Where are all the psychitrists?

Seeing the devastation of New Orleans certainly had a sobering affect on me. I had thought after two years things would be back to normal, but boarded-up and gutted houses was what I had been warned about.

What I didn't expect to see was a lack of mental health professionals. If ever there was a supply of people needing help, it is in post-Katrina New Orleans. Read more here including Dr. Kevin Stephens' comment that "we have a lot of post-traumatic stress. We have a lot of depression. We have a lot of suicides. We have a lot of challenges in terms of mental health. And, in fact, a lot of people self-medicate by using alcohol and other drugs."

The professionals we visited certainly validated this over and over again.

In talking with one nurse at the PACE Center, she told of how people just needed to talk--to tell their story, and what they had experienced.

Learning to listen. Taking time to listen. Maybe if all of us did a better job of listening to the needs and concerns of others around us, we might help them through the difficulties they are facing.

Eye Doctors alive and well

Ophthalmologists spent the first 20 minutes of their annual meeting in New Orleans talking about politics—not eyes. Powerpoint slides outlined the group's lobbying efforts to stop the 10.1 percent fee cut in medicare legislation pending before the United States Senate.

Who can blame them though? These physicians went to college and medical school and did residencies and fellowships--all to have the federal government threaten yet another cut to services they provide for older Americans in particular: cataract surgery, AMD treatment, and Glaucoma.

They quickly moved on to the latest procedures, drugs, and experiments that will prevent blindness, and help Americans be able to see better and longer: something they would rather be doing than lobbying the US Congress.

Dentists are in the health workforce too

Dental, or oral health, is often overlooked. Would it surprise you to know that tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease; five times more common than asthma. Untreated tooth decay has been associated with eating, learning and speech problems and diminished self-esteem in children, a Kansas website reported Saturday.

The Mercy Clinic has a "dental day" every Friday for those who qualify. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Dentists in the Athens area have been more responsive than doctors at giving their time to the Mercy Clinic. With dental work like "fillings" and "root canals" being very expensive these days, this is a wonderful service to provide.

The American Dental Association has a ton of reports on the state of the dental workforce in America. See more at www.ada.org

Dental insurance policies are usually not a great deal, and most people do not have them. Therefore, we often wait to go to the dentist when there is problem. When is the last time you had your teeth cleaned? Maybe you should make that appointment this week.