Lead Poisoning: Gone but Not Forgotten

There was an article on April 21, 2010 featured in the http://www.nytimes.com which describes a mother in Staten Island who has a child who was tested for lead poisoning. The results show that he had double the level of lead than the federal government considers cause of concern about poisoning. This issue has decreased throughout the years that it was almost considered a thing of the past. There are jurisdiction that do not have lead hazard laws which require landlords to check exposed lead based paint if children are living in the home. The compliance in New York City is lacking despite a comprehensive law which was passed in 2004. There was a survey among 120 tenants in Bushwick, Brooklyn which reported 59% of landlords has not followed any of the law.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) http://www.epa.gov will design a regulation that requires renovation and remodeling contractors to be certified in techniques for containing lead dust created during work. As a result, contractors are aware that the cost of renovation projects will increase in cost. This rule would apply to homes that were built before lead paint was banned in 1978. Governor David Paterson is researching ways to incorporate lead inspections into requirements for building permits and state assistance such as money for weatherization projects. The boroughs with the highest amount of lead in the soil are Brooklyn, Staten Island and Queens. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HUD) reported there were 31,463 violations in 2009 and the cost of repair reached $6 million. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) http://www.cdc.gov has prevention tips on how to protect children from lead paint, especially those under the age of 6 years who are at risk. It is estimated that 24 million housing units have leaded paint and lead contaminated house dust.

To illustrate this topic, the video "Lead Poisoning in Kids" was provided by the show How Stuff Works on February 20, 2009. It was aired on the Discovery Channel.

Healthcare Professionals and Client Violence in the Workplace

Let's begin by defining workplace violence which is a threat, verbal abuse, physical assaullt or a homicide against workers. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)http://www.osha.gov/ reported that healthcare and social services are the most at risk in any type of environment. Some of the risk factors are: weapons, the increase of mentally ill patients released from hospitals without followup care, long patient waits in emergency rooms, drug abuse, low staff, isolated work areas, and lack of training in how to recognize and handle hostile clients.

Employers have protocal in place such as handbooks detailing the procedures if one should encountera violent situations. Employees are undergoing safety education by utilizing the buddy system. This term is used when co-workers leave a facility in pairs to minimize the chances of an incident occurring to them.

On http://www.nyc.gov/ there was an article posted on February 27, 2007 where Mayor Bloomberg discussed that his office would work towards assaulting an ACS social worker a felony crime. This protection was granted to teachers, police officers, and transit workers.

Last year, my agency organized a safety workshop on how employees could keep themselves safe when working in an unsafe neighborhood. I expected the agency to provide additional training on how to defend oneself from a hostile client. This brings to mind--will an employee be reprimanded if he/she physically defend oneself from such a person or will this be a conflict of interest since we are hired to provide supportive services.

Medical Crisis and Healthcare Reform

There was an article posted on http://www.cnnmoney.com/ on March 17, 2010 written by Parija Kavilanz which focused on the medicaid issue faced by a pediatric practice in Georgia. A doctor had to refer a child to a pediatric orthopedic surgeon who would take Medicaid. The process took a long time and the injury healed on its own.

The Medicaid problem is causing doctors from taking new patients or dropping them. The reinbursement payments are low so businesses have closed. As a result, doctors are viewing more patients. Staff and doctors at this practice were laid off due to low income who are immigrants and refugee who have special needs.

For comparison, Medicaid payments are lower than Medicare. Medicare charges $100 for an elderly person's visit. Doctors are reinbursed $76, but if a child on Medicaid has the same illness the reinbursement is $50. There are differences between the two. Medicare rates are set by Congress and Medicaid allows the state to pay whatever they want. Doctors are concerned the budget crisis will cause more reinbursement cuts. I can relate with this article, when one of my patients was unable to locate a dermatologist for her daughter with Medicaid in New York City.

This brings up the controversey of healthcare reform. What concerns me are the penalties for people who do not get medical coverage both individually and for business owners. What if someone is not able to manage the financial responsibilities? I do not agree with this proposal. I favor how the managed care companies will not be able to discontinue coverage for someone with a pre-existing condition. At least this action will save many lives.

Census 2010: Extended Families Reaches A High

According to the census analysis, the extended family is increasing due to delayed marriage, immigration, foreclosure and job loss due to the economy. During 2008, the beginning of the recession about 2.6 million more Americans lived in multigenerational household than did the year before. There is an increase of a family members 65 years and older. Many them do not want to be a burden to their children, but often they are left with no other alternative. The populations represented in these statistics are Black, Asian, and Hispanic Americans than Non-Whites.To date nearly half the 49 million Americans living in extended families are made up of two adult generations with the youngest being 25 years old.

As the recession deficit continues to rise, the extended family under the same household will be a growing trend. This is a unnerving reality in which we are moving backwards instead of forwards. Today's society is a reflection of many years ago when our parents experienced the Great Depression--unfortunally it's our turn. To read this article in it's entirety go to http://www.nytimes.com/ which was written by Mr. Sam Roberts and published on March 18, 2010.

My New Chat Room for Trichotillomania

I have created a new chatroom for Trichotillomania which is a obsessive compulsive disorder in which someone has the uncontrollable urge to pull their hair. This creates low self esteem and depression. It's on AOL Chat Aim. See the link below. http://chat.aim.com/chats/health/trichotillomania-1-

The National Urban League--Economic Crisis

I received the below email about the economic crisis.

Out of Work But Not Out of Hope
Congressional Black Caucus Hearing

The National Urban League "Jobs Surge"


The Congressional Black Caucus has invited the National Urban League to join it in a national focus on jobs. Government must act now because many Americans can no longer wait while Washington drags its feet and offers up lukewarm solutions to burning crises. Unemployment among African Americans is 15.8% and 42% for African American teenagers as we approach the summer months. Washington must create new jobs now-- a Jobs Surge-- before conditions get even worse.

That is why I am calling upon you and millions of Americans across the nation to share your challenges and experiences during this Great Recession. Your voice must be heard in Washington even if you are not there in person. Next Wednesday, March 17, 2010 on Capitol Hill, the Congressional Black Caucus is hosting a jobs hearing, and I want to share with them and the nation what you are experiencing. I need you to help me tell them just how bad things have gotten for communities.

You can send a personal message via email to mystory@iamempowered.com or post a video on our YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/IAmEmpoweredVideo. It is your turn to tell how challenging the economy is for urban communities, the unemployed and their families, teenagers, and minority-owned businesses. This is your chance to have your say. I will present your personal testimony to the media and Members of Congress that morning. This opportunity might never come again for you to testify before Congress. Your voice will finally be heard! You are finally empowered!

I need your testimony by next Tuesday, March 16, 2010 by 12 PM (eastern) so that you can tell the House and Senate that you demand to be heard. I look forward to reading your messages and watching your videos.

Birth certificates and the Puerto Rican Community

There was an article written by Emily Ngo on March 10, 2010 for AMNY (AM New York, the free newspaper) about how Puerto Rican's identity theft has increased due to stolen birth certificates. The community critized the Puerto Rican government of allowing this to happen and putting everyone at risk.This has created a lot of panic that has many running to getting new documents.There is a black market in the price range of $5000 to $10000 per birth certficate. Government officials in New York stated that the public is overreacting. That once you are settled in New York that no one will request a birth certificate. In my opinion, these officials are underreacting. If someone's identity is stolen it can create distruction which takes time and money to resolve. For more information, go to the Puerto Rican Federal Affairs website http://www.prfaa.com. They represent the government of P.R. before the federal, state, and local government. Their goal is to improve the quality of life for all Puerto Ricans.