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Holiday Edition - DREAM BIG!
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Dominic Roy searching for the biggest Christmas tree.
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When my youngest son Dominic asked for the largest Christmas tree we could find it was hard to turn him down. He is a big dreamer like many twelve year olds. All of us here at AgriSafe are big dreamers. We want to reach public health heights that some feel are unattainable.
I learned last week that life expectancy in the U.S. dropped for the first time in decades. According to the National Center for Health Statistics the overall life expectancy, for someone born in 2015, fell from 78.9 years to 78.8 years. The decline can be attributed to an increase in deaths due to heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, respiratory disease, kidney disease, diabetes, unintentional injuries and suicide.
How can this happen when as a country our health care costs have surged to 17% of GDP -the highest of all developed countries? The U.S. lacks effective public health interventions that prevent the top causes of mortality. While news of lower life expectancy is extremely disappointing, we can't give up hope for a healthier future. Optimism must drive our work, innovation will ensure we are relevant and partnerships can make us stronger. Please consider joining AgriSafe as a member for 2017. We need your help, we need big dreamers.
Best wishes for a wonderful holiday and happy New Year,
Natalie Roy, MPH
Executive Director
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Mental Health Resource
Many of the factors that affect agricultural production are largely beyond the control of the producer. Good health, including mental health, is a key factor that contributes to one's ability to keep farming.
Twenty percent of any population has mental health complications, including farmers and ranchers. Stigma and privacy concerns associated with mental health issues may mean that many people do not seek out available behavioral health services. For the agricultural populations, stressful events might include financial concerns, personal or family concerns, work-related injuries, changes in farm policies, chemical exposure, loss of crop or livestock and weather.
Something as simple as taking a Two Question Self-Assessment Tool if experiencing symptoms of poor mental health
(
listed in AgriSafe Network's resource
)
can be helpful in understanding when to seek care from a health care provider.
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Upcoming Webinars
Dec. 21, 2016 -- 12 - 1pm CST
Say What? Keeping Your Hearing Loss in Check
Presenter: Carolyn Sheridan, RN, BSN
Clinical Director, AgriSafe Network
Objectives / Focus Areas:
Data supports that noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) may affect up to 2 million youth in the United States. The use of earphones for media and sound devices compounds the risks young producers face when exposed to excessive loud noise. In essence, the young producer works in an environment with noise hazards and plays in an environment with noise hazards. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is common and preventable but unfortunately, use of hearing protection among youth is not.
By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:
- Describe the basic anatomy and physiology of the ear.
- Identify harmful exposures which have the potential to cause hearing damage.
- Identify preventive strategies to reduce exposure to noise.
- Describe appropriate selection and use of personal protective equipment.
Intended Audience: Ag producers ages 14-23 years of age
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AgriSafe Receives CS-CASH Pilot Funds to Build Ag Capacity for Nurse Practitioners
AgriSafe is pleased to announce a new initiative aimed at building the capacity of Nurse Practitioners (NPs) to advance Total Farmer HealthSM. Funded by Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CS-CASH) pilot funds, AgriSafe will prepare Nurses Practitioners working in rural communities to meet the occupational health needs of farmers, ranchers and agricultural workers.
NPs who are trained in the field of agromedicine have the ability to reduce rates of hearing loss, pesticide exposure, farm injuries, respiratory health conditions, skin cancer and zoonotic diseases. The sense of urgency to train NPs across the nation has become intense, as they are the front-line resource to disseminate information along with preventing illnesses found in this unique population. For more information contact Carolyn Sheridan at csheridan@agrisafe.org by email or at 712-363-4034 by phone.
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New! NIOSH Total Worker Health®
Approaches Workbook
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has developed a new practice based workbook,
scheduled
for release on Tuesday, December 20th, 2016.
AgriSafe is an Affiliate member of the
Total Worker Health
®
program because our Total Farmer HealthSM campaign. The Total Farmer HealthSM approach demands attention to occupational hazards as well as individual, social and mental health
components that could impact an ag producer's health and well-being.
AgriSafe's Total Farmer Health
SM program is based on the
Defining Elements of Total Worker Health
®.
They are:
- Defining Element of TWH 1: Demonstrate leadership commitment to worker safety and health at all levels of the organization.
- Defining Element of TWH 2: Design work to eliminate or reduce safety and health hazards and promote worker well-being.
- Defining Element of TWH 3: Promote and support worker engagement throughout program design and implementation.
- Defining Element of TWH 4: Ensure confidentiality and privacy of workers.
- Defining Element of TWH 5: Integrate relevant systems to advance worker well-being.
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Six Young Producers Join AYAC
AgriSafe is pleased to announce the formation of the Young Advisors Council (AYAC) with six charter members representing the North East and Southern regions of the country. AgriSafe is still seeking members from the Mid-West, West and West South Central states.
Rural leaders or young ag producers, ages 16-23 who are interested in representing perspectives of youth in agriculture are welcome to volunteer as a member of the AgriSafe Young Advisors Council (AYAC). The AYAC is a unique opportunity for youth in agriculture to impact the health and safety of their peers.
AYAC is charged with assisting
AgriSafe
to design and launch educational initiatives that can reduce farm related illness, injury and fatalities. AYAC members have the opportunity to develop leadership skills, public health experience and may even represent
AgriSafe
at meetings or forums.
Please contact Knesha Rose at krose@agrisafe.org or 985-327-1627 for more information or please visit our website.
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| Agriculture technology students in Argentina, learn about safety during their course of study. |
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News from our Members in Argentina
Dr. Marcos Grigoni has been working with students of agricultural schools in 5 places: Bigand, Arrecifes, Hunter, JB Molina and Carcarañá over the past several months.
More than 200 students have learned about agricultural risks, prevention, PPE, machinery safety and first aid. Information and recommendations about safety in agriculture are presented in an interactive format, with a variety of dynamic workshops.
All the activities are part of their common strategy of rural safety for all the world.
AgriSafe would love to hear your stories from the field. Contact Knesha Rose by email at krose@agrisafe.org to share with us!
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PPE for A Purpose
Interested in helping farmers impacted by the severe floods in the south? Donate thru AgriSafe. 100% of donations will go towards supplying 500 Louisiana farmers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to help them stay healthy after the devastating floods.
Donate Today
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Would you like to share your story? Submit your stories or pictures with contact information to
Knesha Rose
at AgriSafe Network. We'd love to hear from you.
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