The Oil Spill (Spew) and Its Lingering Legacy

I know it's all you've heard about since last April...Oil spilling into the Gulf.  And though the flow has been stemmed, and the well is being "killed", lives along the coastal shores of the Gulf of Mexico, remain unsettled.  The latest reports tell us that the seafood is safe to eat.  But will anyone want to?

Another recent report says that the dispersant used to break up the oil makes the gulf water no more toxic than the oil alone did.  But will anyone swim in it?  There has been a lot of talk and concern about ocean, marsh, and bayou life, but less about the health effects of the humans coming into contact with the spill, the clean-up, and the food from the gulf.  If you're wondering about the health effects, how drilling legislation is developed, or what the economic impact will be, long term, then make plans to attend the Fifth Annual Public Health Symposium. 

This is a conference hosted by the Department of Community Health Sciences, College of Health, and Southern Mississippi Area Health Education Center, each year here on the Hattiesburg campus of USM.  The date is September 29, 2010, and one of our speakers will be Dr. Mary Currier, State Health Officer, Mississippi State Department of Health.

Below, please find a message from a friend of mine; Matthis Piel works in USM's College of Health.  He is an Alabama native, who has lived all over the gulf coast, from 'Bama to Lu'sianna.  He and family are hopefully planning to move to Gulf Shores, Alabama, in the near future.  Here is what he wants us to know:

"No matter how you break down the definition of 'Health', the residents of the Gulf of Mexico are healthy. Whether the definition of health is, 'the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity', or 'a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living' and 'Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities'. The people that make up the population on the gulf coast are showing the heart that lies in each one of them. Additionally, the individuals that have decided to help the residents that are having a hard time should be commended. It makes me proud to be from the Deep South and potential future resident of the gulf coast to see the behavior being displayed during this most recent disaster. Bring on a disaster of any size, the people that call the gulf coast their home will always prevail."

"This Picture says it all: The people are strong, healthy, and ready!"

Introducing: The Southern Mississippi Area Health Education Center

Welcome to the SMAHEC's very first blog entry.  I'd like to tell you about our center.  We are one of seven AHECs in Mississippi, and we serve the southern fifteen counties.  Our mission is to help increase the number of health care professionals in Mississippi, by educating students about health careers, and also by arranging and managing clinical rotations for medical students.  Another duty we are charged with, is to offer continuing education for health care professionals through conferences and seminars.  Lastly, we are involved in community outreach.  We host a support group for women, participate in health fairs, and serve as members of several organizational boards, and coalitions for health related activities.

Our plan for this blog is to have "guest" bloggers (so you won't get bored).  Medical students, nurses, doctors, and other health care providers will be telling us all about their professional lives.  It is our hope that learning about what it is like to be a doctor, nurse, physical therapist, physician's assistant, etc., will encourage students to perhaps enter that field. 

Please feel free to ask a question, post a comment, or submit a guest blog.