Independence, WI — Debra S. Bork RN, BSN, COHN-S, is being recognized by Continental Who’s Who as a Top Healthcare Professional in acknowledgment for her role as an Occupational Health Nurse Contractor.
As a certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist (COHN-S), Mrs. Bork is a Registered Nurse who has devoted 42 years of serving patients. She started in the Nursing Home environment where she began her career as a CNA for 7 years. After obtaining her nursing degree and starting a family she has been working for the past 35 years in an Emergency Department, Urgent Care, and Occupational Health setting. Well-versed in all facets of nursing and education, she has served as a clinician, manager, educator, and case manager. For the past 20 years, she has owned and operated an Occupational Health Nurse Contractor company in Independence, Wisconsin. Mrs. Bork is dedicated to providing a wide range of expert, caring, and compassionate nursing services to individuals and local business entities with onsite services. Services are designed to fit each employee, reduce overall costs, and decrease environmental waste, including Hearing tests, Hearing conservation training, Respirator medical clearance, fit testing and training, vision screening, BBP training, 1st Aid/CPR/AED training, Pulmonary function testing, Hair Drug Testing, Breath Alcohol Testing, Urine Drug Testing and Occupational Health consultations. She also provides onsite custom molded hearing protection services made to fit each employee and to reduce overall costs.
Mrs. Bork started her undergraduate studies at Winona State University. Then changed schools to attend Western Wisconsin Technical College, where she obtained her Associate Degree in Nursing in 1985. Following this, she re-entered Winona State University, where she earned her Bachelors’ Degree in Nursing. Mrs. Bork finished her BSN in 1987. In 2005 she took her board certification to become a COHN-S. Most recently Ms. Bork completed certification for COVID-19 Contact Tracing sponsored by John Hopkins University.
A frontrunner in her field, Mrs. Bork maintains active in her professional memberships with the Winona Safety Council, which she is a member of the Board. She is also associated with the following groups: Emergency Nurses Association, ABOHN, AAOHN, COHC, NDASA, Minnesota Safety Council, National Safety Council, International Nurses Association, MNAOHN, and Wisconsin Association of Occupational Health Nurses. Mrs. Bork has participated on the MNAOH board as a member at large and in the activities committee as well as on the nominations committee in the past. She also farms with her husband of 38 years on a former Dairy, now Beef/Crop farm. Mrs. Bork was actively involved in all parts of the farming operations and fieldwork during this time as well, plus helping out on her husband’s and his brother’s with fieldwork and everyday operations.
For those entering the health care field, Mrs. Bork advises, “Don’t give up on your hopes and dreams. Work hard in school. Take a CNA course.” Work in the nursing home or on the hospital floor to get the experience you need as a basis for what nursing is all about. She also believes that hard work and determination, as well as, working as a CNA during school has attributed to her early success. Plus, continuing to learn and grow over the years provides greater opportunities and opens new windows for exciting career moves and experiences.
Mrs. Bork dedicates this recognition to her mother, Dora Jean Blaha, and her late father, Jerry Blaha. She thanks her mother for her continued love and support. Along with her spouse Dennis Bork and her family, Jeri Lynn (Bork) Olson and Michelle Lee (Bork) Brevitz. I love you all very much and could not have taken this awesome ride without your love and support. You have all been an inspiration to me and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
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