NCFH out and about 2013

Agricultural Safety and Health – Iowa | Warwick Campdraft and Rodeo | The Project | Sound Audits | Alpine Valley Vignerons SFF Program | Mudgegonga Landcare Group | Canadian Delegation Visits NCFH | Wooroonook SFF Workshop | University of Tasmania | NCFH and QRME at FarmFest 2013 QLD | Macalister Demonstration Farm Field Days | Community Forum with Hon. Tony Abbott  |  International Rotary Professionals visit NCFH

Agricultural Safety and Health – Iowa

Director Susan Brumby has been in Iowa, based at the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa. Part of this placement has included visiting farms, presenting at conferences about farmer health in Australia and completing a comparison of students who studied Agricultural Medicine from Australia and USA.
During Sue’s stay in Iowa, she had the opportunity to view the Iowa Centre for Agricultural Safety and Health’s portable clinic, which can be used to attend fairs and conduct safety demonstrations.

Warwick Campdraft and Rodeo

The NCFH team recently headed to Warwick Campdraft and Rodeo, Monday 21st of October through to Friday 25th October. The NCFH partnered with Queensland Rural Medical Education (QRME) and Darling Downs South West Queensland Medicare Local (DDSWQML) to deliver over 190 health assessments to competing campdrafters, bull-riders, barrel racers, committee members and spectators alike. The unique partnership between the NCFH, QRME and DDSWQML takes the next step in bringing health and wellbeing to the agricultural industry at their own industry events. This partnership is building on its success from the recent FarmFest in Toowoomba. The partnership brings together education of medical students giving them rural competencies, serviced delivery with the health assessments and building a profile of the health and wellbeing of agricultural workers in Queensland. The partnership has been a great hit with participants providing ongoing positive feedback and at Warwick, Neville Fanning, President of the Rodeo thought that the health assessments were a wonderful opportunity for everyone attending to have a health check and get involved with their own health.
The partnership is heading next to Kingaroy and Charleville in 2014.

The Project

The Project recently visited the National Centre for Farmer Health to report on the Sustainable Farm Families program. The Project also visited local farms of previous SFF participants to meet with them. The Project is an Australian talk show television program which airs across Australia on Channel 10 focussing on the weeks news.  Sustainable Farm Families participants from the successful Hamilton Pastoral and Agricultural Society Inc and the Glenthompson Dunkeld Football Netball Club programs were invited to attend a half day catch up session and refresher and to meet The Project team.  Past participants had a great catch up and enabled them to continue to monitor their health conditions.  The segment on Sustainable Farm Families appeared on The Project – Thursday 11th July at 6:30pm on Channel 10. (Presenters Carrie Bickmore, Charlie Pickering, and guest presenters Dr Chris Brown and Peter Helliar).  We also invite you to join the conversation on Twitter @Farmerhealth and  @theprojecttv using the hashtag  #FundSFF.

Sound Noise Audits – Inglewood district, Violet Town and Shepparton

Adrian is currently travelling through the North of Victoria undertaking sound noise audits on farms as part of the NHMRC project.
The NHMRC project focuses on reducing the impact of hearing loss on farmers and increasing their capacity to reduce their noise exposure.
These on farm noise audits are following on from recent audits carried out in the Inglewood and districts area.

Alpine Valley Vignerons SFF Program – final 2013

At the Alpine Valley Vignerons Sustainable Farm Families final workshop. Despite the conclusion of the Alpine Valley Vignerons SFF workshop the group committed to following up their health as a group annually.

Alpine Valley Vignerons SFF program – final

Kathy Ahearn, Laurel Aitken, Laura Nelson, with Alison Hescock (Alpine Valley Health), Russell Maher (Northeast Health) and Mick Dalbosco (Industry group leader)

Alpine Valley Vignerons share their last SFF workshop

Mudgegona Landcare Group SFF Program

Mudgegonga Landcare Group Sustainable Farm Families program learning about respiratory health and its impact on breathing

Mudgegonga Landcare Group Sustainable Farm Families program learning about respiratory health and its impact on breathing

Participants at the Mudgegonga Landcare Group SFF program getting active

Participants at the Mudgegonga Landcare Group Sustainable Farm Families program getting active and learning about physical activity.

Canadian Delegation visits – June 2013

The Canadian delegation on their fact finding mission to learn more about Sustainable Farm Families which included first hand experience of a final SFF workshop in Alpine Valley.

Alpine Valley Vignerons SFF – final and Canadian delegation on a fact finding mission

The Canadian delegation on their fact finding mission. L-R Kathy Ahern, Laurel Aitken and Laura Nelson

Wooroonook SFF Workshop – June 2013

A cold wintery morning – sun rises over the CFA shed – caravans are ready – heaters on!
The Wooroonook farming group eagerly gathered for their third and final SFF workshop and shared their stories of improved health, wellbeing and safety being achieved. Amongst other health topics, the physical activity session was delivered where they put their learnings into action!

University of Tasmania June 2013

Dr Lizzi Shires, Co-Director of the UTAS Rural Clinical School and Susan Brumby at the Rural Clinical School Burnie after Susan’s presentation “Building capacity in Agricultural Health and Medicine” on June 13.
This presentation was video linked to 9 sites across Tasmania.

NCFH and QRME at FarmFest 2013 QLD – May 2013

On Sunday 2nd June, the National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) team headed to Toowoomba to meet with their partners Queensland Rural Medical Education (QRME).  The purpose of the meeting was to teach Griffith University medical students (3rd and 4th year) about working with farmers in the delivery of health and lifestyle assessments and then putting this training into practice at Queensland’s FarmFest.  The training delivered on Monday 3rd June was a great success with over fifteen students volunteering to be part of the program and develop their clinical skills under the supervision of Susan Brumby, Adrian Calvano, (NCFH) and Scott Kitchener and Jane Harte (QRME).

Tuesday saw the dawn of a beautiful crisp sunny day and farmers eager to learn more about their health.  The medical students (3rd year) did an absolutely fabulous job and delivered over 60 health assessments with an array of referrals to the Senior Medical Registrar and Psychologist for elevated blood pressure, lipids and Kessler K10 psychological distress scores.  By Wednesday word had spread and queues of farmers/pastoralists/graziers were forming at the start of the day for their health and lifestyle assessments. Another successful day with the medical students (4th year) completing over 60 health assessments and similar referrals.  Thursday was again equally successful.
A special thank you for the fabulous support from the Darling Downs Medicare Local and their associated partners (Queensland Health, Heart Foundation, Bowel screen) and the free healthy soup was sensational, along with the provision of the recipes.

This opportunity for junior doctors to get a holistic experience in the assessment of metabolic risk especially within rural communities is invaluable.  This is not something that is covered in the hospital and is essential for effective general practice.
Dr. Stuart Glastonbury

The delivery of health and lifestyle assessments in Queensland is an initiative of the National Centre for Farmer Health delivered in partnership with Queensland Rural Medical Education.
If you missed out on this opportunity to visit us and have your and health and lifestyle assessment with tomorrows Doctors – come and visit us at the Warwick Rodeo, 21st – 27th October 2013 

Macalister Demonstration Farm: Health and Safety Field Day – May 2013

Jacquie Cotton, National Centre for Farmer Health, providing a brief synopsis of the involvement of the National Centre for Farmer Health at the Macalister Demonstration Farm Health and Safety Field Day.
Information provided in this video clip is valid at time of filming: 14 May 2013.

National Centre for Farmer Health attends Community Forum with the Hon. Tony Abbott May 1st, 2013

Question for the Hon. Tony Abbott
Mr. Abbott, I am interested in your views on rural and regional health and in particular the health of farm men and women and agricultural workers. As you are aware Western District Health Service houses the National Centre for Farmer Health and has provided services across Australia and brings people to Hamilton. It (the centre) has had fantastic feedback, positive independent evaluations and showed a huge cost benefit analysis to government in the areas of preventive diseases and changing behaviours on health, farm injury and safety. I know as a former minister for health you were focused on preventive health and outcomes in rural and regional areas – Could you provide some general comments about your commitment to rural health services and in particular Farmer Health?
Thank you

Visit from Rotary International professionals to NCFH

NCFH had the pleasure of hosting a team of Rotary International professionals on a group study exchange during their visit to Hamilton and WDHS, Shannon Wallingford and Amanda Farnham together with their team leader Karen Macier. The team where visiting from New York State and come from a range of backgrounds including massage and medical technology.