GCC Nurtures and Awards Locals

An MS graduate in exercise science, Leonard Bevill is the owner, president, and chief executive officer of Macon Occupational Medicine. For his company’s endeavors, commitments, and contributions to the industry, Leonard Bevill received the 2020 Covid-19 Challenge Champion Award from the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce.

Focused on Central Georgia, the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce promotes the positive advancement of the Macon-Bibb area by facilitating local industry and businesses growth. The chamber also assists business people and investors seeking to invest in the area easily onboard through a streamlined licensing process and favorable investment terms. Through these mandates, the chamber strives to improve the lives of the locals by creating a healthy working environment.

One way the chamber seeks to empower the community and local industries is by appreciating and awarding individuals and companies. In 2020, it honored the local leaders and other individuals, including teachers, who prevailed through the pandemic in various facets and served the community.

Alcohol Breath Tests Uses and Practice

Named in Georgia's 40 under 40 Best and Brightest in Business, Education, Politics, Science, and the Arts, Leonard Bevill is owner of Macon Occupational Medicine. Leonard Bevill’s firm specializes in services such as impairment evaluation and alcohol breath tests.

Alcohol breath tests can be performed by police officers when a person commits a traffic offense, drives erratically, or is involved in an accident. The police officer administers an initial breath test for alcohol impairment, and if the test results in a positive, an alcohol breath test is taken at the police station for the purposes of collecting evidence.

In the second test, the police officer takes a blank sample of the air and makes a check of an air and ethanol standard to calibrate the device. The driver then blows into the device and the amount of alcohol in the air is tested to detect how much alcohol is in the driver's blood. The maximum amount of alcohol a person can have in their blood and legally drive in the U.S. is 0.08 percent.

Healthy Environment Occupational

Leonard Bevill has been the president of Macon Occupational Medicine for over two decades. With degrees in recreational therapy and exercise science, Leonard Bevill has led the establishment to cater to various work-related injuries. The establishment is one of the most comprehensive in occupational medicine in Georgia.

Occupational medicine is the aspect of medicine designed to enable a safe and healthy working environment. This part of medicine caters to health issues arising from everyday work, from rigorous activities like working on a construction site to lighter works like shelving books by a librarian. These health issues that could affect workers' lives are prevented and treated to keep them healthy while improving the quality of services rendered.

Because occupational medicine caters to both physical and psychological well-being, employees can feel safe and protected in their workplace. With this knowledge, workers are ready to put in their best in discharging their duties. The services rendered in occupational medicine are both preventive and cure treatments. Services like a full body check-up, therapy, eye care, dental care, posture alignment, among others, are covered in occupational medicine.

Macon Virtual 2020 Chamber Award

The president, CEO, and owner of Macon Occupational Medicine, Leonard Bevill, leverages more than 25 years of experience to lead the company in providing comprehensive occupational health programs and a variety of services such as the treatment of work-related injuries, drug and alcohol screening, comprehensive physicals, and physical therapy. In 2020, Leonard Bevill received the Greater Macon Chamber of Business's COVID-19 Challenge Champion of Business award through virtual celebration.

In 2020, the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce celebrated award winners virtually due to the continued COVID-19 social distancing practice and safety protocols. The event was joined by citizens from their respective homes who had access to the Capricorn Sound Studios online. The president and CEO of the Greater Macon Chamber, Yvonne Williams, welcomed guests to the virtual event.

The recognized leaders at the event are entrepreneurs and executives who have contributed exemplary service in medicine, business, advocacy, education, and resilience. The recognized leaders are executives of Coliseum Health System, Macon Occupational Medicine, and Hutchings Career Academy. Each executive gave their remark at the studio.

Published: Fellowships for Entrepreneurs at the Mercer Innovation Center

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Ways to Support the Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation

Track and Field
Photo by Kolleen Gladden on Unsplash

An occupational medicine professional, Leonard Bevill has served as president and CEO of Macon Occupational Medicine in Macon, Georgia, for nearly two decades. Alongside his professional activities, Leonard Bevill has worked to give back to his local community by supporting various organizations. Currently, he serves on the board of directors for the Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation.

As the main fundraising arm for Georgia Southern Athletics, the Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation works to provide the funds necessary for student-athletes to attend the university. Many of the Foundation's activities focus on raising scholarship funds via various programs. Those who would like to support the Foundation in this work can do can get involved in several ways.

The Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation's main fundraising arm is the Eagle Fund, which provides scholarship support for nearly 400 Georgia Southern student-athletes. Eagle Fund members contribute to the university's athletics program at one of eight giving levels. The levels range from True Blue with a minimum donation of $120 to Champion Society with a minimum donation of $50,000.

Along with contributing to the Eagle Fund, supporters of Georgia Southern Athletics can help student-athletes by making a planned gift, establishing an endowment, or donating money directly to a specific sport. The Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation also manages the Coaches' Continuity Fund, which helps retain quality coaches at Georgia Southern by providing them a bonus structure.

More information about supporting the Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation is available at www.gseagles.com.

Three Interesting Facts from Golf History

Playing golf
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A master of science graduate of Georgia Southern (GS) University with a degree in exercise science, Leonard Bevill serves as the president and CEO of Macon Occupational Medicine. Leonard Bevill also participates in athletics as a member of the GS Athletic Foundation and enjoys playing golf in his free time.

Golf is an engaging sport that provides many physical, social, and mental health benefits. It is also a game with a very long and interesting history, as the following three facts illustrate:

1. The first golf balls were made using feathers
Until the mid-1800s, players used balls formed from leather wrapped around goose or chicken feathers. A single ball could cost between $10 and $20.

2. The original golf tee was a pile of sand
Before the tee was invented in 1899, golfers were required to carry a bucket of sand around the course. They would build the sand into mounds and strike the ball from atop the pile.

3. Golf was banned by King James II
During the early years of modern golf, King James II banned the sport because it distracted men from military training. Scotland was involved in an ongoing war against Europe at the time and the forbiddance of golf continued until the reign of King James IV. He initially reaffirmed the ban but lifted it after the Treaty of Glasgow and subsequently obtained his own clubs in 1502.

Leadership Macon Equips Community Leaders

Leonard Bevill founded Macon Occupational Medicine in 2001. The nationally certified Georgia-based occupational health company offers comprehensive services including the treatment of work related injuries, drug and alcohol screening, and physical therapy. An active member of his community, Leonard Bevill has served in a leadership capacity for several organizations including the Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation and Children’s Hospital Navicent Health. Mr. Bevill is also an alumnus of Leadership Macon and subsequently served on its board of directors.

Established in 1979, Leadership Macon is a leadership training program that focuses on developing community leaders in Macon and Bibb counties. Since its inception, over 1,500 people have completed the Leadership Macon program. Each year’s class is chosen through a competitive nomination process that evaluates each candidate’s leadership traits and potential.

The year long Leadership Macon program begins with a weekend retreat and continues with monthly seminars. Speakers and facilitators lead the seminars, discussing complex problems and various approaches to issues facing the area. Topics include housing, education, economic development, race relations, tourism, and local government. Discussion points may change year to year, depending on current concerns facing the community at large. Participants are spurred on to dig deeper into these and other issues by sharing their viewpoints and engaging in productive discussion. 

Graduates of Leadership Macon are encouraged to become active leaders in Macon and Bibb counties. The skills and lessons they learn equip them to be informed advocates for solutions to the challenges facing their communities and neighborhoods.

The Elements of Biomechanics

The president, CEO, and owner of Macon Occupational Medicine in Macon, Georgia, Leonard Bevill possesses decades of experience in the field of occupational medicine. A graduate of Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Leonard Bevill holds both a bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy and a master’s degree in exercise science, with an emphasis on ergonomics and biomechanics.

Biomechanics, described by the American Society of Biomechanics, is the general interplay between mechanics and biological systems. Biomechanics encompasses the movement of bodily structures, such as muscles and bones, as well as the movement of bodily substances, such as circulating blood. The study of biomechanics is particularly valuable in the field of sports and exercise science because biomechanics allows professionals to apply the laws of physics and mechanics in their efforts to enhance athletic performance. 

The four essential elements of biomechanical studies are statics, dynamics, kinematics, and kinetics. Statics refers to systems that are either motionless or in equilibrium at a steady velocity, while dynamics refers to systems that experience changes in speed. Kinematics is the effect of various exerted forces on a system, and kinetics describes the causes of motion.

The Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneurs Academy

The president, CEO, and owner of Macon Occupational Medicine in Macon, Georgia, Leonard Bevill has active leadership roles with multiple community organizations including the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce. In addition to serving as a longtime member of the chamber of commerce, Leonard Bevill sits on its board of directors and vice-chairs its member services committee. 

As part of its efforts to fuel business growth and insure a strong economic future for the greater Macon area, the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce supports an annual Young Entrepreneurs Academy. Abbreviated as YEA!, the Young Entrepreneurs Academy invites local middle and high school students to spearhead their very own entrepreneurial ventures. 

YEA! takes participants through every stage of the initial business development process, from conducting market research and drafting business plans to presenting funding pitches and launching new companies. Since its establishment at the University of Rochester in 2004, YEA! has grown to serves thousands of young people in about 270 communities across the United States.

Functional Capacity Evaluations - A Basic Introduction

As the owner, president, and CEO of Macon Occupational Medicine, Leonard Bevill has overseen the performance of numerous functional capacity evaluations (FCEs). Leonard Bevill is a Certified Functional Capacity Evaluator, a certification he received through Isernhagen Work Systems.

FCEs serve as a way to measure and report a person's ability to perform employment-related tasks. They often determine whether a person can return to work or secure an alternate job following an injury or illness, but they may also serve as a baseline for someone who may need accommodations to enter the work force. In some cases, FCEs provide the information necessary to design a rehabilitation program or qualify a person for disability benefits.

The makeup of an FCE will depend on its purpose and on the client's status. Most begin with a review of the client's medical records, as well as a musculoskeletal screening and interview with the client. The evaluator will then test the client's ability to perform specific physical tasks, which can range from lifting and carrying to object manipulation, depending on the client's field of work.

The evaluator may also assess the client's endurance, coordination, and ability to take certain physical positions such a sitting, standing, kneeling, or reaching. Regardless of the activity, the evaluator measures the client's pain levels. 

After the evaluation, the evaluator will prepare a report that explains the client's ability to meet the physical and mental demands of a particular job. The report can also match the client to suitable positions and list any accommodations or treatments that could help the client fulfill his or her responsibilities.

Ergonomic Setups for Desk Workers

Leonard Bevill leads as the president, CEO, and owner of Macon Occupational Medicine, the first nationally certified practice of its kind in the state of Georgia. Responsible for the delivery of services surrounding work-related wellness and safety, Leonard Bevill draws on training as a Certified Ergonomic Evaluator.

The first step to improving the ergonomics of your work setup is to determine your natural posture, which you will find sitting forward in a chair. You should sit with your feet flat on the floor, shoulders relaxed, and feel each breath throughout your torso. This position allows your vertebrae to stack naturally, and it is what you are aiming for when you optimize your desk for ergonomics. 

Your chair should be at a height that lets your feet rest on the floor and your thighs angle just slightly downward. There should be about a fist-size space between the end of the chair and your knees, and your tailbone should be slightly behind you.

The computer monitor you use regularly should be directly in front of you so that if you look straight ahead your eyes will rest on the address bar of your Internet browser. This keeps you from having to misalign your neck to look up or down. The screen should also be about an arm's length from your body, far enough away that you don't have to lean forward, but not so far away that you have to crane your neck to see it properly.

Your keyboard and mouse should be about an inch or two above your lap so that your elbows are at your sides and your arms are at or below your elbows. Your mouse and anything else you use often should be accessed easily without strain. For those who frequently use the phone, it’s smart to use a headset or speaker mode so that you don't end up tilting your neck to hold the phone stable while you type.

Rehabilitation Program from Macon Occupational Medicine

With more than two decades of experience in occupational medicine, Leonard Bevill has earned mention on Macon Magazine's Five Under Forty List and Georgia Trend Magazine's 40 Under 40 list. After working with facilities such as the Medical Center of Central Georgia, Leonard Bevill founded Macon Occupational Medicine in 2001.

With a 12,500 square foot facility in downtown Macon, Georgia, Macon Occupational Medicine offers a variety of prevention and treatment services as well as various rehabilitation programs. Designed to assist those with acute injuries, rehabilitation efforts focus on enabling workers to return as quickly as possible to their jobs.

Approximately one or two business days following a referral to its rehabilitation program, Macon Occupational Medicine will see a patient and begin preparing a personalized treatment program. Therapists will then work with the patient to treat the injury while providing education regarding the prevention of future injuries by noting potential risks and limitations.

For more information about Macon Occupational Medicine's rehabilitation programs, please visit the company's website at www.maconoccmedicine.org.

Loud Noises, Hearing Conservation, and the Workplace

A Georgia healthcare executive, Leonard Bevill guides Macon Occupational Medicine as president and CEO. Leonard Bevill’s company provides comprehensive services that span drug and alcohol screening and physical therapy, as well as work-related injury and hearing conservation programs that meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance mandates. 

According to OSHA, hearing conservation is particularly serious in roofing operations and the construction industry as saws, power drills, and gas-powered equipment are common. Frequent loud noises impact an auditory system that includes vibrating inner ear bones and the cochlea. 

In the cochlea, liquid movements tied to the bone vibrations move tiny hairs, which in turn transmit sound impulses to the auditory nerves. With repeated loud noise exposure, the hairs begin to lie flat, which creates a constant ringing sound. In addition, loss of hair cells can occur. When this loss is due to exposure to excessive noise, it is not correctable by hearing aids. 

Hearing conservation programs involve a multi-faceted approach that begins with monitoring workers’ exposure to noise and creating a set of controls to limit noise hazards. In addition, employees exposed to noises are fitted with hearing protection and trained to understand the signs and symptoms of noise overexposure. Annual audiograms help identify hearing loss, and allow organizations to take additional steps to prevent the issue from worsening.