Updates on Chapel Hill Campus Environmental Lab Assessment

Final Update from NIOSH on Environmental Lab Assessment

Monday, Sept. 9, 2024

Dear Teammates –

We write today to share a final update on our McLendon Labs environmental assessment. We have received the final report from the two physicians with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) assigned to review our data.

As noted in our June update, the NIOSH team said there is no evidence of a cancer cluster in the UNC Hospitals laboratory on our Chapel Hill campus. In its final report, the NIOSH team noted in part:

“Our review of environmental health and safety concerns and assessments at UNC Hospitals did not identify any documented exposures to known or suspected carcinogens at levels known or suspected to cause cancer...

“... We found no evidence that the cancers reported by past and current employees in the McClendon Clinical Laboratories are the result of an exposure from a workplace carcinogen. We did not identify evidence to support employee exposure to hazardous levels of cancer-causing substances in the workplace. We also found evidence that the distribution of cancer types reported by employees is not unusual and there does not appear to be an excess of cancer. We do not think further case finding or investigation would lead to the identification of an unusual pattern or excess of cancer among employees.”

You can review the full and final report from NIOSH by clicking here.

We realize the impacts cancer diagnoses have had on our teammates, past and present. Especially as a community of caregivers, many of us are intimately acquainted with the difficult journey of battling this disease. Our thoughts and support continue for our teammates currently going through treatment and for those who have fought this terrible disease.

We thank everyone for their patience as we followed the appropriate course of action to review concerns raised.

Sincerely,

Janet Hadar, President of UNC Hospitals

Stephen Finch, Vice President of Operations at UNC Hospitals

Dr. Erica Pettigrew, Occupational Health Services Medical Director at UNC Hospitals

Update on Environmental Lab Assessment at UNC Hospitals’ McLendon Labs
Thursday, June 6, 2024

Dear Teammates,

We are writing today to share good news. We held a meeting this week with the two physicians from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) assigned to review our data and information related to cancer diagnoses among teammates in our lab. The NIOSH physician team said there is no evidence of a cancer cluster in the UNC Hospitals laboratory on our Chapel Hill campus.

As soon as their written report is prepared, reviewed and authorized for them to send to us, we will send it to you. The physician team conducting our assessment noted it could be some months before that occurs.

While on the whole this is good news and hopefully eases concerns and worry about a cancer cluster in our lab, we acknowledge these findings do not diminish the fact that some of our own teammates have had and are currently enduring cancer treatment. We will continue to offer our thoughts and support to our colleagues currently battling this terrible disease along with the family members and loved ones beside them.

Sincerely,

Janet Hadar, President of UNC Hospitals

Stephen Finch, Vice President of Operations at UNC Hospitals

Dr. Erica Pettigrew, Occupational Health Services Medical Director at UNC Hospitals

Update on Environmental Lab Assessment at UNC Hospitals’ McLendon Labs
Friday , May 17, 2024

We are writing today to provide you with an update on our McLendon Labs environmental assessment.

As you’ll recall from our previous updates:

  • Late in 2023 our teammates raised a concern of a possible pattern of cancer diagnoses among current and former teammates of the clinical laboratory area on the first floor of McLendon Clinical Laboratories in Chapel Hill.
  • Hearing that concern, UNC Hospitals requested a health hazard evaluation of our facilities by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
  • NIOSH accepted our request and we have been providing the organization with whatever information and data they require for a thorough evaluation.
  • In early 2024, we also worked with the NC Department of Health & Human Services, to complete an indoor air quality assessment.
    • The state reported no concerns and noted no additional testing was recommended by their office.
    • The state encouraged UNC Hospitals to continue working with NIOSH to conduct our ongoing Health Hazard Evaluation.

Since our last update, our UNC Hospitals Occupational Health Services team relayed information submitted by current and former McLendon Labs teammates to NIOSH.

NIOSH has confirmed receipt of all the submitted information – including documentation submitted to our OHS team- along with all other requested information or documentation from UNC Hospitals regarding our facilities.

NIOSH confirmed they have the information they need from UNC Hospitals and all their clarifying questions have been answered.

As of now, NIOSH is in active review to complete our assessment. They have not given our team any indication of the timeline to complete their work, though NIOSH representatives had previously explained their assessments can stretch out over several months.

Our leadership team remains committed to offering updates on this assessment as information becomes available to us. If you have concerns, questions or feedback for our team in between these updates, please contact us via email or call 984-974-4870 and leave a message.

Thank you,

Janet Hadar, President of UNC Hospitals

Stephen Finch, Vice President of Operations at UNC Hospitals

Dr. Erica Pettigrew, Occupational Health Services Medical Director at UNC Hospitals

Update on Environmental Lab Assessment at UNC Hospitals’ McLendon Labs
Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024

Timely Reminder: Forms Requested by March 1

Current and former lab teammates may share details of a present or past cancer diagnosis as part of this assessment by completing a confidential form and emailing it to our UNC Hospitals Occupational Health Services team. To request a form, please email our UNC Hospitals Occupational Health Services team. If the form is applicable to you, we request you return the completed form via email by Friday, March 1.

The UNC Hospitals OHS team will relay that information to the federal organization conducting our assessment, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). No one else in the organization will have access to identifiable employee information.

Please note: If you previously shared information with Occupational Health, we do request you complete and return this form to ensure complete information is shared with NIOSH.

Ongoing Assessment Work

Since our last update, UNC Hospitals has collected and released requested documentation to NIOSH, including descriptions of previously completed remediation work for asbestos, environmental testing done in the last two decades, chemical list of items stored in the labs, and spill reports.

While we continue to make information available to NIOSH experts as requested, we do not have a timetable of when the assessment will be completed. They provided this information sheet to share directly with any teammates who have concerns.

Prior Announcements

On Feb. 7, we shared the NC Department of Health & Human Services report from their Jan. 23 site visit, noting no concerns with indoor air quality. UNC Hospitals sought clarification from DHHS if testing or additional environmental assessment was necessary. The State’s response was that no additional testing or environmental assessment is recommended by their office, and UNC Hospitals should continue working with NIOSH on conducting a Health Hazard Evaluation.

We will continue to supply NIOSH with information and documentation as requested and will update you as information becomes available.

If you have concerns, questions or feedback for our team as this process continues, please contact us via email or call 984-974-4870 and leave a message.

Thank you,

Janet Hadar, President of UNC Hospitals

Stephen Finch, Vice President of Operations at UNC Hospitals

Dr. Erica Pettigrew, Occupational Health Services Medical Director at UNC Hospitals

Prior Announcements

Feb. 7, 2024

We are writing to share information distributed to McLendon Lab teammates today.

The NC Department of Health & Human Services Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch (OEEB) of North Carolina Division of Public Health issued its report from the recent site visit they conducted on Jan. 23. The report is linked here for you to read.

The purpose of their visit was to conduct a visual inspection, investigating potential indoor air quality (IAQ) issues that may be present in the work area of stated concern. We are following up with NCDHHS with additional questions to seek further understanding if there could be any other possible causes of concern beyond air quality related to the building. We will share more about what we learn directly from NCDHHS when we hear back from them.

Since we last connected, experts from National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) completed a virtual walk through of our lab spaces. Dr. Herbert Whinna, director of McLendon Labs, led the tour and answered questions, such as what chemicals are stored in the lab and how we manage spills, among other questions.

We’re currently collecting requested documentation - such as spill logs and building blueprints - and sending that to the experts assigned to our assessment.

The NIOSH assessment leaders requested to speak with a few current teammates who have come forward with cancer concerns. We will provide their contact information to NIOSH.

In addition, current and former lab teammates may complete a confidential form to share details of a present or past cancer diagnosis as part of this assessment. The department will relay that information to NIOSH. No one else in the organization will have access to identifiable information. Please note: If you previously shared information with Occupational Health, we do request you complete and return this form to ensure complete information is shared with NIOSH. To request a form, please email our UNC Hospitals Occupational Health Services team.

While we do not have a timetable for NIOSH to complete its assessment, they provided this information sheet to share directly with teammates who have concerns.

We want to acknowledge the uneasiness this assessment may cause for some of our teammates. Not having firm information and timelines can even feel frustrating. We remain committed to sharing information as it becomes available. Please remember that if you have additional concerns, questions or feedback for our team, you are invited to email our dedicated inbox or leave a message with our team by calling 984-974-4870.

Thank you,

Janet Hadar, President of UNC Hospitals

Stephen Finch, Vice President of Operations at UNC Hospitals

Dr. Erica Pettigrew, Occupational Health Services Medical Director at UNC Hospitals

Prior Announcements

Jan. 18, 2024

In response to concerns raised by teammates about a possible pattern of cancer diagnoses of current and former teammates of the clinical laboratory area on the first floor of McLendon Clinical Laboratories in Chapel Hill, UNC Hospitals leadership contacted the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) to consult the agency’s occupational and environmental epidemiology staff to assess the situation.

We also submitted a request for a health hazard evaluation from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

On Jan. 23, NCDHHS will visit the laboratory to begin its initial assessment. We are still waiting for confirmation that NIOSH will conduct its evaluation and aren’t yet sure how long the process will take, but we will share updates as we receive new information.

We are committed to working closely with the appropriate agencies throughout this process and communicating proactively and transparently with our teammates and community.

We have created a dedicated, secure phone line and email for questions or to share concerns. You can call 984-974-4870 to leave a message or email labassessment@unchealth.unc.edu and we will aim to respond within 1 – 3 business days.