Missouri AgrAbility hosted the veteran track at the Brain Injury Association 13th Annual Statewide Professional Conference, October 5-7, 2017, at the Marriott St. Louis West, Main Ballroom, in St. Louis, Missouri. Participants on Thursday, October 5, were mainly professionals of various disciplines who provide care of survivors of brain injury on a regular or periodic basis. Among them were occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists, social workers, case managers, psychologists, physicians, service coordinators, vocational rehabilitation counselors, nurses, and community living assistants. One hundred seventy-five participants attended. Karen Funkenbusch also presented "Veterans and Agriculture: Gaining Ground" at the conference on October 5.
On October 18, 2017, Missouri AgrAbility staff members Karen Funkenbusch and Abby Yarick, along with Level II AgrAbility Onsite Assessor David Middleton and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Jennifer Wynne, visited a young farmer with a spinal cord injury in the Daviess County area to facilitate an onsite farmstead assessment. Used as a way to better understand the size and scope of the client's farming operation and their role in it, AgrAbility onsite farmstead assessments are a crucial part in making sure appropriate adaptive and assistive technologies are recommended. "Seeing the farm helps us, as staff and professionals, better understand the farming situation and remains a crucial part in us helping our farmers achieve success and a better quality of life as they continue to do what they know and love," says AgrAbility staff Abby Yarick. As a farmer who is post-two-years recovery from his spinal cord injury, this young farmer expressed his eagerness to begin helping his father with their family owned cattle operation. From feeding cattle to hauling them to the market, AgrAbility staff and other professionals discussed in detail the endless opportunities, alternatives, and farming technologies, available to him. While there is much to consider when making sure this young farmer becomes independent and successful in his family's farming operation, Missouri AgrAbility remains dedicated to helping their farmers achieve just that. Moving forward, AgrAbility hopes to be able to provide safe and viable suggestions to the young farmer that will open up a completely new world of opportunities for him to be productive and profitable in agriculture.
Submitted by Karen Funkenbusch
Kelly Cochran, PharmD, BCPS, will present an AgriSafe webinar tilted, "Pharm to Farm: Partnerships to make clinical pharmacy services available to Missouri farmers," on Thursday, December 7, from 12-1 .m.p CST.
https://attendee.gototraining.com/r/7432587937795378177
Summary:
This session will discuss the partnerships and collaborations to deliver clinical pharmacy services to farmers and ranchers, as well as describe how health professions students are trained to become partners in agricultural health and safety.
Objectives: At the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:
Submitted by: Kelly Cochran