Summary: Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are very effective at keeping you from getting COVID-19. Now that there are authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines in the United States, accurate vaccine information is critical. COVID-19 vaccination will be an important tool to help stop the pandemic. While more COVID-19 vaccines are being developed as quickly asRead More
The occupational hazards that farmers face put them at greater risk for acute and chronic pain as a result of ergonomic repetition, accident, or surgical procedure. Addressing specific occupational sources of pain and what activities the pain inhibits are crucial to improving treatment. This module will focus on how to transform the conversation between providerRead More
Summary: Parkinson's disease impacts over one million people living in the United States. People living in rural areas may not have access to specialists and getting diagnosis may be difficult. Rural health care providers and agricultural professionals need to develop an awareness of this neurodegenerative disorder and understand the effects on agricultural work. Participants will learnRead More
The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine released recommendations for opioid prescribing based on safety-sensitive occupations. Safety-sensitive work is typically classified as operating motor vehicles, modes of transportation, other heavy machinery, or tasks requiring high levels of cognitive function or judgment. Farm duties frequently demand the use of heavy machinery, and concurrent use ofRead More
Summary: Pregnancy and fertility are often not considered when women assume farm tasks. Pesticide and other chemical exposures, zoonotic diseases and heavy lifting particularly during childbearing years, present challenges. Objectives: At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to: - Identify unique exposures/risks associated with farm tasks. - Identify at least four reproductiveRead More
Summary: Veterans have a long history of service to our country through military service and through agriculture. The 2017 USDA report added a new special category of producers: “Producers with Military Service”. This report identified that 370,019 men and women agriculture producers claimed the title of US veteran, with 294,974 of them having spent more thanRead More
Summary: Zoonotic Diseases are transmitted between farm animals and humans and can pose additional risks to those who are pregnant. According to the World Health Organization, more than half of all human pathogens are zoonotic and have represented nearly all emerging pathogens during the past decade. Farmers and farm workers have higher levels of risk forRead More
Prescription opioids are often the first-line therapy to treat chronic and acute pain among farmers. Prescribing opioids to farmer populations that may not seek regular treatment or have access to alternative therapies increases the risk for potential opioid misuse. Properly assessing for these characteristics among other abuse or addiction risk factors, is critical in providingRead More
Summary: Stigma exists across all age groups for those struggling with mental health. Navigation of the teen years in everyday situations can create angst and uncomfortable feelings that are difficult to express. Adding mental illness and mental crisis to a teen or young adult’s typical growth and development makes struggling with emotions, relationships, academic success, andRead More
In 2018, the U.S. Surgeon General called for increased awareness and availability of naloxone, the opioid antagonist, to reverse the effects of opioid overdose. Despite the rise in the dispensing of naloxone, there is a significant gap in our response across all sectors of society. In the rural parts of our country, where emergency responseRead More
Over the last decade, farmers and farm families have experienced increasing pressures resulting in high levels of stress, mental health, and suicide. QPR training teaches laypeople and professionals to recognize and respond to mental health crises using the approach of Question, Persuade, and Refer. In this 1.5 hour QPR training we will provide: Information onRead More
Summary: Hurricane Michael was the worst agriculture disaster in Georgia's history. The Department of Agriculture partnered with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) and the Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH) to develop outreach and educational materials to support farmer mental health in the state. The goal was to provide strategiesRead More
