Public Employee Press

Neil Kosiborod:
Immigrant gifts

In 1990, Neil Kosiborod emigrated from Novosibirsk, Siberia, to New York City with his wife Stella and two young sons, Roman and Michael. Russia’s loss became New York City’s gain as his persistence and dedication put him in a position to provide vital services for the public and for other city employees.

With a doctorate in the field of toxic materials and their hazards to humans, Dr. Kosiborod had worked as the director of a leading research institute for occupational medicine.

He faced daunting challenges in New York. “It was a very tough time,” he said. “The first job was difficult to find. I went on so many interviews. Nobody asked about my education, my background. My English was a big problem,” he explained. “My family decided to live outside the Russian community of Brighton Beach, because it was more important to learn English.” He began taking English classes 15 hours a day and did volunteer work for the Dept. of Health.

He finally got a job as a Research Scientist for the Dept. of Environmental Protection. Soon a friend told him the City’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was hiring. In 1993, he was hired to put his world-class training to use as OCME’s safety and health director.

Responsibility for safety
The OCME was facing its own crisis, with a staggering load of serious safety and health violations. In 1992, the state Bureau of Public Employee Safety and Health issued a voluminous report that detailed the outstanding violations.

In the movie, “From Russia With Love,” James Bond’s mission was to confiscate a secret code device. Dr. Kosiborod’s mission was much more complex: To make an extremely hazardous operation safe for the OCME’s 550 employees at multiple worksites. He tackled it with gusto.

Learning the ropes, he won the enthusiastic support of DC 37’s Safety and Health Dept. Before he arrived, the union was fighting to put pressure on the OCME, and the new director became an ally. Principal Program Coordinator Rebecca Porper aided his zealous campaign to clean up the hazards that prevailed in the city’s morgues. “With his background and his outlook, he’s just a tremendous asset to the OCME,” she said. “We help each other,” explained Dr. Kosiborod. “We have only each other and we are all committed to doing a good job.”

One of his basic tools is the Right-to-Know Training about on-the-job hazards that he provides for all employees. Another tool he uses is surprise inspections. Protecting employees from blood-borne disease is a major concern. “OCME employees have a high-risk job. We had to change their behavior,” he said.

His varying schedule of on-site visits ensures that employees wear the personal protective equipment that could save their lives and clean up thoroughly after blood or body fluid spills during autopsies. “There’s been a big improvement,” he said. “If the employees know I’m coming and checking up, the effectiveness would be diminished.”

Cycle of a new life
Since 9/11, the anthrax cases and the concern about potential terrorist threats in New York have added to the tremendous intensity of the work. “It’s a big responsibility. It was only a few months ago that the pressure eased,” he explained.

OCME serves the world. “Pathologists and medical students from every country come to work with us for the experience. We have so many cases that it’s a unique practice for them,” he noted. Neil Kosiborod, who also traveled a long way to the OCME, feels that he found more than a job.

“It feels like it’s my family,” he said. “I see the results of my job. I see that I am needed by the OCME. It’s two sides of the same coin. I need them and they need me.” Dr. Kosiborod is a member of Civil Service Technical Guild Local 375. He is most grateful to his union and his adopted country. “I thank the union, DC 37, the staff of the OCME, and all the people who were very friendly to me and helped me find a job,” he said. “I want to say: ‘Thank you so much for everything that you did for me and my family.’ ”

— Jane LaTour