The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District is emphasizing a proactive approach toward workforce readiness by making medical surveillance a key component of its occupational health strategy.
The District utilizes a multi-faceted approach to employee health. A key element is a mobile health clinic, which deploys to each operating project throughout the district once a year. This clinic facilitates lab work, audiograms, pulmonary function tests, and respiratory clearances, bringing services directly to employees. The effort, which launched in 2024, prioritizes early detection and preventative care to improve overall employee well-being.
Hannah Boudreaux, Safety and Occupational Health Nurse and Program Manager for the Walla Walla District, highlighted the importance of medical surveillance programs noting the preventative approach has the greatest potential to help employees.
“Providing medical surveillance as a foundational infrastructure for its employees empowers their health accountability, and compliance outcomes tend to reach an overall higher level of success,” Boudreaux said.
The Walla Walla District operates eight geographically isolated locks and dams where nearly half of the District’s 800-member workforce are stationed. Asking these employees to travel for routine medical screenings not only disrupts operations, it also pulls critical personnel away from ongoing maintenance and project delivery. By deploying a mobile health clinic directly to project sites, the District minimizes time away from mission-essential duties, reduces travel-related risks, and ensures taxpayer dollars are used efficiently—all while supporting a healthier, more resilient workforce.
Recent data reinforces the value of this approach with nearly 450 periodic medical exams completed as part of the program. Preliminary data from these screenings reveals a significant reduction in the number of employees exhibiting 'critical level' readings for conditions such as high blood pressure and abnormal EKGs, decreasing from approximately 10 cases last year to zero this year. This improvement can be attributed to employee participation in educational workshops and access to personalized health coaching provided by the district.
“This positive trend suggests a correlation between increased health awareness facilitated by the program and a more proactive approach to individual health management among employees,” said Boudreaux.
Boudreaux is optimistic that medical surveillance can be used increasingly as an educational tool, promoting preventative health methods. The district plans to expand its health education initiatives to further empower employees to take control of their well-being. Due to the success of the program, the same approach is now being considered USACE-wide.
"Even small lifestyle changes can have huge lasting impacts not only on individual personnel well-being, but also the collective USACE environment," Boudreaux added.
As a mom of five, Boudreaux was drawn to nursing roles that offered flexibility and balance, allowing her to show up for her family while continuing to grow professionally. Her background in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit gave her a strong foundation in critical care, but stepping into occupational health sparked a new curiosity.
“I am passionate about education, empowerment, and support; I see tremendous value in teaching employees not only how to protect their health but also why these practices matter,” she said. “Many workplace hazards don’t show effects immediately, and employees may feel fine until years later when the consequences surface.”
Now in its second year, the recent mobile health screenings showed a reduction in critical conditions amongst the workforce leading Boudreaux to believe the improvement reflects the growing impact of awareness and education. Still, she envisions expanding those efforts even further. “My dream is to transform the occupational health program into something that cultivates curiosity, growth, and empowerment—helping employees show up as their best selves, both inside and outside of work,” she said.