Topic: make friends with the state health dept...how many states can we get covered??
timaca
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6911
posted
Hi all~
Here is an idea, which seems to be working in my state. Find out who is the head of the Vector Borne Disease at your State Health Dept.
Make an appt and go talk with him. Explain that you have lyme, and you are concerned that people in your state are not getting diagnosed.
(You might get the reply that in their opinion people are getting overdiagnosed).
Ask if they have had the opportunity to attend the LDA annual meeting or the ILADS annual meeting.
(You will probably get the reply that they don't have the funds to attend such a meeting.)
You might then suggest that you'd be happy to send them some DVDs if they would like to watch them. I think the 2004 DVDs from ILADS is $30. (I'd have to check--but they aren't much) Same with last years LDA conference.
Then, mail them the DVDs. Stay in touch a bit via e-mail if possible. Make a friend!
What I've found out is the man in charge of vector borne disease at my state health dept knows the lyme tests aren't good. He is finacially constrained from attending meeting (aren't goverments like that?)...so really, he isn't as up to date as he might like to be.
We can fix that!
I am hoping to keep up a bit of a friendship with this guy. Some day, I'll actually look at our state health depts website and suggest that he put something on it about ILADS and the LDA.
First, I thought I'd just start with him viewing the DVDs.
SO....go at it...my state is covered (AZ). Let's see how many other states we can get educated!
Timaca
Posts: 2872 | From above 7,000 ft in a pine forest | Registered: Feb 2005
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-------------------- "Data over dogma, Evidence over egos, Patients over politics" -- one smart dude from Missouri Posts: 112 | From TN USA | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
I have been e-mailing my county health department educational and controversy stuff. I didn't think about state. Thanks for the Idea.
I got my health departments e-mail address when I called to check and see if I had been reported for having lyme. I wasn't, so they called my initial diagnosing doctor. I still didn't count, because no doctor saw my EM in person, but only saw my photograph!!!!
Posts: 258 | From Washington State | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
Very good idea! If your state doesn't have a vector-borne disease person, they may just have an infectious disease person. State budgets are pretty strapped, and they may have a lot of staff wearing a lot of hats.
States also are *seriously* limiting the travel their officials can take, especially out of state. Many/most are not able to attend conferences and meetings which might expose them to new and different messages. Bringing the message to them is a great idea, and especially if you can get a couple of people together to meet with them.
Thanks!
Posts: 393 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Jun 2005
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timaca
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6911
posted
von~ That is amazing about the photograph of the EM rash not counting. But then again, they can't be sure it was your rash, so I can see their point. You're doing the right thing...making contacts, and letting them know lyme is in their state. Building bridges is good.
By the way, I used to live in Seattle and Olympia! Say Hi to the NW for me!
Docjen~ Yes, learning how tight the state budgets are was enlightening to me too. You would think the head of a vector borne disease could attend the annual lyme conference...but no. SO...bring the lyme conference to him! Hopefully, it will give him a perspective that he hasn't be exposed to (through no fault of his own).
Timaca
Posts: 2872 | From above 7,000 ft in a pine forest | Registered: Feb 2005
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Ann-OH
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2020
posted
I have been working with the Vector-borne program of our State Health dept. for many years.
They are really good people. Here is a website where you can look at one of their publications here in Ohio. http://tinyurl.com/rpgjl
Maybe you can send a copy of this to your Vector-borne dept. and ask them to produce something similar and send it out to all the county health depts.
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