• Barbara Lee RN, PhD

  • Senior Research Scientist


    • MCRI - MCRI-National Farm Medicine
    • 1000 North Oak Ave. ML8 Marshfield, WI 54449
    • (715) 223-7893

Education

MSN, Nursing Administration , University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire
BSN, Nursing , College of St. Teresa, Winona
1995:
PhD, Health Promotion , University of Wisconsin, School of Nursing, Milwaukee

Work Experience

2018 to Present:
Dean Emanuel Endowed Chair , Marshfield Medical Research , Marshfield
1997 to Present:
Dir., Nat'l Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety , Marshfield Clinic Research, Marshfield
2015 to 2019:
Director, National Farm Medicine Center, Marshfield Clinic Research , Marshfield
1983 to 1985:
Assistant Director of Nursing, Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire
1977 to 1983:
Head Nurse, St. Joseph's Hospital, Marshfield

Honors & Awards

1993:
Founding (charter) member of International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention
1991 to 1994:
National Research Service Award, National Institute for Nursing Research, Pre-doctoral Fellowship #IF31 NR06759-03
1994 to 1995:
Accepted into the Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program, Group VI
1994 to 1995:
Selected for citation in Who’s Who in American Nursing
1997 to 1998:
Appointed to Committee on Health and Safety Implications of Child Labor for the National Research Council, National Institute of Medicine
2001:
Received Honorary American Degree from the National FFA Organization
1997 to Present:
Served as U.S. Delegate for conference convened by the U.S. National Administrative Office, "Improving Children's Lives: Child and Youth Labor in NAFTA Countries"
2001 to Present:
Named Outstanding Alumni of the Decade for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Statement

Protecting children from agricultural injuries has been the primary focus of Dr. Lee's career since 1987 when she transitions from clinical nursing to research. She organized the first national symposium on this topic and been a leader in research, knowledge mobilization and advocacy. In 1996 she led adoption of the National Action Plan for Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention and shortly thereafter secured federal funding for a NIOSH Center of Excellence. Her research has tested interventions to protect working youth and non-working children on farms. Dr. Lee served three terms as Director of the National Farm Medicine Center, most recently stepping down in March, 2019. Under her leadership, the Center has grown to be the longest standing, most fully staffed agricultural safety and health center in the U.S. She helped bring the Journal of Agromedicine to its home in Marshfield and serves as the Senior Associate Editor. Dr. Lee was a founding member of the Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America (ASHCA), served as its Administrative Director for a decade, and continues to serve on its Board of Directors.

Research Interests

Research interests include:
* Testing, evaluating interventions to influence adult behaviors that protect children on farms
* Assessing barriers and motivators that predict adult decisions that put children at risk
* Assessing youth characteristics and risk-taking behaviors associated with agricultural work practicies
* Survey research methodology with quantitative analyses

Committees

1997 to 1997:
Research Committee, Member
1999 to Present:
Directors Internal Advisory Council, Member
1999 to Present:
Search Committee for Director of Medical Research, Member
1999 to Present:
Search Committee for Assistant Director of Medical Research, Member
2002 to Present:
Search committee for Assistant Director of Medical Research, Member
2004 to Present:
Search Committee for Director of Medical Research, Member

Select Publications

  • Purschwitz MA, Lee BC, Schmelzer JR. (1990). Agricultural injury prevention: the need for greater cooperation and involvement. J Rural Health. 6(3):221-230.
  • Lee B, Marlenga B, Miech D . (1991). Farmers' Caps and Hats: A Skin Cancer Prevention Project. Marshfield, WI: Marshfield Clinic.
  • Stueland DT, Lee BC, Layde PM. (1991). Surveillance of agricultural injuries in central Wisconsin: epidemiologic characteristics. J Rural Health. 7(1):63-72.
  • Stueland DT, Layde PM, Lee BC. (1991 November). Agricultural injuries in children in central Wisconsin. J Trauma. 31(11):1503-1509.
    PubMed ID: 1942171
  • Lee BC, Marlenga BL, Miech DJ. (1992). Farmers and skin cancer screening: implications for rural health care providers. Marshfield Clinic Bulletin. 27 :6.
  • Lee BC, Gunderson PD. (1992). Childhood agricultural injury prevention: issues and interventions from multiple perspectives. Proceedings from the Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention Symposium.
  • Lee BC. (1993). Skin cancer prevention: influencing behaviors among outdoor waterpark employees. Am J Health. 7(4):244.
  • Mazza JJ, Lee BC, Gunderson PD, Stueland DT. (1994). Educational needs assessment of rural health care practitioners. Ann Agr Environ Med. 1 :285.
  • Purschwitz MA, Stueland DT, Lee BC. (1994). Feasibility study of inspection of farm machinery safety features. J Agromedicine. 1(2):29-38.
  • Lee BC. (1994). Agricultural health and safety: opportunities for nursing research. J Agromedicine. 1(1):75-80.
  • Young NB, Stueland DT, Lee BC, Gunderson PD, Follen MA. (1995). Equestrian injuries: surveillance at a rural medical center. APHA 123rd Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, October 29 - November 2, 1995. Abstract..
  • Lee BC, Layde PM, Stueland DT. (1995). The injury experience of women on family farms. Agricultural Health and Safety Workplace, Environment, Sustainability. :269-274.
  • Lee BC, Marlenga BL, Miech DJ. (1995). Farmers caps and hats project. Agricultural Health and Safety Workplace, Environment, Sustainability. :535-540.
  • Stueland DT, Lee BC, Nordstrom DL, Layde PM, Wittman LM. (1996 September). A population based case-control study of agricultural injuries in children. Inj Prev. 2(3):192-196.
    PubMed ID: 9346089
  • Lee BC. (1996). Child agricultural injury prevention: issues and options for Wisconsin's children. WI Kids Journal. 15(3):5-10.
  • Marlenga BL, Lee BC. (1996). Barriers to skin cancer screening follow-up in farmers. J Agromedicine. 3(1):5-16.
  • Mazza JJ, Lee BC, Gunderson PD, Stueland DT. (1997). Rural health care providers' educational needs related to agricultural exposures. J Agr Safety Health. 3 :207-215.
  • Lee BC, Jenkins LS, Westaby JD. (1997). Factors influencing exposure of children to major hazards on family farms. J Rural Health. 13(3):206-215.
    PubMed ID: 10174611
  • Lee BC. (1997). The national committee for childhood agricultural injury prevention: a plan for the United States of America. Proceedings of the US Nordic Conference on Rural Childhood Injury Prevention, the Royal Swedish Acad. 136(7):15-21.
  • Stueland DT, Lee BC, Nordstrom DL, Layde PM, Wittman LM, Gunderson PD. (1997). Case-control study of agricultural injuries to women in central Wisconsin. Women's Health. 25(4):91-103.
    PubMed ID: 9302731
  • Lee BC, Slesinger D. (1998). Agriculture. Protecting Youth at Work: health, safety, and development of working children and adolescents in the.
  • Lee BC. (1998). Author response to "Factors influencing the exposure of children to major hazards on family farms." J Rural Health. 14(1):7-8.
  • Springfeldt B, Thorson J, Lee BC. (1998). Sweden's thirty-year experience with tractor rollovers. JASH. 4(3):173-180.
  • Lee BC. (1999). Are we making progress in childhood agricultural injury prevention. JASH. 5(1):7-9.
  • Baker AE, Esser NM, Lee BC. (2001 May). A qualitative assessment of children's farm safety day camp programs. J Agric Saf Health. 7(2):89-99.
    PubMed ID: 11465388
  • Vela Acosta MS, Lee BC. (2001 November). Migrant and seasonal hired adolescent farmworkers: A plan to improve working conditions. Journal of Agromedicine. :26.
  • Carpenter WS, Lee BC, Gunderson PD, Stueland DT. (2002 September). Assessment of personal protective equipment use among Midwestern farmers. Am J Ind Med. 42(3):236-247.
    PubMed ID: 12210692
  • Lee BC. (2002). Protecting children from agricultural injuries. WMJ. 101(5):14-15.
    PubMed ID: 12239974
  • Lee BC, Gallagher S, Marlenga BL, Hard D. (2002 April). Childhood agricultural injury prevention: progress report and updated national action plan from the 2001 summit. Proceedings from the Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention Symposium. :36.
  • Lee BC. (2003 September). Book Review: Looking Beneath the Surface of Agricultural Safety and Health: Dennis J Murphy. (Pp 104.) Published by American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 2003 (ASAE Pub 801M0303). ISBN 1-802769-28-X. Inj Prev. 9 :286.
  • Westaby JD, Lee BC. (2003 March). Antecedents of injury among youth in agricultural settings: a longitudinal examination of safety consciousness, dangerous risk taking, and safety knowledge. J Safety Res. 34(3):227-240.
    PubMed ID: 12963069
  • Salzwedel M, Lee BC. (2004 July). Promoting Agritourism Safety and Health via the Internet. J Agromedicine. 19(2):237-8.
    PubMed ID: 24911751
  • Lee BC, Westaby JD, Berg RL. (2004 September). Impact of a national rural youth health and safety initiative: results from a randomized controlled trial. Am J Public Health. 94(10):1743-1749.
    PubMed ID: 15451744
  • Lee S, Brasel K, Lee BC. (2004 November). Emergency care practitioners' barriers to mental health assessment, treatment, and referral of post-injury patients. Wisc Med J. 103(6):78-82.
    PubMed ID: 15622825
  • Lee BC, Marlenga BL. (2005). In: DeSafey Liller K (Ed.), Injury Prevention for Children and Adolescents: Research, Practice, and Advocacy Washington, DC: American Public Health Association.
  • Lee BC. (2006). NIOSH fills void with surveillance of injuries to youth living on U.S. farms. J Agromedicine. 10(4):3-4.
    PubMed ID: 16702117
  • Lee BC, Murphy D. (2006 December). Catching up with our neighbors. J Agric Saf Health. 12(4):253-254.
  • Lee BC, Westaby JD, Chyou P, Purschwitz MA. (2007 January). Agricultural employers' hiring and safety practices for adolescent workers. J Agric Saf Health. 13(1):25-32.
    PubMed ID: 17370911
  • Lee BC. (2008). National Councils Invigorate Agricultural Safety and Health Journal of Agromedicine. 13(1):3-4.
  • Lee BC, Hair DM. (2008). National councils invigorate Agricultural Safety and Health. J Agromedicine. 13(1):3-4.
    PubMed ID: 19042686
  • Lee BC, Hair DM. (2008 June). National Councils Invigorate Agricultural Safety and Health Journal of Agromedicine. 13(1):3-4.
  • Murphy DJ, Lee BC. (2009 July). Critical Issues Facing Agricultural Safety and Health J Agric Saf Health. 15(3):203-5.
    PubMed ID: 19728544
  • Lee BC. (2010). Illustrative case study B: Applying agricultural work guidelines from one country in another. In: Fassa AG, Parker DL, Scanlon TJ (Ed.), Child Labour: A Public Health Perspective (pp. 229-41). Oxford New York.: Oxford University Press:.
  • Lee BC, Wolfe A, Meyers JM. (2010 July). Agricultural safety training: California style. J Agromedicine. 15(3):300-6.
    PubMed ID: 20665314
  • Westaby JD, Probst TM, Lee BC. (2010 June). Leadership decision-making: a behavioral reasoning theory analysis. The Leadership Quarterly. 21(3):481-95.
  • Zaloshnja E, Miller TR, Lee BC. (2011 January). Incidence and cost of nonfatal farm youth injury, United States, 2001-2006. J Agromedicine. 16(1):6-18.
    PubMed ID: 21213160
  • Lee BC, Hair DM. (2011 July). Practical Safety and Health Risk Management in Production Agriculture: Report on the 2011 ASHCA Workshop. J Agromedicine. 16(3):233-7.
    PubMed ID: 22239257
  • Lee BC, Marlenga B. (2012). Childhood Agricultural Injuries. In: SeSafey Liller K (Ed.), Injury Prevention for Children and Adolescents: Research, Practice, and Advocacy. (2nd ed.). (pp. 245-60). Washington, DC:: American Public Health Association (APHA);.
  • Marlenga BL, Lee BC, Pickett W. (2012 April). Guidelines for children's work in agriculture: implications for the future. J Agromedicine. 17(2):140-8.
    PubMed ID: 22490027
  • Lee BC, Gallagher SS, Liebman AK, Miller ME, Marlenga B. (2012). Developing the 2012 national action plan for protecting children in agriculture. J Agromedicine. 17(2):88-93.
    PubMed ID: 22490023
  • Nelson WJ, Lee BC, Gasperini FA, Hair DM. Meeting the challenge of feeding 9 billion people safely and securely. J Agromedicine. 2012 October; 17(4):347-50.
    PubMed ID: 22994635
  • Wright S, Marlenga BL, Lee BC. Childhood agricultural injuries: an update for clinicians. Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care. 2013 November; 43(2):20-44.
    PubMed ID: 23395394
  • Miller ME, Lee BC. Developing a model policy on youth employment in agriculture. J Agromedicine. 2014 July; 19(3):249-57.
    PubMed ID: 24959757
  • Liebman AK, Mainster B, Lee BC. Family services for migrant and seasonal farm workers: the Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA) model. J Agromedicine. 2014 April; 19(2):123-9.
    PubMed ID: 24911688
  • Nelson WJ, Heiberger S, Lee BC. Raising the profile of worker safety: highlights of the 2013 North American Agricultural Safety Summit. J Agromedicine. 2014 April; 19(2):69-73.
    PubMed ID: 24911678
  • Weichelt B, Bendixsen CG, Salzwedel M, Lee B. (2015). Community-Based Agriculture: Safety Guidelines for Youth Working in Gardens. Marshfield, WI: Marshfield Clinic.
  • Lee BC, Bendixsen C, Liebman AK, Gallagher SS. Using the socio-ecological model to frame agricultural safety and health interventions. J Agromedicine. 2017 December;
    PubMed ID: 28762886
  • Lee BC, Salzwedel MA, Chyou PH, Liebman AK. Employers' perspective on childcare services for hired farm workers. J Agromedicine. 2017 December;
    PubMed ID: 28759340
  • Liebman AK, Simmons J, Salzwedel M, Tovar-Aguilar A, Lee B. Caring for children while working in agriculture - The perspective of farmworker parents. J Agromedicine. 2017 December;
    PubMed ID: 28742987
  • Murphy DJ, Lee BC. Leadership and funding: changes ahead for agricultural safety and health. J Agromedicine. 2018 January;
    PubMed ID: 29144856
  • Weichelt B, Salzwedel M, Heiberger S, Lee BC. Establishing a publicly available national database of US news articles reporting agriculture-related injuries and fatalities. Am J Ind Med. 2018 May 24; doi: 10.1002/ajim.22860.
    PubMed ID: 29790197
  • Weichelt B, Gorucu S, Murphy D, Pena AA, Salzwedel M, Lee BC. Agricultural Youth Injuries: A Review of 2015-2017 Cases from U.S. News Media Reports. J Agromedicine. 2019 July; 24(3):298-308.
    PubMed ID: 31130110
  • Salzwedel M, Liebman A, Kruse K, Lee B. The COVID-19 Impact on Childcare in Agricultural Populations. J Agromedicine. 2020 October 25;25(4):383-387. doi: 10.1080/1059924X.2020.1815616.
    PubMed ID: 32921292