WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced the appointment of three new medical experts to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Medical Review Board. The five-member board reviews FMCSA medical qualifications for commercial vehicle drivers and provides science-based recommendations on medical standards and research that address driver health.
The new board members are Dr. Brian T. Morris, Associate Corporate Medical Director, All One Health Resources, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts; Dr. Albert James Osbahr III, Medical Director for Occupational Health Services, Catawba Valley Medical Center, Hickory, North Carolina; and Dr. Gina C. Pervall, Medical Director for Occupational Medicine Services, John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Services, Baltimore, Maryland.
“Healthy commercial drivers are safer drivers,” said Secretary LaHood. “The Review Board plays a critical role in ensuring that drivers of large commercial trucks and buses are medically qualified to operate on our roads.”
“These medical professionals bring extraordinary achievement and dedication to the Medical Review Board. We are grateful they have agreed to serve on the Medical Review Board and work on the important health issues impacting commercial truck and bus drivers,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro.
Before becoming Associate Medical Director at All One Health Resources, Dr. Brian T. Morris served as medical director for the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad, as surgeon general for the Massachusetts State Police and as medical director for Verizon. Dr. Morris holds board certifications in occupational and legal medicine, as well as degrees in medicine, law, business and public health. He is also a fellow of the American College of Legal Medicine and a diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners.
Dr. Albert James Osbahr holds board certifications in family, occupational and preventative medicine, and is a certified medical review officer. Dr. Osbahr is president of the North Carolina Medical Society and the North Carolina State Occupational Society. He is chairman-elect for the American Medical Association (AMA) Council on Science and Public Health.
Dr. Gina C. Pervall holds board certifications in occupational and internal medicine. She is an associate physician for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and previously served as medical director for the Metro Cardiovascular Center in Washington, D.C. Dr. Pervall is a certified medical review officer and a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Medical Review Board members are appointed to a two-year term. Members must possess expertise in a medical specialty, knowledge of transportation medical issues, experience on panels that develop medical standards and professional service and experience developing teaching programs. The MRB was authorized by Congress in 2005 by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).
For a complete listing of Medical Review Board members and other information, visit the FMCSA website at http://www.mrb.fmcsa.dot.gov.
