Sunday, December 2, 2012
Rachel Kopicki's RMSP Wayne County Health Blog: Wayne County Against Smoking
Rachel Kopicki's RMSP Wayne County Health Blog: Wayne County Against Smoking: I came across the Tobacco Prevention page on the Wayne County Public Health website and found that Wayne County has much to offer smokers w...
Wayne County Against Smoking
I came across the Tobacco Prevention page on the Wayne County Public Health website and found that Wayne County has much to offer smokers who are trying to quit. In addition to free counseling and support, the program provides nicotine patch, gum and lozenge starter kits to Wayne County residents, free of charge. The program also offers education material and group courses on smoking cessation. Such courses are taught by Public Health officials and is based on I Can Quit, a program developed
by the University of Pittsburgh. The program involves multiple sessions, designed to encourage smoking cessation by providing participants with essential information
and strategies to assist their efforts.
This course is taught at work and meeting places.
Additionally, Wayne County Public Health offers a smoking cessation program for middle and high schoolers. This program is entitled, The Tobacco Awareness Program (TAP), is designed specifically for an adolescent population and addresses both smoking and smokeless tobacco use. This program offers 8, one-hour, adult led sessions for groups of 8-12 adolescents who want to stop using tobacco. The TAP curriculum helps participants choose cessation methods that they believe will work best for them.
Both of these programs seem to offer much support to Wayne County residents, and I was impressed to find just how committed the programs seemed to be. However, they seem to be only aimed at those residents who already have an interest in quitting smoking. This is a wonderful resource but it does not target smokers who have not yet made the decision to quit. I think this is the population that needs the most attention and the most information on smoking cessation. Smoking is an important issue for physicians to discuss with patients because it can impact health in a significant way. I think it is important for health care providers to educate smokers on the dangers of smoking and equally importantly, the avenues to pursue cessation. As a provider, knowing about the county resources is crucial in most effectively addressing this issue.
http://www.co.wayne.ny.us/Departments/publichlth/tobacco.html
Additionally, Wayne County Public Health offers a smoking cessation program for middle and high schoolers. This program is entitled, The Tobacco Awareness Program (TAP), is designed specifically for an adolescent population and addresses both smoking and smokeless tobacco use. This program offers 8, one-hour, adult led sessions for groups of 8-12 adolescents who want to stop using tobacco. The TAP curriculum helps participants choose cessation methods that they believe will work best for them.
Both of these programs seem to offer much support to Wayne County residents, and I was impressed to find just how committed the programs seemed to be. However, they seem to be only aimed at those residents who already have an interest in quitting smoking. This is a wonderful resource but it does not target smokers who have not yet made the decision to quit. I think this is the population that needs the most attention and the most information on smoking cessation. Smoking is an important issue for physicians to discuss with patients because it can impact health in a significant way. I think it is important for health care providers to educate smokers on the dangers of smoking and equally importantly, the avenues to pursue cessation. As a provider, knowing about the county resources is crucial in most effectively addressing this issue.
http://www.co.wayne.ny.us/Departments/publichlth/tobacco.html
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Doctors and Caregivers: Not Mutually Exclusive
The Resource Guide for long-term care from Wayne County's Department of Aging and Youth provides valuable insight on the role of caregivers in a patient's life. Much of the care-giving a patient will receive happens outside of the doctor's office and is given by friends and family, and sometimes just helpful neighbors. It is crucial for physician's and medical care-givers to understand the kind of care that patients need beyond medical and to appreciate those that give such care. Furthermore, patients who are home-bound and receive most of their medical care in their homes may need the physician to play additional roles. As Dr. Way discussed in his presentation on rural medicine in the Adirondacks, many patients require home visits because they simply have no means to travel to the physician's office, especially because the region is under served and medical facilities are few and far between. In a home visit, a doctor becomes more than just a white coat, they become the caregiver. Furthermore, the other caregivers in a patient's life do need to be taken into consideration by the physician. For instance, the physician must know what kind of care is available for a home bound patient. I also think that medical professionals can learn from caregivers in that the primary goal of the caregivers is to make the patient comfortable and happy, not necessarily to cure them. This is an important aspect of medicine as well and it can sometime be overshadowed or forgotten in the path to a cure. These are important facets of doctoring, as are mutual respect and communication. I think that honesty is also crucial in fostering a positive physician-patient relationship. Furthermore, I think that mutual understanding is central to such relationships. This was an important aspect of Dr. Way's practice in the Adirondacks as well.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Rachel Kopicki's RMSP Wayne County Health Blog: Wayne Substance Abuse Service
Rachel Kopicki's RMSP Wayne County Health Blog: Wayne Substance Abuse Service: The Wayne Substance Abuse Service provides for both adults and children suffering from substance addiction. This service is provided by th...
Wayne Substance Abuse Service
The Wayne Substance Abuse Service provides for both adults and children suffering from substance addiction. This service is provided by the Wayne Behavioral Health Network in Lyons, NY. This program aims to assist patients maintain abstinence from alcohol and a variety of other mood-altering drugs that have not been medically prescribed. The program also aims to hep patients develop methods that allow them freedom from intensive care management. In order to reach these aims, the program focuses on specific treatment plans tailored to each patient. Another feature of this program that is highly inclusive is the provision of treatment to family members and friends who have been negatively affected by a loved one's substance abuse. This program appears to be highly inclusive in their provision of both individual and group therapy, as well as education, referrals to other facilities, and clinical support services.
This program is important because it is offered by Wayne County. As a provider, it is important to know of the government provided programs such as this, which may be more accessible to patients than other substance abuse treatment programs which are not located within the county or provided by the county. For instance, the NARCO Freedom treatment program offers services to residents of Wayne county but it is not actually located within the county and may be less accessible to patients.
Friday, September 7, 2012
The Importance of Safety Regulations in the Workplace
When safety regulations are not respected and monitored by employers, it can put employees in danger. It may be that employees are not protected from airborne toxins resulting in respiratory illness, or come into contact with a skin irritant, or even develop depression because of poor working conditions. Whatever it may be, it is clear that occupationally-related illnesses can have detrimental effects on employees. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulates workplace environments and this was the case when a Wayne County manufacturer was fined for numerous safety violations. While the case began in 2007, it is notable for the sheer volume of violations - 56 in total.
OSHA was prompted to investigate Thomas Electronics of New York Inc. after an employee lodged a complaint. The investigation resulted in OSHA fining Thomas Electrics $151,100. $100,000 in fines were issued because employees were not given proper eye and face protection when working with hydrofluoric acid. Furthermore, the company did not have a hazard communication program to educate employees to identify and protect themselves against the hazardous chemicals they worked with. The remaining fines were issued as a result of a range of safety violations from unmarked exit doors and blocked exit routes to improper storage of combustible materials, inadequate safeguards in the paint spray booth, unavailable first aid supplies, unguarded moving machine parts; a variety of electrical and electrical-related hazards, excess air pressure for a cleaning hose, and no initial lead exposure determination. The company also failed to maintain a log of injuries and illnesses in 2006 and 2007, provide respirator information, and conduct regular and periodic inspections of mechanical power presses. These safety violations resulted in an additional $1,400 in fines.
Christopher Adams, the OSHA area director in Syracuse stated that the hazards faced by the Thomas Electronics employees had the potential to "expose employees to chemical burns, fire, electrocution, lacerations, amputation, falls and crushing injuries, and impede their ability to exit the workplace swiftly in the event of a fire or other emergency." Therefore, intervention by OSHA was necessary for the safety of the Thomas Electronics employees.
The numerous violations found by OSHA in this case indicates that the employers did not value the health and safety of their employees which is a fundamental problem in the workplace and can even be emotionally detrimental to employees. Therefore, I think it is crucial for employers to understand the risks they may be subjecting their employees to and medical professionals can be useful in educating employers on such risks.
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=16145
http://www.osha.gov/about.html
OSHA was prompted to investigate Thomas Electronics of New York Inc. after an employee lodged a complaint. The investigation resulted in OSHA fining Thomas Electrics $151,100. $100,000 in fines were issued because employees were not given proper eye and face protection when working with hydrofluoric acid. Furthermore, the company did not have a hazard communication program to educate employees to identify and protect themselves against the hazardous chemicals they worked with. The remaining fines were issued as a result of a range of safety violations from unmarked exit doors and blocked exit routes to improper storage of combustible materials, inadequate safeguards in the paint spray booth, unavailable first aid supplies, unguarded moving machine parts; a variety of electrical and electrical-related hazards, excess air pressure for a cleaning hose, and no initial lead exposure determination. The company also failed to maintain a log of injuries and illnesses in 2006 and 2007, provide respirator information, and conduct regular and periodic inspections of mechanical power presses. These safety violations resulted in an additional $1,400 in fines.
Christopher Adams, the OSHA area director in Syracuse stated that the hazards faced by the Thomas Electronics employees had the potential to "expose employees to chemical burns, fire, electrocution, lacerations, amputation, falls and crushing injuries, and impede their ability to exit the workplace swiftly in the event of a fire or other emergency." Therefore, intervention by OSHA was necessary for the safety of the Thomas Electronics employees.
The numerous violations found by OSHA in this case indicates that the employers did not value the health and safety of their employees which is a fundamental problem in the workplace and can even be emotionally detrimental to employees. Therefore, I think it is crucial for employers to understand the risks they may be subjecting their employees to and medical professionals can be useful in educating employers on such risks.
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=16145
http://www.osha.gov/about.html
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