Staff
Cheryl S. Barbanel, MD, MBA, MPH, FACOEM, FACP – Director, Occupational Health Center
Helen Williams, APRN, BC, COHN-S, CCM – Nurse Practitioner, Manager
Caitlin Parnell Crugnale – Office Manager/Administrative Support
Robena Khan, R.M.A. – Medical Assistant
CHERYL S. BARBANEL
MD, MBA, MPH, FACOEM, FACP
Director, Boston University Occupational Health Programs
Director, Boston University Occupational Health Center
Associate Professor of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine
Cheryl S. Barbanel graduated from New York University School of Medicine in 1976. She completed an MBA with a concentration in health care management at Boston University School of Management in 1991, and the following year completed an MPH with a concentration in environmental health at Boston University School of Public Health. She is Associate Professor of Medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine. She served as President of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine in 2005-2006.
From 1998 to 2006, Dr. Barbanel served as Chief of Occupational & Environmental Medicine at Boston Medical Center and directed the hospital’s occupational health service and the occupational health service for employees of industry and businesses in greater Boston.
In 1993, Dr. Barbanel became Director of Occupational Health Programs for Boston University and the Boston University Medical Center. In that capacity, she advises on occupational health risks and medical surveillance at the School of Medicine, the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, the animal care facilities, and also within the research community. She is a member of the Institutional Biosafety Committee, the Laboratory Safety Committee, and the Charles River Campus Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee. She consults for Boston University and University-affiliated institutions on issues relating to occupational medicine.
In 1996, the Occupational Health Center at Boston University on the Charles River Campus opened under Dr. Barbanel’s direction. This facility at Boston University provides on-site medical care for University employees with work-related injuries or illnesses, and also offers work-related preventive health services and health promotion programs. The program also serves clients in the Boston area.
Dr. Barbanel interned at the Framingham (Massachusetts) Union Hospital in 1976–1977 and served as a resident in anesthesiology at the New England Medical Center, Boston. From 1978 through 1991, Dr. Barbanel worked as a staff physician at Boston University Student Health Services. In 1993, she completed a residency in occupational and environmental medicine at Boston University Medical Center, and was awarded a research fellowship for the study of asthma by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. In the following year Dr. Barbanel became board certified in occupational medicine, a constituent of preventive medicine. During 1994 and 1995, she also served as Acting Director of Occupational Medicine for both Boston University Medical Center Hospital and the Occupational Medicine Residency Program.
In 1995, Dr. Barbanel was inducted as a Fellow into the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM). She was elected to the Board of Directors of ACOEM and was Conference Chair of the American Occupational Health Conference in Boston in 1998. She is a Trustee and board member of the Occupational and Environmental Health Foundation. She served as Trustee and Secretary of the American Board of Preventive Medicine for the last three years. She is also a Fellow in the American College of Physicians.
HELEN F. WILLIAMS
MSN, APRN BC, COHN-S, CCM, FAAOHN
MSN Boston College, Adult Ambulatory Care
BSN University of Massachusetts, Boston
ANCC Certified Adult Nurse Practitioner
ANCC Certified Geriatric Nurse Practitioner
ABOHN Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist
CCMC Certified Case Manager
Helen F. Williams came to Boston University in December of 1996. Helen worked diligently with Dr. Cheryl Barbanel in preparing for the opening of the Boston University Occupational Health Center on April 2, 1997. Helen brings a broad background of nursing/management experience with her. She has experience in emergency medicine/nursing, community health medical management/nursing, internal medicine with emphasis on peri-operative medical management, geriatric medicine/nursing, and the specialty of occupational health nursing.
She graduated from Boston College Graduate School of Nursing in 1984 and is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. She has furthered her education with post-graduate courses at the University of Massachusetts-Boston and at the Boston University School of Public Health.
She is a member of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. (AAOHN) and belongs to the Greater Boston Association of Occupational Health Nurses Chapter. She has served as President to the Greater Boston Association of Occupational Health Nurses (GBAOHN) Chapter, as Vice President for the Massachusetts Association of Occupational Health Nurses (MaAOHN) State Chapter, as well as many other elected positions within these chapters. She also has served on the Board of Directors for the AAOHN.
In 1997 she was recognized by her peers and awarded the MaAOHN Award for Excellence in Occupational Health Nursing. In 2005 the MaAOHN awarded her the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of outstanding dedication to employee health and safety. In 2008 she received the honor of being inducted as a fellow into the AAOHN.
She also is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Pratitioners, the Mass Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, 044 Alpha Chi Chapter.
She has served the greater Boston community as a volunteer for the American Cancer Society. Additionally, she received the Extraordinary Effort Award for her work in the fight against tobacco-related cancers.
Since coming to Boston University she has managed the clinical operations of the BUOHC, performs medical surveillance, provides and coordinates medical care, and coordinates and implements health promotion programs for the workers at Boston University. Her philosophy of occupational health nursing is that healthy workers are important to Boston University as well as to the country. A healthy worker and team spirit can get the job done well. Promoting health and a sense of caring to all workers makes a difference. Her goal is to help make that difference.