next generation of preventive and occupational medicine professionals as they prepare to care for workers in Tennessee and across the U.S.”
Meharry’s Occupational Medicine Residency Program is the only such program in the state of Tennessee and the only one of its kind across the country’s network of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Meharry’s workplace medicine programs provide young physicians with the knowledge and skills needed to help workers, their families and communities stay healthy and safe.
As part of their training, the residents regularly undertake one-day site visits to companies in various industries. These excursions allow the program participants to gain a better understanding of how companies are protecting workers against the potential injuries or illnesses that could occur in their line of work. Thanks to these visits, residents will have a better grasp of proper safety practices, health protocols and treatment recommendations for workers once they get into the field.
On March 29, the Meharry residents and faculty members received a tour of the Nissan Smyrna plant, which is the largest volume vehicle assembly plant in the U.S. The plant employs 8,400 people and has produced more than 10.7 million vehicles to date. The group later met with Nissan’s onsite medical team and safety personnel, who spoke in-depth about the company’s health and safety practices. The visit concluded with a tour of the plant’s medical facilities.
“In occupational medicine, it’s critical for young doctors to get exposure to real-world settings and practices early on,” said Dr. Terri Walker, MD, MSPH, the onsite medical director at Nissan Smyrna and alumnus of Meharry’s Occupation and Preventive Medicine Residency. “The medical and safety teams here at the Smyrna plant welcomed the opportunity to show residents how Nissan is keeping employees safe in an advanced manufacturing facility.”
About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and INFINITI vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.INFINITIUSA.com, or visit the U.S. media sites NissanNews.com and INFINITInews.com.
About Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan’s second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 247,500 employees globally, Nissan sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal year 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle. LEAF is the best-selling EV in history with almost 50 percent share of the zero-emission vehicle segment. For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.
About Meharry Medical College
Meharry Medical College founded in 1876, is the nation’s largest private, independent historically black academic health center dedicated solely to educating minority and other health professionals. True to its heritage, it is a United Methodist Church related institution. The College is particularly well known for its uniquely nurturing, highly effective educational programs; emerging preeminence in health disparities research; culturally sensitive, evidence-based health services and significant contribution to the diversity of the nation’s health professions workforce. Diverse Issues in Higher Education‘s ranking of institutions annually lists Meharry as a leading national educator of African Americans with M.D. and D.D.S. degrees and Ph.D. degrees in the biomedical sciences. Visit www.mmc.edu to learn more.
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Contact
Parul Bajaj
Nissan Corporate Communications
615-725-3061
parul.bajaj@nissan-usa.com