HEAL class 3-21-12

Dr. Halbur talked to the class today about stress:

Questions posed to the class included:

What stresses you as a medical student?
Some responses included:

• Finding a residency
• Patients that don't do what they are told
• Loans
• Life in general

What behaviors do you find yourself doing as a result of stress?
Some responses were:

• eating
• exercise

What are some signs that you are stressed?
Some responses included:

• irritability
• withdrawal
• fast heartbeat
• weight gain
• sleep disturbance
• cleaning making lists
• watching movies

There are 2 types of stress:
Eustress (good)
Distress (bad)

Causes of stress can be internal (negative self talk) or external (physical emvironment, other people, life events)

Tips for relieving stress:
Lower caffeine intake
exercise
sleep
relax
work/leisure balance
set realistic expectations
reframe
have a support system
humor

Activities that could relieve stress and that the class participated
in include:
guided imagery
relaxation exercises

It is important to remember to take care of yourself and to find out what works for you!

Please share your thoughts/comments on the topics and questions posed in today's class!

HEAL Class 3/7/12

We had the privilege of having Andrea Hinojosa from Southeast Georgia Communities Project speak about her work and experience with migrant workers in rural Georgia. Some of the topics included:


Reasons that migrant workers do not seek health care

1. Fear of having no ID
2. Lack of transportation
3. Language barrier
4. Can't afford Rx
5. Follow up appointments are not feasible
6. Uninsured-no ID
7. Lack of financial resources
8. Inability for the children who crossover to get into school and become practicing health care workers themselves because of immigration laws
   

Care is delivered to migrant workers by actually traveling into the field

When giving patients ideas/instructions for better health management, look for ways of modifying lifestyle rather than complete changes because culture cannot be taken away

• Example, have patients decrease the amount of tortillas eaten and slightly alter the way food is prepared

Solutions

1. Educational solutions: scholarships and funds
2. Develop trust with the gatekeepers of the migrant community such as the boss and middleman on the farms
3. Be positive and understand their needs
4. Welcome patients and spend time with migrants coming into the community
5. Express warmth and welcome with body language and smiles
6. Keep confidentiality, especially with care given in the fields
7. Volunteer and gather basic materials
8. Educate your community on existing and upcoming laws

We also had the privilege of having Helping Hands and Dr. Adrianna Foster speak about their program and caring for the mental health needs of the homeless population. Topics covered included:

Specific problems in the homeless population such as:

• high rates of substance abuse and other physical problems and lower life expectancy
  
• the cycle of prison to halfway houses to clinics to crime and back to prison again

Helping Hands offers services and referrals such as:

• Treatment for substance abuse
• housing
• job placement
• screenings and referrals
• data collection

Please share your thoughts/comments!

Class 2/22/12

The HEAL class on 2/22/12 covered topics on interdisciplinary care such as:

1. Working with individuals across disciplines
2. The benefits of team work, including improvements in conditions for both patients and professionals, such as patient safety, professional burnout and costs
   
3. The importance of respecting the people and the disciplines that you work with
4. Effective team work involves sharing patient problems, communication and sharing responsibility
5. The importance of looking at practical barriers that patients face
   

Please share your thoughts/comments!

HEALing Connections: A Look at Black Medical Care

Congratulations on a great first event this semester! Today's event included a documentary and a panel discussion on the experiences of African American health care. The panel participants touched on a number of topics including:

• Personal experiences
• How to build a trusting patient-physician relationship
• Challenges the patient and doctor may encounter
• Systemic vs. grassroots changes and goals in health care
• Creating awareness
• Developing personal awareness of one's one biases and self education on diversity concerns

Please leave your thoughts/comments!

HEAL class 2/8/12

Our guest speaker for today's class was Peggy Belger from Red Cross. She discussed:

• Her own personal experiences with disaster and victims
• Language barriers and the importance of simply showing you care as a way to transcend such as barrier
• Role of the Disaster Action Team (DAT)
• Challenges of providing disaster/crisis victims with care and tips for your own safety
• The importance of understanding and following Red Cross protocol as a professional providing care
• The relief that Red Cross provides to ALL people despite SES, etc.
• The importance of connecting to people and even the use of humor ONLY when the victim initiates it
• Red Cross is involved with other activities outside of disaster relief such as providing trainings and awareness events

Please share your thoughts/comments!

Class 1-25-12

We had the privilege of having Ms. Sherman from Community Health Centers speak to the class about community health centers and

• The integral role of Community Health Centers locally and nationwide
  
• Population needs assessment
• Services provided
• Center physicians and incentives
• Service and prescription costs
• Volunteer opportunities

Please write your thoughts/opinions about the topics discussed in class!

HEAL 2012

Welcome HEAL students to a new semester! The HEAL class for this semester will begin January 11, 2012 and we look forward to seeing both new and returning students!