The 24th annual Lexington Barbecue Festival was held on October 27, 2007. There is so much to do at the Lexington Barbecue Festival. The festivities are not confined to one day. There are many events that take place in the days preceding the festival. This year the pre-festival events included the Childress Idol. This is a spoof on American Idol where contestants compete and the winner is rewarded by being invited to sing at the festival. This years winner was in the company of Trisha Yearwood, Mark Wills and Andy Griggs to name just a few. On the athletic side of the pre-festival events there was a tennis tournament, the Tour de pig, a spoof of the Tour de France. This event benefits the Mental Health Association of Davidson County. There was also a Hawg Run which is a walking and running event. This event was sponsored by Carolina Cardiology Associates. The day of the festival includes lots of arts and crafts, yummy barbecue, a beer garden and so much more. There are also booths set up for healthcare initiatives, campaigns and voting, the police force, the marines, charitable causes and fund raising efforts. The event is host to over 150,000 guests and the number continues to rise each year. The festival is one of the "top 10 food festivals in the USA" named by Travel and Leisure Magazine. I personally really enjoy going to the festival each year. It is usually crowded and hot but well worth it.Thursday, November 22, 2007
Final
The 24th Annual Lexington Barbecue Festival
The 24th annual Lexington Barbecue Festival was held on October 27, 2007. There is so much to do at the Lexington Barbecue Festival. The festivities are not confined to one day. There are many events that take place in the days preceding the festival. This year the pre-festival events included the Childress Idol. This is a spoof on American Idol where contestants compete and the winner is rewarded by being invited to sing at the festival. This years winner was in the company of Trisha Yearwood, Mark Wills and Andy Griggs to name just a few. On the athletic side of the pre-festival events there was a tennis tournament, the Tour de pig, a spoof of the Tour de France. This event benefits the Mental Health Association of Davidson County. There was also a Hawg Run which is a walking and running event. This event was sponsored by Carolina Cardiology Associates. The day of the festival includes lots of arts and crafts, yummy barbecue, a beer garden and so much more. There are also booths set up for healthcare initiatives, campaigns and voting, the police force, the marines, charitable causes and fund raising efforts. The event is host to over 150,000 guests and the number continues to rise each year. The festival is one of the "top 10 food festivals in the USA" named by Travel and Leisure Magazine. I personally really enjoy going to the festival each year. It is usually crowded and hot but well worth it.
The 24th annual Lexington Barbecue Festival was held on October 27, 2007. There is so much to do at the Lexington Barbecue Festival. The festivities are not confined to one day. There are many events that take place in the days preceding the festival. This year the pre-festival events included the Childress Idol. This is a spoof on American Idol where contestants compete and the winner is rewarded by being invited to sing at the festival. This years winner was in the company of Trisha Yearwood, Mark Wills and Andy Griggs to name just a few. On the athletic side of the pre-festival events there was a tennis tournament, the Tour de pig, a spoof of the Tour de France. This event benefits the Mental Health Association of Davidson County. There was also a Hawg Run which is a walking and running event. This event was sponsored by Carolina Cardiology Associates. The day of the festival includes lots of arts and crafts, yummy barbecue, a beer garden and so much more. There are also booths set up for healthcare initiatives, campaigns and voting, the police force, the marines, charitable causes and fund raising efforts. The event is host to over 150,000 guests and the number continues to rise each year. The festival is one of the "top 10 food festivals in the USA" named by Travel and Leisure Magazine. I personally really enjoy going to the festival each year. It is usually crowded and hot but well worth it.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Module Four
Impact of Political-Regulatory Action on Health Care
SENATE BILL 475/ HOUSE BILL 1021
SENATE BILL 475/ HOUSE BILL 1021
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE ASSISTANCE TO SMALL RURAL HOSPITALS.
This bill is one that will provide 12 million dollars over the course of the next two fiscal years to small rural hospitals in need of assistance with operations and infrastructure maintenance of the hospital. The monies would be in a general fund for the Department of Health and Human Service, the Office of Rural Health and Community Care. The office would have an advisory committee that would develop criteria for the distribution of funds. The criteria set would include the number of indigent patients the hospital serves, the number of Medicaid patients a hospital serves, the per capita income of the local population served by the hospital and the actual financial needs of the hospital itself. The monies would benefit development of regional care networks for mental health services, restructuring of emergency department and outpatient services and disease-focused regional referral and care networks. The advisory committee would oversee the criteria of the project, the allocation of funds and also monitor and evaluate the projects. I think that this bill awesome and can only enhance the healthcare opportunities in the communities that would benefit from it.
SENATE BILL 706
This bill is one that will provide 12 million dollars over the course of the next two fiscal years to small rural hospitals in need of assistance with operations and infrastructure maintenance of the hospital. The monies would be in a general fund for the Department of Health and Human Service, the Office of Rural Health and Community Care. The office would have an advisory committee that would develop criteria for the distribution of funds. The criteria set would include the number of indigent patients the hospital serves, the number of Medicaid patients a hospital serves, the per capita income of the local population served by the hospital and the actual financial needs of the hospital itself. The monies would benefit development of regional care networks for mental health services, restructuring of emergency department and outpatient services and disease-focused regional referral and care networks. The advisory committee would oversee the criteria of the project, the allocation of funds and also monitor and evaluate the projects. I think that this bill awesome and can only enhance the healthcare opportunities in the communities that would benefit from it.
SENATE BILL 706
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, OFFICE OF RURAL HEALTH, FOR RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES.
Section 1 of this bill would allocate the sum of five million dollars over the course of the next two years to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Rural Health. The funds would be used for the Rural Obstetrical Care Incentive Fund in the Office of Rural Health to produce grants to physicians who are adversely affected by the high cost of professional liability insurance. The funds would be allocated solely for the purpose of subsidizing in whole or partially the costs associated with obtaining or maintaining professional liability insurance for physicians in defined health care manpower shortage areas of the State.
Section 2 of this bill will allocate the sum of 2.8 million dollars over the course of the next two years to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Rural Health. The monies would be used for recruitment incentives and practice support incentives for physicians who are practicing or intend to practice in defined health manpower shortage areas of the State.
I think this bill is a very good idea for rural healthcare. The benefits are well worth the means. There is an obvious need for healthcare providers in rural areas and the monies involved with this bill may be just the incentive that some physicians need to lure them in. The patients in the rural areas can only benefit from the addition of qualified physicians to their areas.
How does legislation impact the ability for payment of health care services?
I think that legislation can be both good and bad for the impact on payment of health care services. In some instances legislation has greatly benefited patients and patients' rights. Due to legislation, there is more regulation over pricing and an appeal process whenever patients have been denied coverage for certain procedures. However, with legislation there is also the red tape that goes along with that. Some patients wait for extended periods of time, when coverage has been denied, for an appeal process to take place.
Section 1 of this bill would allocate the sum of five million dollars over the course of the next two years to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Rural Health. The funds would be used for the Rural Obstetrical Care Incentive Fund in the Office of Rural Health to produce grants to physicians who are adversely affected by the high cost of professional liability insurance. The funds would be allocated solely for the purpose of subsidizing in whole or partially the costs associated with obtaining or maintaining professional liability insurance for physicians in defined health care manpower shortage areas of the State.
Section 2 of this bill will allocate the sum of 2.8 million dollars over the course of the next two years to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Rural Health. The monies would be used for recruitment incentives and practice support incentives for physicians who are practicing or intend to practice in defined health manpower shortage areas of the State.
I think this bill is a very good idea for rural healthcare. The benefits are well worth the means. There is an obvious need for healthcare providers in rural areas and the monies involved with this bill may be just the incentive that some physicians need to lure them in. The patients in the rural areas can only benefit from the addition of qualified physicians to their areas.
How does legislation impact the ability for payment of health care services?
I think that legislation can be both good and bad for the impact on payment of health care services. In some instances legislation has greatly benefited patients and patients' rights. Due to legislation, there is more regulation over pricing and an appeal process whenever patients have been denied coverage for certain procedures. However, with legislation there is also the red tape that goes along with that. Some patients wait for extended periods of time, when coverage has been denied, for an appeal process to take place.
Module Three
Special Population Based Care
http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/aging/
The mission for the North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services is as follows:
Our mission is to promote independence and enhance the dignity of North Carolina's older adults, persons with disabilities, and their families through a community-based system of opportunities, services, benefits, and protections; to ready younger generations to enjoy their later years; and to help society and government plan and prepare for the changing demographics.
In my opinion, this website is a very good resource for rural physicians as well as other healthcare providers for the aging. The website has a wealth of reliable information about and for the aging adult. There are links on the page that will take the viewer to more information about different issues that affect the aging adult. Some of information that can be accessed is about the following issues:
Services for Older and Disable Adults
Adult day care programs
Alzheimer’s disease
Employment
Health
Long term care options
Senior centers
Senior Rights
http://www.ncminorityhealth.org/omhhd/index.html
The NC Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities was established in 1992. The mission of the OMHHD is the to promote and advocate for the elimination of health disparities among all racial and ethnic minorities and other underserved populations in North Carolina. The focus of OMHHD is on research and data, culture and language, policy and legislation, partnership development and advocacy. The information is very important to rural healthcare environments because the physicians in rural areas do not always have the resources that urban environments have readily available. For instance, the OMHHD would be a very beneficial resource in the case of communication barriers (i.e. the OMHHD might be able to assist in interpretation or at the very least provide contact information for an interpreter service.)
http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/aging/
The mission for the North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services is as follows:
Our mission is to promote independence and enhance the dignity of North Carolina's older adults, persons with disabilities, and their families through a community-based system of opportunities, services, benefits, and protections; to ready younger generations to enjoy their later years; and to help society and government plan and prepare for the changing demographics.
In my opinion, this website is a very good resource for rural physicians as well as other healthcare providers for the aging. The website has a wealth of reliable information about and for the aging adult. There are links on the page that will take the viewer to more information about different issues that affect the aging adult. Some of information that can be accessed is about the following issues:
Services for Older and Disable Adults
Adult day care programs
Alzheimer’s disease
Employment
Health
Long term care options
Senior centers
Senior Rights
http://www.ncminorityhealth.org/omhhd/index.html
The NC Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities was established in 1992. The mission of the OMHHD is the to promote and advocate for the elimination of health disparities among all racial and ethnic minorities and other underserved populations in North Carolina. The focus of OMHHD is on research and data, culture and language, policy and legislation, partnership development and advocacy. The information is very important to rural healthcare environments because the physicians in rural areas do not always have the resources that urban environments have readily available. For instance, the OMHHD would be a very beneficial resource in the case of communication barriers (i.e. the OMHHD might be able to assist in interpretation or at the very least provide contact information for an interpreter service.)
Module Two
Population Based Care
National Institutes of Health
The first website that I want to discuss is the National Institutes of Health website. This website can be accessed by going to the following link: http://www.nih.gov/ . This website has a ton of information on it. If you click on the ‘Health’ tab, that will take you to another page that has quick links for child and teen health, men’s health, minority health, senior’s health, wellness & lifestyle and women’s health. One can also look under the health categories choose from categories such as body locations/ systems, health and wellness, conditions/ diseases and procedures. There are also related links in this section for health information on the web and health newsletters. There is also a section on this page that has links to health databases and federal health agencies. One can also subscribe to a free weekly newsletter about health information on this page. The next tab is for ‘Grants’. If you go to this page there is a plethora of information on grants. About them, policies, forms, dates and deadline information. Moving on from that is the ‘News’ page. This page has all of the latest news releases, events and special interest information on it. The next page is for ‘Research’. This page has research, training and scientific resources. Last, but not least, is the ‘Institutes’ tab. This page has quick links to all of the NIH institutes. All in all I really liked this link. I think there is a good bit of information on here. I learned a lot just by browsing around. I think that if I really needed to look something in particular up this would be a great place to go to find that information. I think this is a great resource for population based care as well as rural environments because there is such a wealth of reliable information. I also think that this is a great resource for future healthcare providers for the same reason mentioned above. This is a great place for anyone to go to find out more information on numerous health issues.
Medline Plus
The second website that I would like to discuss is the Medline Plus website. The link to this website is http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ . I absolutely love this website. I have been using this website for a couple of years now. I’m actually kind of glad that I get to talk about it. I have even sent this link to other friends of mine because it is such a useful website. I have it saved in my favorites as well because I tend to rely on it quite often. There is so much beneficial information on this website. On the home page there is a section that discusses 740 health topics. This is a great place to access info on so many types of conditions and diseases. Next up is a section on drugs and supplements. Here you can find out about the common prescription drugs and dietary supplements. The next two sections are the medical encyclopedia and the dictionary. Obviously this is where one is able to search out just about any topic that they need more info on. The medical dictionary is the section that I use the most. This is where you can check your spelling on any and all medical terminology. You can also look up the terminology. The next section is the news section. Here is where one can find any current health news and announcements. The next section is the directories of doctors, dentists and hospitals. The next section is the go local section. This is a good resource for finding local resources for health-related issues. In the middle of the page there are sections for current health news, a featured website and news that is in the spotlight. Over to the left of the page there are several very interesting sections. The first section is an area that will take the viewer to over 165 active tutorials. This section is awesome at explaining diseases and conditions, tests and diagnostic procedures, surgery and treatment procedures and prevention and wellness. The next section is a section about clinical trials. This section will take you to website that has a list of all of the federally and privately supported clinical trials conducted in the United States and around the world. The next section is a section for senior health. In this section one can find out information for older adults’ healthcare. And last but certainly not least on this website is a section for surgery videos. This is an absolutely outstanding section that has surgical videos. The videos are actual surgical procedures performed on patients! I think this is a great resource for population based care as well as rural environments because there is such a wealth of reliable information. I also think that this is a great resource for future healthcare providers because there is a plethora of useful and reliable information. The encyclopedia, the dictionary, the slideshows and the videos make this an extremely useful and insightful resource of information. This is a great place for anyone to go to find out more information on numerous health issues.
The NC Department of Health and Human Services
The last website I wanted to discuss is the NC Department of Health and Human Services website. This website address is http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/docs/division.htm . Right off the bat I did not like this website. The website is very plain. Very plain. This is definitely a no frills website. But that is not what matters here. What matters here is whether or not the information on the website is useful or not. One of the first things that I noticed about this webpage is that for all of the different sections on the page there is no description at all as to what the section is about. There is, however, a contact person listed and how to get in touch with that contact person either by phone, fax or mail. For instance, the entire website is in the same format; there will be a department name with the contact name and information, followed by the location of where this department is within the state of NC. Once you click on the name of the department this will take you to that particular department’s website. I think this is a good resource for population based care as well as rural environments because there is a good bit of reliable information. I also think that this is a good resource for future healthcare providers. This is a good place for anyone to go to find out more information on numerous health issues.
National Institutes of Health
The first website that I want to discuss is the National Institutes of Health website. This website can be accessed by going to the following link: http://www.nih.gov/ . This website has a ton of information on it. If you click on the ‘Health’ tab, that will take you to another page that has quick links for child and teen health, men’s health, minority health, senior’s health, wellness & lifestyle and women’s health. One can also look under the health categories choose from categories such as body locations/ systems, health and wellness, conditions/ diseases and procedures. There are also related links in this section for health information on the web and health newsletters. There is also a section on this page that has links to health databases and federal health agencies. One can also subscribe to a free weekly newsletter about health information on this page. The next tab is for ‘Grants’. If you go to this page there is a plethora of information on grants. About them, policies, forms, dates and deadline information. Moving on from that is the ‘News’ page. This page has all of the latest news releases, events and special interest information on it. The next page is for ‘Research’. This page has research, training and scientific resources. Last, but not least, is the ‘Institutes’ tab. This page has quick links to all of the NIH institutes. All in all I really liked this link. I think there is a good bit of information on here. I learned a lot just by browsing around. I think that if I really needed to look something in particular up this would be a great place to go to find that information. I think this is a great resource for population based care as well as rural environments because there is such a wealth of reliable information. I also think that this is a great resource for future healthcare providers for the same reason mentioned above. This is a great place for anyone to go to find out more information on numerous health issues.
Medline Plus
The second website that I would like to discuss is the Medline Plus website. The link to this website is http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ . I absolutely love this website. I have been using this website for a couple of years now. I’m actually kind of glad that I get to talk about it. I have even sent this link to other friends of mine because it is such a useful website. I have it saved in my favorites as well because I tend to rely on it quite often. There is so much beneficial information on this website. On the home page there is a section that discusses 740 health topics. This is a great place to access info on so many types of conditions and diseases. Next up is a section on drugs and supplements. Here you can find out about the common prescription drugs and dietary supplements. The next two sections are the medical encyclopedia and the dictionary. Obviously this is where one is able to search out just about any topic that they need more info on. The medical dictionary is the section that I use the most. This is where you can check your spelling on any and all medical terminology. You can also look up the terminology. The next section is the news section. Here is where one can find any current health news and announcements. The next section is the directories of doctors, dentists and hospitals. The next section is the go local section. This is a good resource for finding local resources for health-related issues. In the middle of the page there are sections for current health news, a featured website and news that is in the spotlight. Over to the left of the page there are several very interesting sections. The first section is an area that will take the viewer to over 165 active tutorials. This section is awesome at explaining diseases and conditions, tests and diagnostic procedures, surgery and treatment procedures and prevention and wellness. The next section is a section about clinical trials. This section will take you to website that has a list of all of the federally and privately supported clinical trials conducted in the United States and around the world. The next section is a section for senior health. In this section one can find out information for older adults’ healthcare. And last but certainly not least on this website is a section for surgery videos. This is an absolutely outstanding section that has surgical videos. The videos are actual surgical procedures performed on patients! I think this is a great resource for population based care as well as rural environments because there is such a wealth of reliable information. I also think that this is a great resource for future healthcare providers because there is a plethora of useful and reliable information. The encyclopedia, the dictionary, the slideshows and the videos make this an extremely useful and insightful resource of information. This is a great place for anyone to go to find out more information on numerous health issues.
The NC Department of Health and Human Services
The last website I wanted to discuss is the NC Department of Health and Human Services website. This website address is http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/docs/division.htm . Right off the bat I did not like this website. The website is very plain. Very plain. This is definitely a no frills website. But that is not what matters here. What matters here is whether or not the information on the website is useful or not. One of the first things that I noticed about this webpage is that for all of the different sections on the page there is no description at all as to what the section is about. There is, however, a contact person listed and how to get in touch with that contact person either by phone, fax or mail. For instance, the entire website is in the same format; there will be a department name with the contact name and information, followed by the location of where this department is within the state of NC. Once you click on the name of the department this will take you to that particular department’s website. I think this is a good resource for population based care as well as rural environments because there is a good bit of reliable information. I also think that this is a good resource for future healthcare providers. This is a good place for anyone to go to find out more information on numerous health issues.
Module One
Patient Based Care
The first article that I chose to read was one about Paramedic Endotracheal Intubation. I was very interested in reading this article because I have heard plenty of horror stories from friends of mine in the medical field. I did not have much confidence in paramedic intubation prior to reading the article and I surely do not have any faith in it now. It is not my faith in the paramedic that is lacking; rather it is my faith in the training of the paramedic. From what I read, paramedics do not get the proper training in order to perform this type of lifesaving procedure. The article gave the amount of hours that a board certified anesthesiologist must earn in order to graduate and to proficiently perform endotracheal intubation. Medical students must be able to perform 35-50 endotracheal intubations in order to graduate. The number required for a paramedic is only 5. Also, a medical student will spend 160 hours under supervision of doctors and anesthesiologists learning to perform ETIs while a paramedic will normally only receive 16-32 hours of training under paramedic program directors. I can only say that I am astounded at the statistics. The article went on to say that when an ETI is performed incorrectly that the outcome is normally worse than if it had not been performed at all. Sometimes the endotracheal tube will be misplaced with the air going into the patient’s stomach versus going into the patient’s lungs. Of the cases that were misplaced the paramedics thought that 84 % of the placements that were done were “easy”. In conclusion, I tend to think that anyone doing these types of procedures needs to be properly trained in how to do them.
Wang, H. (July/August 2007) Paramedic Endotracheal Intubation. North Carolina Medical Journal, Volume 68, Number 4. Retrieved November 18, 2007, from http://www.ncmedicaljournal.com/jul-aug-07/Wang.pdf
The second article I chose to read was about the hiring challenges that affect rural communities and providers. According to the article, the rural hospitals and rural physicians infrastructure is a very delicate and fragile one. When a qualified or specialized physician decides to leave a rural community it leaves them very vulnerable. Also, patients are faced with having to travel out of their home area to receive qualified care. To hire a replacement for that physician is not always an easy task. There is not a line of physicians waiting to get into practice in a rural community. Often times, physicians and their families choose to live and work in urban locations. This is for numerous reasons. A lot of physicians choose to live and work in urban communities because those hospitals usually are more technologically advanced than their rural counterparts. Also, there are more amenities for the physician and their family in urban locations. Another reason is that the call schedule the physician must work is usually a lot less than that of a rural setting. There are however some incentives to employment in a rural setting. The federal government has allowed the rural areas to offer incentives such as income guarantees, loan repayment of medical school loans and a start-up bonus for employment.
Chewnig, L.& Spade, J. (May/June 2007). Rural Hospitals and Rural Physicians: Understanding the Physician Workforce Challenges that Affect Rural Communities and Providers. North Carolina Medical Journal,Volume 68, Number 3 . Retrieved November 18, 2007, from http://www.ncmedicaljournal.com/may-jun-07/Chewning.pdf
The first article that I chose to read was one about Paramedic Endotracheal Intubation. I was very interested in reading this article because I have heard plenty of horror stories from friends of mine in the medical field. I did not have much confidence in paramedic intubation prior to reading the article and I surely do not have any faith in it now. It is not my faith in the paramedic that is lacking; rather it is my faith in the training of the paramedic. From what I read, paramedics do not get the proper training in order to perform this type of lifesaving procedure. The article gave the amount of hours that a board certified anesthesiologist must earn in order to graduate and to proficiently perform endotracheal intubation. Medical students must be able to perform 35-50 endotracheal intubations in order to graduate. The number required for a paramedic is only 5. Also, a medical student will spend 160 hours under supervision of doctors and anesthesiologists learning to perform ETIs while a paramedic will normally only receive 16-32 hours of training under paramedic program directors. I can only say that I am astounded at the statistics. The article went on to say that when an ETI is performed incorrectly that the outcome is normally worse than if it had not been performed at all. Sometimes the endotracheal tube will be misplaced with the air going into the patient’s stomach versus going into the patient’s lungs. Of the cases that were misplaced the paramedics thought that 84 % of the placements that were done were “easy”. In conclusion, I tend to think that anyone doing these types of procedures needs to be properly trained in how to do them.
Wang, H. (July/August 2007) Paramedic Endotracheal Intubation. North Carolina Medical Journal, Volume 68, Number 4. Retrieved November 18, 2007, from http://www.ncmedicaljournal.com/jul-aug-07/Wang.pdf
The second article I chose to read was about the hiring challenges that affect rural communities and providers. According to the article, the rural hospitals and rural physicians infrastructure is a very delicate and fragile one. When a qualified or specialized physician decides to leave a rural community it leaves them very vulnerable. Also, patients are faced with having to travel out of their home area to receive qualified care. To hire a replacement for that physician is not always an easy task. There is not a line of physicians waiting to get into practice in a rural community. Often times, physicians and their families choose to live and work in urban locations. This is for numerous reasons. A lot of physicians choose to live and work in urban communities because those hospitals usually are more technologically advanced than their rural counterparts. Also, there are more amenities for the physician and their family in urban locations. Another reason is that the call schedule the physician must work is usually a lot less than that of a rural setting. There are however some incentives to employment in a rural setting. The federal government has allowed the rural areas to offer incentives such as income guarantees, loan repayment of medical school loans and a start-up bonus for employment.
Chewnig, L.& Spade, J. (May/June 2007). Rural Hospitals and Rural Physicians: Understanding the Physician Workforce Challenges that Affect Rural Communities and Providers. North Carolina Medical Journal,Volume 68, Number 3 . Retrieved November 18, 2007, from http://www.ncmedicaljournal.com/may-jun-07/Chewning.pdf
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Legal Political Visit - City Council Meeting
Greensboro, NC
I attended the October 16th Greensboro City Council Meeting. The City Council Meeting opened with a moment of silence and the Pledge Allegiance to the Flag. I’m not really sure what the moment of silence was for because I do not recall them stating the reason. This meeting followed such a strict set of guidelines that it almost seemed comical at times. The Mayor and the Council members are most definitely in the performing stage of teamwork. Everything, and I do mean everything, had to be voted on at this meeting. One of the Council members was not there and they had to vote on his absence. The same Council member came in late for the meeting and they voted to allow him to join the meeting. I thought this was absolutely ridiculous. The Mayor, Keith Holliday, then introduced a new county employee – Veronica Covert, from the Water Resources Department. After the introduction of the new employee, they moved on to entering into resolution the deaths of two prominent members of the community. Once that was done, the Mayor recognized a boy scout that was in attendance. The mayor then asked if anyone from the floor would like to speak. Honestly, I was losing interest fast and beginning to wonder what any of this had to do with rural healthcare. And then, after a very lengthy discussion about the need for a traffic light, Carmen McAdoo stood and introduced herself as being a representative of Teens Taking Action. This is a teen advocate group. Ms. McAdoo, who is also a teen herself, reminded everyone that October was “Lets Talk Month”. The group she represents wanted to emphasize the communication of teen sexual activity, teen pregnancy and teens with AIDS/HIV. Carmen reminded everyone in the council meeting to go home and talk to their children about the topics listed above and told them that teens want to be talked to about such things by their parents. After this brief discussion, there were no more discussions about healthcare or any health related topics. I do think, however, that if there were any, they would have been given the same respect and consideration, as was anything else. The city council spent much of the time on issues such as land use and new city ordinances. All topics of discussion were discussed and voted on by all members of the city council. I feel certain that any health related topics would have been given an equal amount of time. I have a better appreciation for the city council than I did before having attended this meeting. I know now just how much time and effort goes into the simplest changes. And I also know now that nothing is done without careful consideration and a vote.
I attended the October 16th Greensboro City Council Meeting. The City Council Meeting opened with a moment of silence and the Pledge Allegiance to the Flag. I’m not really sure what the moment of silence was for because I do not recall them stating the reason. This meeting followed such a strict set of guidelines that it almost seemed comical at times. The Mayor and the Council members are most definitely in the performing stage of teamwork. Everything, and I do mean everything, had to be voted on at this meeting. One of the Council members was not there and they had to vote on his absence. The same Council member came in late for the meeting and they voted to allow him to join the meeting. I thought this was absolutely ridiculous. The Mayor, Keith Holliday, then introduced a new county employee – Veronica Covert, from the Water Resources Department. After the introduction of the new employee, they moved on to entering into resolution the deaths of two prominent members of the community. Once that was done, the Mayor recognized a boy scout that was in attendance. The mayor then asked if anyone from the floor would like to speak. Honestly, I was losing interest fast and beginning to wonder what any of this had to do with rural healthcare. And then, after a very lengthy discussion about the need for a traffic light, Carmen McAdoo stood and introduced herself as being a representative of Teens Taking Action. This is a teen advocate group. Ms. McAdoo, who is also a teen herself, reminded everyone that October was “Lets Talk Month”. The group she represents wanted to emphasize the communication of teen sexual activity, teen pregnancy and teens with AIDS/HIV. Carmen reminded everyone in the council meeting to go home and talk to their children about the topics listed above and told them that teens want to be talked to about such things by their parents. After this brief discussion, there were no more discussions about healthcare or any health related topics. I do think, however, that if there were any, they would have been given the same respect and consideration, as was anything else. The city council spent much of the time on issues such as land use and new city ordinances. All topics of discussion were discussed and voted on by all members of the city council. I feel certain that any health related topics would have been given an equal amount of time. I have a better appreciation for the city council than I did before having attended this meeting. I know now just how much time and effort goes into the simplest changes. And I also know now that nothing is done without careful consideration and a vote.
Special Populations Visit - Alcoholics Anonymous
Forsyth County Chapter
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international fellowship of men and women who have had a drinking problem. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere. There are no age or education requirements. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about his or her drinking problem.1 Alcoholics Anonymous holds meetings in over 150 countries. There is an estimated 2 million members. The meeting I attended was in Winston-Salem, NC. Having been married to an alcoholic for 12 years, I was very interested in how the meetings take place. I was not too surprised to learn that it was a very casual setting. There were no frills involved. Everyone in attendance was a recovering alcoholic. Everyone is encouraged to attend the meetings. The members support each other with their drinking problems. They give each other advice and support. They are called ‘sponsors’. The members talk about their addiction to alcohol and ways to live their life without alcohol. They also talk about how much better their life is without alcohol. And how bad it was with the use of alcohol. I’m sure that everyone, including myself, has always heard about Alcoholics Anonymous and “the twelve step” program. Until now I never knew what those steps were. I thought it would be nice to include them in this entry. The program was based on twelve-step road to recovery. Those twelve steps are as follows:1
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become
unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of
our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to
them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure
them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly
admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we
understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that
out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message
to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Members are not required to follow the twelve steps. They are, however, asked to be open-minded about them.
Reference:
1Prepared by General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous(2007)Welcome to Alcoholics Anonymous. Retrieved November 15, 2007 from http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/en_information_aa.cfm?PageID=2
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international fellowship of men and women who have had a drinking problem. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere. There are no age or education requirements. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about his or her drinking problem.1 Alcoholics Anonymous holds meetings in over 150 countries. There is an estimated 2 million members. The meeting I attended was in Winston-Salem, NC. Having been married to an alcoholic for 12 years, I was very interested in how the meetings take place. I was not too surprised to learn that it was a very casual setting. There were no frills involved. Everyone in attendance was a recovering alcoholic. Everyone is encouraged to attend the meetings. The members support each other with their drinking problems. They give each other advice and support. They are called ‘sponsors’. The members talk about their addiction to alcohol and ways to live their life without alcohol. They also talk about how much better their life is without alcohol. And how bad it was with the use of alcohol. I’m sure that everyone, including myself, has always heard about Alcoholics Anonymous and “the twelve step” program. Until now I never knew what those steps were. I thought it would be nice to include them in this entry. The program was based on twelve-step road to recovery. Those twelve steps are as follows:1
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become
unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of
our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to
them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure
them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly
admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we
understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that
out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message
to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Members are not required to follow the twelve steps. They are, however, asked to be open-minded about them.
Reference:
1Prepared by General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous(2007)Welcome to Alcoholics Anonymous. Retrieved November 15, 2007 from http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/en_information_aa.cfm?PageID=2
Special Populations Visit - Industries for the Blind
Winston-Salem, NC
Mission
Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind provides opportunities for persons who are blind or visually impaired in need of training, employment and services. We believe that all persons who are blind or visually impaired have the right to succeed in every area of life.
Vision
Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind will enhance the lives of persons who are blind or visually impaired.
The Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind started in 1936. The Lion’s Club opened a two-room building with 6 blind employees. Over seven decades later, The Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind is better than ever. They now have over 300 employees; most of which are legally blind or vision impaired. The sales for the company last year were in excess of $60 million dollars. The Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind is a dynamic team. These employees are most certainly in the performing stage of teamwork. The employees work everyday just like you and I. The only difference is their disability. The Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind have found a way for these people to sustain gainful employment without having their disability hinder their abilities. The Employees of The Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind do a variety of things. They make mattresses and they also make a variety of things for the military. It is simply amazing to see these people work. They are so happy to have a job. And I love that they have their seeing-eye dogs with them. This is one of the most endearing places to be. The employees at The Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind are so happy and thankful to have a job that it makes me ashamed to know what people without a disability take for granted.
Population Based Visit - Surry County Health Department
Dobson, NC
The Surry County Health Department is vital to the well being of the residents of Surry County. I had no idea how busy the Surry County Health Department would be. In my visit to the Surry County Health Department I gained a lot of respect for how well run the organization is given the shear volume of people that are seen there. The influences that the organization has on the rural health population are great. The Surry County Health Department is the only resource that a big part of the county population can afford. A lot of the people seen at the Surry County Health Department are immigrants that otherwise would not have alternative options for affordable healthcare. Most of the people seen at the health department have little or no insurance.
THEIR MISSION1
The mission of the Surry County Health & Nutrition Center is to protectand promote personal, family and community health; to insure a safe and healthy environment; and to prevent or control the incidence and spread of disease.
THEIR VISION1
A healthy and educated community where families are allowed to reach their full potential in a safe and clean environment.
Current Health Center Services1
* Chronic Disease and Cancer Screening and Diabetes Management and Education through Adult Health
* Child Care Health Consultant; Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Clinic; Pediatric Clinic - sick and well visits - through the Child Health Program
* Communicable Disease surveillance and investigation including AIDS Control Program & HIV testing and Sexually Transmitted Disease Program
* Environmental Health, including Animal Control; Restaurant, day care and residential facility inspections; Waste system permits and site evaluations; and Water sampling
* Family Care Coordination including Child Service Coordination, Maternity Care Coordination, Family Planning and Breast and Cervical Cancer Program including, follow-up of abnormal PAP Smears using Colposcopy, through Women's Preventive Health
* Health Education and Promotion, including Infant Mortality
* Immunizations
* Maternal Outreach Services and Postpartum and Newborn Home Visits
* Migrant Farmworker Health Program
* Nutrition counseling and the WIC (Women, Infants & Children) supplemental food program
* School Health Services
* Senior Services including Chore/Respite Program, Friends of Seniors and Home Health
* Vital Records - Birth & Death Certificates
The department that I spent time in is the Family Care Coordination department. The people in this department were so busy it reminded me of a beehive with all of the workers being like worker bees. They have a tremendous workload. The people in this department are definitely in the performing stage of teamwork. These folks have worked together for quite some time and they really have their routines down pat. They know the state mandated guidelines that they must work within and adhere strictly to those guidelines.
1 (2007). Surry County Health and Nutrition Center. Retrieved November 17, 2007 from http://www.surry.com/aboutus.html
The Surry County Health Department is vital to the well being of the residents of Surry County. I had no idea how busy the Surry County Health Department would be. In my visit to the Surry County Health Department I gained a lot of respect for how well run the organization is given the shear volume of people that are seen there. The influences that the organization has on the rural health population are great. The Surry County Health Department is the only resource that a big part of the county population can afford. A lot of the people seen at the Surry County Health Department are immigrants that otherwise would not have alternative options for affordable healthcare. Most of the people seen at the health department have little or no insurance.
THEIR MISSION1
The mission of the Surry County Health & Nutrition Center is to protectand promote personal, family and community health; to insure a safe and healthy environment; and to prevent or control the incidence and spread of disease.
THEIR VISION1
A healthy and educated community where families are allowed to reach their full potential in a safe and clean environment.
Current Health Center Services1
* Chronic Disease and Cancer Screening and Diabetes Management and Education through Adult Health
* Child Care Health Consultant; Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Clinic; Pediatric Clinic - sick and well visits - through the Child Health Program
* Communicable Disease surveillance and investigation including AIDS Control Program & HIV testing and Sexually Transmitted Disease Program
* Environmental Health, including Animal Control; Restaurant, day care and residential facility inspections; Waste system permits and site evaluations; and Water sampling
* Family Care Coordination including Child Service Coordination, Maternity Care Coordination, Family Planning and Breast and Cervical Cancer Program including, follow-up of abnormal PAP Smears using Colposcopy, through Women's Preventive Health
* Health Education and Promotion, including Infant Mortality
* Immunizations
* Maternal Outreach Services and Postpartum and Newborn Home Visits
* Migrant Farmworker Health Program
* Nutrition counseling and the WIC (Women, Infants & Children) supplemental food program
* School Health Services
* Senior Services including Chore/Respite Program, Friends of Seniors and Home Health
* Vital Records - Birth & Death Certificates
The department that I spent time in is the Family Care Coordination department. The people in this department were so busy it reminded me of a beehive with all of the workers being like worker bees. They have a tremendous workload. The people in this department are definitely in the performing stage of teamwork. These folks have worked together for quite some time and they really have their routines down pat. They know the state mandated guidelines that they must work within and adhere strictly to those guidelines.
1 (2007). Surry County Health and Nutrition Center. Retrieved November 17, 2007 from http://www.surry.com/aboutus.html
Population Based Visit - The North Carolina Cooperative Extension
Danbury, NC
The North Carolina Cooperative Extension
What is the Cooperative Extension?1
Cooperative Extension is a part of a nationwide educational system that involves the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the state land-grant university system and county government. Extension programs often enhance the work of other government and nonprofit agencies, which join together to improve the quality of life for county residents.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension provides a broad range of educational programs that are of benefit to farmers, rural and urban residents, community leaders, homemakers, parents, and youth. Extension programs focus on traditional and changing needs in the areas of agriculture, home economics, community and rural development, and 4-H and youth.
In North Carolina, field faculty who are housed in offices in all 100 counties and the Cherokee Reservation delivers extension’s educational programs locally. To contact your local office of North Carolina Cooperative Extension, select your county from our County Centers page.
I did not realize that the cooperative extension program did so much for the local community. I have always thought of home issues when I thought of the local cooperative extension program. The cooperative extension program is involved in a number of areas. The departments within the cooperative extension are as follows:
Agriculture and Food – providing education on animal agriculture, commercial horticulture, nursery and turf, farm health and safety, field crops, food safety and processing, pest control and specialty crops
Community
Environment
Forest Resources
Health and Nutrition
Home and Family
Lawn and Garden
Youth and 4-H
1The North Carolina Cooperative Extension. The Stokes County Center. (2007). Retrieved on November 17, 2007 from http://stokes.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=faq
The North Carolina Cooperative Extension
What is the Cooperative Extension?1
Cooperative Extension is a part of a nationwide educational system that involves the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the state land-grant university system and county government. Extension programs often enhance the work of other government and nonprofit agencies, which join together to improve the quality of life for county residents.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension provides a broad range of educational programs that are of benefit to farmers, rural and urban residents, community leaders, homemakers, parents, and youth. Extension programs focus on traditional and changing needs in the areas of agriculture, home economics, community and rural development, and 4-H and youth.
In North Carolina, field faculty who are housed in offices in all 100 counties and the Cherokee Reservation delivers extension’s educational programs locally. To contact your local office of North Carolina Cooperative Extension, select your county from our County Centers page.
I did not realize that the cooperative extension program did so much for the local community. I have always thought of home issues when I thought of the local cooperative extension program. The cooperative extension program is involved in a number of areas. The departments within the cooperative extension are as follows:
Agriculture and Food – providing education on animal agriculture, commercial horticulture, nursery and turf, farm health and safety, field crops, food safety and processing, pest control and specialty crops
Community
Environment
Forest Resources
Health and Nutrition
Home and Family
Lawn and Garden
Youth and 4-H
1The North Carolina Cooperative Extension. The Stokes County Center. (2007). Retrieved on November 17, 2007 from http://stokes.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=faq
Patient Based Visit - The Minute Clinic
Kernersville, NC
The Minute Clinic was founded in 2000 to serve the growing need for affordable, accessible and convenient healthcare. The Minute Clinic is a subsidiary of the CVS Corporation. The principle behind the Minute Clinic is that anyone 18 months or older can go into the clinic, be diagnosed and treated in a reasonable amount of time and for a reasonable amount of money. The Minute Clinic provides the following services/treatments:
Common illnesses:
Allergies
Bladder infections
Bronchitis
Ear Infections
Pink Eye and Styes
Strep Throat
Swimmers Ear
Vaccines:
DTaP
Seasonal Flu shots
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Polio
Meningitis
MMR
Pneumonia
Td
Tdap
Skin Conditions:
Athlete’s Foot
Cold Sores
Deer Tick Bites
Impetigo
Minor Skin Infections and Rashes
Minor Burns
Minor Sunburn
Poison Ivy
Ringworm
Wart Removal
Additional Services:
Camp Physicals
Flu Diagnosis
Mononucleosis
Pregnancy Testing
Suture Removal
Most all of the Minute Clinics operate 7 days a week. No appointment is necessary because everyone is seen on a first-come first-served basis. Most visits usually only take about 15 minutes. Patients visiting a Minute Clinic will be assessed by board certified nurse practitioners or physician assistants who will diagnose, treat and write a prescription if necessary.
http://www.minuteclinic.com/en/USA/
Common illnesses:
Allergies
Bladder infections
Bronchitis
Ear Infections
Pink Eye and Styes
Strep Throat
Swimmers Ear
Vaccines:
DTaP
Seasonal Flu shots
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Polio
Meningitis
MMR
Pneumonia
Td
Tdap
Skin Conditions:
Athlete’s Foot
Cold Sores
Deer Tick Bites
Impetigo
Minor Skin Infections and Rashes
Minor Burns
Minor Sunburn
Poison Ivy
Ringworm
Wart Removal
Additional Services:
Camp Physicals
Flu Diagnosis
Mononucleosis
Pregnancy Testing
Suture Removal
Most all of the Minute Clinics operate 7 days a week. No appointment is necessary because everyone is seen on a first-come first-served basis. Most visits usually only take about 15 minutes. Patients visiting a Minute Clinic will be assessed by board certified nurse practitioners or physician assistants who will diagnose, treat and write a prescription if necessary.
http://www.minuteclinic.com/en/USA/
Patient Based Visit - Westfield Medical Center
Westfield, NC
I have gone to Westfield Medical Center for as long as I can remember. So when this project came up it was one of the first places I knew I wanted to visit. Westfield is a very rural community. The closest city of any size is Mount Airy, NC and that is not saying much. The closest big city in relation to Westfield is Winston-Salem. Westfield is about a forty-minute drive to Winston-Salem and to all of the doctors and facilities that Winston-Salem has to offer. Westfield Medical Center serves the Westfield community and fills the need for local medical care. The Westfield Medical Center has three employees. Dean is the physician assistant. Wanda is the nurse and Kay answers the phones, schedules and checks patients in and out. This is, of course, a very abbreviated description of what these very competent employees do there. Dean has an attending physician that he reports to and that physician is “my doctor”. I have never met my doctor and quite frankly I would not know him if he walked right up to me. I would actually be very upset if I ever had to see my doctor versus seeing Dean. The services that are offered at The Westfield Medical Center are numerous, too numerous to list them all. Patients being seen at The Westfield Medical Center can be seen for a variety of reasons. As a patient of Westfield Medical Center, one can expect diagnosis and treatment for an array of illnesses or conditions. They also perform blood work and take cultures, perform yearly and sports physicals. At Westfield Medical center they diagnose and treat patients. The Physician Assistant, Dean will also prescribe medications and order the appropriate tests from outside facilities when medically necessary. Dean can also refer patients to the larger specialized facilities when this is a necessity. Westfield Medical Center serves as the local medical facility for people who do not choose to drive into the city to be seen. Or for those people, like myself, who really like the personalized care and treatment that you receive when going to a small medical office in a rural community.
I have gone to Westfield Medical Center for as long as I can remember. So when this project came up it was one of the first places I knew I wanted to visit. Westfield is a very rural community. The closest city of any size is Mount Airy, NC and that is not saying much. The closest big city in relation to Westfield is Winston-Salem. Westfield is about a forty-minute drive to Winston-Salem and to all of the doctors and facilities that Winston-Salem has to offer. Westfield Medical Center serves the Westfield community and fills the need for local medical care. The Westfield Medical Center has three employees. Dean is the physician assistant. Wanda is the nurse and Kay answers the phones, schedules and checks patients in and out. This is, of course, a very abbreviated description of what these very competent employees do there. Dean has an attending physician that he reports to and that physician is “my doctor”. I have never met my doctor and quite frankly I would not know him if he walked right up to me. I would actually be very upset if I ever had to see my doctor versus seeing Dean. The services that are offered at The Westfield Medical Center are numerous, too numerous to list them all. Patients being seen at The Westfield Medical Center can be seen for a variety of reasons. As a patient of Westfield Medical Center, one can expect diagnosis and treatment for an array of illnesses or conditions. They also perform blood work and take cultures, perform yearly and sports physicals. At Westfield Medical center they diagnose and treat patients. The Physician Assistant, Dean will also prescribe medications and order the appropriate tests from outside facilities when medically necessary. Dean can also refer patients to the larger specialized facilities when this is a necessity. Westfield Medical Center serves as the local medical facility for people who do not choose to drive into the city to be seen. Or for those people, like myself, who really like the personalized care and treatment that you receive when going to a small medical office in a rural community.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Midterm
The Country Doctor Museum
Visiting The Country Doctor museum was truly very interesting. I highly recommend the visit to anyone going into the medical field. The tour consists of The Freeman-Brantley Building, The Carriage House and The Farmer Annex. There is also a medicinal herb garden.
The Freeman – Brantley house is where the tour begins. This building is a combination of two doctors’ offices that were joined together. The first room in the Freeman – Brantley building was Dr. Howard Franklin Freeman’ s office. The Freeman – Brantley Building is where the Apothecary is situated. The Apothecary is very interesting in that is has old medicine bottles and age-old techniques and tools for making medicine. After discussing the Apothecary, the tour then goes to Dr. Cornelius Henry Brantley’s office where they told about how doctor’s got paid. Not surprising, rural doctors were paid by means of bartering. Often times, people would trade other goods and services for treatment. The last room in the Freeman – Brantley building has different furniture and medical devices common to the time period.
The Carriage House is just that. This part of the tour is where one gets to see the different modes of transportation that have been used in history. There was a horse-drawn buggy, a surrey and a couple of older model cars on display.
The Farmer Annex is where the gift shop is located. In the gift shop is another exhibit room. This is where, of course, you can buy any memorabilia from your visit.
The visit to the Country Doctor Museum was very insightful. The things that interested me the most were the show globes, the pill machine, an amputation kit and the ear horn.
The County Doctor Museum is located in Bailey, NC. Tours are held Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.; tours begin hourly. The cost of admission is $5.
Visiting The Country Doctor museum was truly very interesting. I highly recommend the visit to anyone going into the medical field. The tour consists of The Freeman-Brantley Building, The Carriage House and The Farmer Annex. There is also a medicinal herb garden.
The Freeman – Brantley house is where the tour begins. This building is a combination of two doctors’ offices that were joined together. The first room in the Freeman – Brantley building was Dr. Howard Franklin Freeman’ s office. The Freeman – Brantley Building is where the Apothecary is situated. The Apothecary is very interesting in that is has old medicine bottles and age-old techniques and tools for making medicine. After discussing the Apothecary, the tour then goes to Dr. Cornelius Henry Brantley’s office where they told about how doctor’s got paid. Not surprising, rural doctors were paid by means of bartering. Often times, people would trade other goods and services for treatment. The last room in the Freeman – Brantley building has different furniture and medical devices common to the time period.
The Carriage House is just that. This part of the tour is where one gets to see the different modes of transportation that have been used in history. There was a horse-drawn buggy, a surrey and a couple of older model cars on display.
The Farmer Annex is where the gift shop is located. In the gift shop is another exhibit room. This is where, of course, you can buy any memorabilia from your visit.
The visit to the Country Doctor Museum was very insightful. The things that interested me the most were the show globes, the pill machine, an amputation kit and the ear horn.
The County Doctor Museum is located in Bailey, NC. Tours are held Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.; tours begin hourly. The cost of admission is $5.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Course Objectives
By the end of this course students will:
1. Experience the social political, legal, and environmental influences on rural health populations.
2. Demonstrate skills needed to communicate effectively with patients and health care professionals in a rural environment.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the scopes of practice of various health disciplines and how they impact collaboration between disciplines.
4. Reflect on personal cultural influences on rural health and compare the diverse cultural influences on communications between patients and health professionals.
5. Identify and demonstrate the stages of team development in a rural health care delivery environment.
I will meet the course objectives by actively seeking out the community vistis and completing the assigned modules in a timely manner. As a Distance Education student, I will focus my learning experiences on the Foothills of North Carolina where there is an abundance of rural healthcare. I look forward to learning more about my community and interacting with local providers of rural healthcare services.
1. Experience the social political, legal, and environmental influences on rural health populations.
2. Demonstrate skills needed to communicate effectively with patients and health care professionals in a rural environment.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the scopes of practice of various health disciplines and how they impact collaboration between disciplines.
4. Reflect on personal cultural influences on rural health and compare the diverse cultural influences on communications between patients and health professionals.
5. Identify and demonstrate the stages of team development in a rural health care delivery environment.
I will meet the course objectives by actively seeking out the community vistis and completing the assigned modules in a timely manner. As a Distance Education student, I will focus my learning experiences on the Foothills of North Carolina where there is an abundance of rural healthcare. I look forward to learning more about my community and interacting with local providers of rural healthcare services.
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