Mental Health Literacy Continues: Lauren Hale on PPD

Thursday March 1 at 8pm ET/ 6pm MT/ 5pm PT, please join #hchlitss as we continue our series on mental health literacy with our guest @unxpectedblessing, Lauren Hale.  Lauren Hale has been blogging for five years on the topic postpartum mood disorder.  She hosts #ppdchat, a tweetchat specifically for women suffering from ppd and for those who have survived ppd and is starting a chat for professionals involved in treating women in ppd.  As she eloquently states, she blogs and tweets about ppd "because when I was clawing my way out of the dark rabbit hole into which I fell, all I wanted was another Mom to tell me everything would be okay. I needed to hear that I wasn’t alone. I needed whispered words of hope in the wee hours of the night. I needed to NOT be alone in that dark damp hole."   Her blog is titled "My Postpartum Voice".

Mental Health Advocacy with Cindy Nelson, NAMIMass

Cindy Nelson, @NAMIMass, was our guest on February 23, 2011.  We had a chat jam-packed with information about mental health.  


First the chat started with a huge number of statistics about mental illness and mental health. Here is a list of important facts about mental health.

•        Suicide has increased (largely due to the prolonged poor economic conditions) http://t.co/17AgiLQr
•          90%+ of those who die by suicide have a diagnosable mental illness. http://t.co/ZauDLpyj
•          Of the 20% living with a mental illness, 67% haven’t received any treatment largely due to the stigma 
•   One out of five people are dealing wth a mental illness in any given year meaning EVERYBODY KNOWS SOMEBODY who is living with a mental illness!
•          4.8% have a serious mental illness that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities in the past year
•          50% of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14; 75% by age 24
•          In 2009 1% of U.S. adults made suicide plans in the past yr, 0.5% or 1 Million ) attempted suicide according to the latest available data.
•          3.7% of adults had suicidal thoughts in past year. The highest number among age 18-25 yrs 6.0%, then age 26-49 yrs 4.3%
•          37% individuals with an alcohol disorder and 53% of individuals with a drug disorder have also been found to have a mental illness

A participant informed the group that, "Neuropsychiatric Lyme disease causes much suffering because of the stigma attached to both mental illness and Lyme.  [It] can be a cause of suicides."

Mental illness is a worldwide phenomenon.  A participant from Australia provided some important facts as well.

•  Over six million work days are lost in Australia each year due to depression alone.

• Around one in six Australian men suffer from depression at any given time

• Four times more young men than young women commit suicide (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2000)

Our group was reminded by a chat member, "Stats are good and hard hitting, but a conversation with a mentally ill person speaks volumes and is more personal."

When we talk about mental health literacy are we really talking about coming out of the closet about mental illness?

According to Ms. Nelson, "For some of us at a good place in our recovery we are comfortable disclosing our illness. It’s not a badge of courage or shame.  [But] Disclosing a mental illness is up to the individual. It has to be carefully thought out. You have to have a thick skin.  Disclosing is not a requirement but educating the people around you about mental illness is helpful for everyone in the long run."

"Remaining silent is not an option in the long run if we are to change the minds of how people think about mental illness."


" [It's important to] Get to know us and about mental illness. More of us would feel better about speaking up/out if we knew we wouldn't be ostracized.  That person you know [with mental illness] doesn't feel safe telling you because they fear you will abandon them as a friend, loved one, family member."

"That person you know is feeling partially isolated from you because they feel have to keep this secret from you to protect themselves."

               

How do we get beyond the stigma of mental illness?

One participant pointed out that “mental illness still has shame attached to it, from past eras.”  Many agreed.

"Also people with mental illness have history of being locked away, either at home or an institution...hence [the] stigma."  Cindy Nelson stated, “Acceptance is key-take us as we are we don’t want sympathy we just want acceptance.”

Another participant stated, “It's very hard for most people to accept that any substance addiction or eating disorders are REAL mental illnesses.”

Ms. Nelson countered, “Why is it any harder than to accept cancer? Or diabetes? Or epilepsy?

Don’t lump us all together or by what you see in media. We are each unique, the illness is only one part of us. We have many parts."

Agreeing the participant added, "Most people think those behaviors can just be controlled-[they] don't get that [there is] often an underlying issue i.e.- BPD, bipolar2, depression."

"One of the most important factors in recovery from mental illness is understanding and acceptance by family/friends," Ms. Nelson noted.

Another participant said, "Many times the 'judgmental people' are educated...but they still discriminate… some states will not even cover mental health (individual)...."

"[We should] talk about mental illness like it's a sprained ankle," another participant suggested.

  Yet another participant remarked, "Fear of losing insurance coverage is real! Once it's in your chart, you can be denied.[coverrage]  Another agreed, "  And they fear about Losing jobs/Health insurance/Dignity/Respect.   Still so stigmatized."


Ms. Nelson reminded us, "One out of five people are dealing with mental illness in any given year. [This] means EVERYBODY KNOWS SOMEBODY who is living with a mental illness.Stigma is shame. Shame causes silence. Silence hurts us all. Let's everyone speak up about it!  Remember that at one time no one talked about the C [cancer] word but now ... Let's make it the same for mental illness."  

The discussion turned toward education. 

Another chat member stated that, "Education is the way to get past the stigma! Education about chemical inbalance, about mental health in general, about disease." 

Ms. Nelson agreed, "Educating children about mental health combining it with health [education] would be ideal and continue this education through high school.  Education is an antidote to stigma. Learn and talk about mental illness. Early detection, education and treatment is best."  

She recommends, "Get to know how to help someone with a mental illness who is in crisis. Anyone can learn (just as you would CPR or Heimlich.).   Know the lifeline 1-800-273-8255 or http://t.co/sCfhr8qh 24/7 when you or someone you know needs help http://t.co/Mmoudb11"

How do we educate our legislators?

"Mental health services and suicide prevention education have been proven to save lives. We have to continue to fund these priorities." Ms. Nelson stated.  "Legislators need to hear people’s stories, of how cuts in mental health services are affecting their lives and their loved ones.  Legislator’s need to hear from voters affected by cuts in mental health services/suicide education." Ms. Nelson supports "Email/write/call -tell your story! [There are] Lots of stories of how mental health services have helped you/your loved one recover/return to work/school –saved your life.  Most mental health advocacy organizations sponsor advocacy days at state legislators, get involved, take part.  If you’re really brave, go to hearings on bills that are important to you and testify. You can submit written testimony too."

A participant noted, "Legislative attention seems to occur when mental illness occurs in the family of a legislator  Major problem for all is that mental health services are being shut down, even as insurance parity is implemented. No one's doing anything."

"Look what I found!A chat group member excitedly said, "Tweet your Elected Officials to help support @namimass http://t.co/O7ebCuUY, "

Payment for treatment is mostly out of pocket since health insurance doesn't cover the full cost of medications, psychologists or psychiatrists? What can we do?

Ms. Nelson maintained, "There are several things people can do: talk to your legislators about parity for mental health    Talk to your legislators about access to more than medications for appropriate treatment options. Medications alone is not sufficient treatment.   If you don’t have insurance look for patient assistance programs in your state and from pharmaceutical cos for medications.   Contact your local community health/mental health center to find out about services at a sliding scale fee or free.  Contact your teaching hospitals/medical school programs and see if they have any clinics you can participate in.  Contact your local NAMI http://t.co/h87rfjRq and see what they tell you is available in your area."

What is the relationship between the social service safety net and mental illness?

Ms. Nelson answered, "The safety net is the last resort for individuals with very severe and difficult to treat mental illness. It funds programs.  The safety net helps individuals with severe mental illness with programs that provide crisis help and inpatient/outpatient care. These programs help individuals who require close supervision due to brain damage caused by their illness and/or treatment.  Some programs help individuals move from disability to partial disability to resuming a productive life of their choice.  Some programs help individuals move from disability to partial disability to resuming a productive life of their choice."

What is recovery in mental health?

"There is no one definition of recovery. It’s unique to the individual"  But, Ms. Nelson wrote, "For me personally it’s a journey not a destination.   For some people it’s maintaining treatment and returning to work or school, or to their family, it’s up to them.  Many people recover, you encounter them every day, Doctors, attorneys, accountants, receptionists, teachers, pastor/priest, etc.   For some people recovery can be more of a rollercoaster than for others and need to be closely managed.  For some recovery is only a respite between relapses which are not responding to any treatment.  They need our compassion not disdain."  


"[In my case], I keep an open mind, I hope my journey is towards recovery but I remember that there is always a chance of relapse."  

A chatter asked, "Does that help reduce the fear of the illness?"
  

Ms. Nelson answered, "Yes because I accept that it for what it is, I do my best to prevent relapse but it might happen and that's ok.  because after the relapse, there is always a chance for recovery so I guess you could say I always have hope.  I would say that I don't dwell on chance of a relapse... I just stick to my routine as much as possible."


 "Are you at a place you can enjoy the recovery times without being terrified of the next relapse?" the participant asked.  "I don't know if I'm taking care of myself right."


"When told that sticking to a routine helps," Ms. Nelson advised, "Ask what others around you think, those that you trust and see what they say."

Final Thoughts


When asked for her final thoughts, Ms. Nelson presented more options for involvement in mental health advocacy.  "Join a NAMIWalks http://t.co/oksZgujE or Overnight Walk http://t.co/zhRidG1Q near you– these are fighting stigma and raising money  Contact your local NAMI, AFSP, MHA org and ask for someone to come speak about mental illness, suicide and recovery. We’d all love to!  NAMI has In Our Own Voice (IOOV) where two people in recovery talk about their journey http://t.co/2Di9SbBl . American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) has educational resources and activities to share http://t.co/pIFEla1V .  Lots of organizations want to help educate and make talking about mental illness as easy as talking about as cancer – contact one today!" 

Come out, Come out, wherever you are!

This Thursday, February 23, #hchlitss tweetchat is going to explore mental health literacy with @NAMIMass.  NAMI is a Massachusetts state resource for individuals and families facing mental illness.  It's purpose is education, support and advocacy.  


The stigma of mental illness will be discussed.  Watch this video and come to discuss mental health literacy at 8pm ET/ 7pm CT/ 6pm MT,/5pm PT.  

@NamiMass is  Cindy Nelson's twitter handle.  Cindy became involved with NAMI Mass in 1999 after attending one of their family support groups. Cindy started volunteering in the NAMI Mass office in 2002 and then in April 2008, joined the staff part-time. Cindy also teaches the NAMI Family to Family education program. Before joining NAMI Massachusetts she was a successful CPA for 17 years. She suffered a mini-stroke in 2000 and lives with chronic migraines and neuropathy which has also led to depression from time to time.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Massachusetts (NAMI Massachusetts) is a nonprofit grassroots education, support and advocacy organization. Founded in 1982 and obtaining 501(c) (3) status in 1999, the state’s voice on mental illness, NAMI Massachusetts, with 20 local NAMI affiliates and over 2,500 members is comprised of individuals living with mental illness, family members and others in the mental health community.

The affiliates are located throughout the Commonwealth. NAMI Greater Boston CAN (Consumer Advocacy/Affiliate Network) is an independent advocacy affiliate that is instrumental in creating empowerment opportunities for individuals with mental illness in the Greater Boston area. NAMI Latino Metro Boston is a Spanish speaking affiliate.

Our free educational programs offer resources, insights, coping skills, and genuine support for families and those in recovery. Our volunteers who run our educational offerings strive to better equip the class participants with the knowledge they need to navigate the mental health system. All of our programs are taught by peers; people who have lived the journey and can relate on a personal level to those seeking knowledge and comfort. These volunteers are trained by NAMI Massachusetts according to the best practices instituted by NAMI National. 

Please join us and learn more about advocating for mental health literacy.

Amanda Trujillo, RN vs. Arizona Nursing Board and Banner Del Ward Hospital: Health literacy, End of Life Care and Nursing Advocacy for Patients in the Healthcare Setting

Amanda Trujillo, RN

February 16, 2012 Amanda Trujillo, RN joined #hchlitss to discuss the circumstances around being fired for providing information and education to a patient.  This is a summary of the tweetchat.  The full tweetchat is available as well.  

The chat began with introductions:

My name is Amanda, I[']m 38, RN of 6 years. Currently doctorate np [Nurse Practitioner] student and single mama. [I have] 6 dachshunds and one teenager.***

Asked about her graduate work she wrote: 

“I love it!!! I[']m currently in research, adv[anced] pathophys[iology], and assessment 

Q1: Give [us] a little background about your situation then please explain informed consent as simply as possible.

Back in April last year [2011],[I was] fired {from Banner Del Webb Hospital in Sun City, Arizona} for providing education to a patient who had [a] gross misunderstanding of transplant process. [The] patient asked for hospice consult to ask more questions[and] to eval[uate his/her] options.  [I] placed a case m[ana]g[e]m[en]t consult for hospice with a note that it was [at the] patient['s] request[The doc[tor] became furious and insisted I be fired. 

My belief is that informed consent is something the doc[tor] gets--it involves surgery jargon, risks and benefits. It's been my understanding that patients have the right to access to information to help determine [their] course of care. People think I called hospice or ordered hospice care. {This didn't happen}****...[It's] not my job to get informed consent. 

Q2:  Can you explain what you mean by a "gross misunderstanding" please? 

The patient was under the impression they were going to be zipped on over to another[hospital] to get another organ and sent right back home "to start life over again.  They had no idea that there was a complex process or what was involved in the eval[uation] process----transplant eval[uation]s are painfully cold and invasive …

Responding to a participant's comment that transplants are expensive she replied: 

Ohhh my goodness[!] Very expensive and massive resources mobilized to complete the eval[uation]...  I had ordered case m[ana]g[e]m[en]t consults nummerous times previous to this. 

Q3: A MD blogged that" there is a whole gr[ou]p of classes transplant p[atien]ts are required to take in eval[uation]. process [for a ]new liver." Is this true? 

Every transplant center has different criteria, but it is an extensive physical and emotional process-the eval[uation]. 

Q4: But the eval[uation] didn't provide any information about what was going to happen? or about alternatives? 

[The] patient had no clue there was a process or that there was even
the chance they wouldn't be candidate [for the liver transplant]. [The] patient had no idea about UNOS [United Network for Organ Sharing] or [that there was a] waitlist or that after transplant there was a strict self[-]care regimen. The physical and psych[ological] eval[uation] they would have had to endure would have been painful in and of itself.... How do you let your patient walk into pain or danger and not let them decide? 

Q5: OH, [so you are saying] the p[atien]t was at the beginning of the eval[uation] process...

not slated for a transplant the next day?

Correct, patient was going for eval[uation] early [the] next morning--which is a
series of very invasive physical tests and then psych[ological] consult, psychosocial consult, financial eval[uation]. 

Q6: [The] Impress[ion].given by blogging MD was that this p[atien]t. was going to have [a] transplant [the] next day..The p[atien]t was in the beginning [of the process and] not told alt[ernative]s. 

No, [the] patient was not aware they had the option of no more invasive treatment. They
thought they had to do this.  [The]  p[atien]t had been [i]n [the] hosp[ital] for 7 days when I did [a] learning assessment.  [There were] no educational material[s]...in the room pertaining to their disease or medications.  [The] patient was unable to answer basic questions pertaining to their disease or medications or plan of care. 

Q7. MD wrote [in his blog] "nurse obtain "consent"-piece of paper we ask p[atien]ts to sign if p[atien]t has [question]s RN always calls MD to answer" Why [was it] diff[erent] here? 

There's no need for consent, I guess, for a transplant eval[uation]. 

i should assert that when i was hired i printed out all policies and put them in a book for reference so i knew my limits and i hadnt ever been disciplined for case mgmt consults before 

Q8:  To what extent do you believe that power differences between you and the doc[tor] play a role in [you] being fired? 

Big. There was no culture of teamwork at this hosp[ital]. No initiatives in place to encourage interdisciplinary communicat[ion].  I had reported, as had other RNs abusive behaviors by doc[tor]s on several occasions. On two occasions doc[tor]s ignored my calls for help when patients were crashing....There was no nurse physician rounding. 

Q9:  [You had] never been disciplined for case management consults before…Why this time?

That is the golden question.... I had written the medical director twice about physician abuse of nurses.... There was no patient education in the room about the eval[uation] nor did they know there was an eval[uation].  They thought they were going to get the organ the next day. There were family issues the patient was concerned about.--One of the reasons [the] patient wanted to go home (they verbalized to me) that it was important to them to spend what time they had with mom and dad. Dad had hands full caring for mom. Dad was not a part of this shift's events. 

Q10: Were you [working] at the hospital full time? {impression from MD blog was that she was not a full time employee--asked here for clarification}

Yes full time. [In] Progressive care tele[metry]/

Q11:  What are the next steps for you? How are you doing?

I wish I knew...I wish I knew. 

Q12:  Let me ask this: what can folks do to help you? 

Some new charges have been filed against me by the [Arizona State Nursing] board accusing me of not being in school.  {Note:  see https://webapp4.asu.edu/directory/person/444483  Amanda Trujillo, on February 17, 2012 is listed as a graduate student at Arizona State University}

 I need help with legal fees big time.  I hate to be blunt, but tomorrow {February 17}is D day to secure an attorney and I'll need help paying the attorney. 

 ...I need my story out there because a law has to be passed to protect nurses.  This can't happen to another nurse ever again, so people have to keep talking about it. 

 They {The Arizona Nursing Board} are wanting to discipline me for using student credentials and are accusing me of not being in school. 

...I'm not rolling over and showing my belly--I did nothing wrong in this situation so why do I have to stay silent and not contest it or defend my integrity?

Q13: How can folks send money to support? 

Donations, more information at http://t.co/9At0IBvB please. and there is http://t.co/QV3jRoor 

Only $1300 has been raised.  The link to contribute is http://t.co/DePa6bGX

Q14:  Have you had the "psych" eval that they [Arizona Board of Nursing] are trying to use against you? 

No,  I asked for an extention and received that denial today along with new
charges. I have asked the Former Attorney General Grant Woods to take my case, I put an urgent call out today to see if he decided.  I fired my previous attorney. 

Today was a hard day,  but I am trying to stay faithful.....my daughter is pretty scared now. I feel bad she grabbed the letter from me and just melted when she read it, then she got mad. 

Just want our life back and our future. I never realized people had this much power. I seriously just want our life to get back to normal. that's all. Nothing huge. 

My experience, my story, means nothing if it doesn't get into the hands of every nurse. I'm being silenced here, but not outside of Arizona.   

It has to because nurses here are already not talking anymore—

 They have told me this.  

When nurses don't talk, people die and that is unacceptable.

 I just want to survive this..... I want both me and my daughter to survive this--and my family. I don't know, after today, I'm having doubts....I don't know what else to do after today.... I've been writing letters and fighting for 10 months.  

 ***punctuation and capitalization has been added. 140 characters requires the use of shortened forms of words.  Left out letters are added for clarification and are in []
****Moderators' note.

  

Amanda Trujillo

The Health Communication, Health Literacy, and Social Science #hchlitss Twitter chat welcomes Amanda Trujillo #AmandaTrujillo on Thursday February 16th at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT. In April of 2011, Amanda Trujillo was fired from Banner Del Webb Hospital in Sun City, Arizona for providing a patient education. Since then, as Amanda states, "my career has been destroyed, no one will hire me because of the complaint on my license. Despite almost three nursing degrees after my name, my education and experience--at this time--is considered 'null and void.'" Please read the recent article in the American Journal of Nursing Off the Charts blog (http://ajnoffthecharts.com/2012/02/02/the-case-of-amanda-trujillo/) as well as an article on iCoachnurses.com (http://icoachnurses.com/fellow-nurse-jeopardy-amanda-trujillo-msn-rn-dnsc-nps) and a letter Amanda wrote to a fellow nurse (http://vdutton.posterous.com/94287821). Amanda has also received support from legal nurse consultant Pat Iver

Dr. Rafael Grossmann Zamora, Trauma Surgeon and Telemedicine/Tele-Trauma Advocate

Dr. Rafael J. Grossmann Zamora, @zgjr,  joined #hchlitss on February 9. He  is a Trauma Surgeon at Eastern Maine Medical Center [hence, EMMC] in Bangor, Maine and a passionate advocate for the use of telemedicine in trauma care.  The following is a summary of our twitterchat. 

What is unique about trauma that makes telemedicine an important tool in care?

Trauma is a disease of TIME. The quicker [yo]u [a]r[e] treated, the better [your] survival.Telemedicine expedites access…to a specialist, no matter where [yo]u [a]r[e].  After trauma, being treated by a trauma surgeon improves your survival.

Are there few specialists in trauma?

There’s high demand for service and a large deficit in the number of trauma specialists.

How important is location or distance (like rural Maine) in terms of telemed and trauma?

EMMC is part of Eastern Maine Health Systems .  EMMC covers an area larger than Ma., Vt. and NH. Combined. Only [three] 3 Trauma Centers [in the state].  [There's] Lots of time and distance to trauma center.  [In fact,] Travel distance to trauma center can be 2-3 hundred miles.   Up to 3-4 hrs travel time.  We have  Excellent air ambulance service LifeFlight of Maine, but weather sometimes does not cooperate..remember it is Maine! Helicopter ride could be $10-14K

How much does being treated by a trauma surgeon improve your survival?

by aprox 25%

Can you describe how you use telemedicine in your area?

Our Telemed program covers 15 hospitals over 29K sq miles.  We use iPodTouch over Wifi nstead of phone to save the cost of connection. [We] Get a call from small hospital looking for advice, pick inside pocket , tap and connect.  

[To see]  How it works? Watch the TEDx talk at http://t.co/ybfgWEMR 

Log in to http://t.co/iTD34lzM and give me feedback please 

How have you overcome HIPPA requirement?

Use apps which are encrypted, HIPAA compliant. HIPAA needs to be updated to new use of tech

How long did it take to get buy-in with the other hospitals and to get the whole thing set up?

[Our] Program is about 6-7 years old. Lots of lobbying and convincing, with great results.  [Other hospitals] ...saw that their access to specialists was improved and patients were benefiting. [S]mall hospitals love it because [it] gives them better access to us specialists.  Bringing us to where provider and patient are, virtual presence!!!

People often bring up reimbursement as a barrier to using telemedicine...how does that work?

We [are] billing [the] same as regular face to face consults according to new regulations.

A participant asked,  For those of us who don't live in Ma[ine] is there anything we can do to help you? 

[I] suggest [the] best way t[o] help is [to] spread [the]  word. Watch TEDx Talk "iPod Teletrauma" at http://t.co/mAIRiNna and share.  This could be a game changer, paradigm breaker; [Tele-trauma] needs to become common use to adopt.  Follow [our] example and try to think of how to apply [iPod Tele-trauma] in your area

 Another particpant asked, I'm wondering what impact, if any, the Affordable Care Act will have on telemed, tele-trauma, telehealth in general.

A telemed consult is seen as a reg consult. not any different under ACA

Could anyone at the scene of an accident call your trauma center on iphone for help?

We answer the call of a provider who seeks expert medical advice about a trauma patient.  [We have] no direct patient to MD access at this time.  Hospital providers call us when [they] need it. 

Patient does not call us directly, YET I envision  eventually 911 service will be via telemed[icine].  Imagine how much better if 911 op[erators] could see what's going [on].

Are there any publications or stats about your program out yet?

[I] Submitted pubs. [and I am] presenting at [the] ATA (American Telemedicine Assoc[iation]} in April 2012, S[a]n Jose, Ca.  

Our program won "Best Scientific Exhibit" award at the ACS (American College Surgeons) Congress in Chicago 2009. 

Can you give us your concluding thoughts?

The cost of Healthcare is phenomenal, about 2.5 trillion dollars in 2009, 17% GDP! 

[We are] Using [a] gadget designed for play, to potentially save lives, saving money along the way. iPod Touch...transport[s] us to where the patient is to provide advice on treatment right away..[via] 2-way camera. [It] Is a “virtual presence” . We can't be there physically, so telemed bring us...[to the] patient and patient..[to] us, instantaneously.

RRR: [the] right patient, at the right place, at the right time. IPod Teletrauma: [allows the] Right specialist,[to the] Right patient, Right away--- with trauma it is vital...literally to have help right away! 

Telemed has great potential in any area of heath care. It’s the future, here, now.

Dr. Grossmann Zamora provided #hchlitss with links and an offer to: 

Feel free to contact me [@zgjr] anytime with questions, concerns or [to] chat about telemed[icine]. 

Please watch and share TEDx talk Ipodteletrauma at http://t.co/ybfgWEMR 

Also visit http://t.co/DQurk63A if [yo]u wish. 

Also visit http://t.co/ybfgWEMR, [an ex]cellent site for innovation in Maine

Teletrauma Discussion with Dr. Rafael Grossman Zamora Feb 9

Appropriate and early intervention is critical in traumatic injuries.Dr. Rafael J. Grossmann Zamora is a self described "fervent supporter" of the use of m-Health and telemedicine.  As a Trauma Surgeon in Bangor Maine, he and his Surgery and Trauma team have been using telemedicine for a number of years.  Called Teletrauma, they use iPod Touch devices to connect Trauma Surgeons at Eastern Maine Medical Center to smaller, rural  hospitals.  Their work on Teletrauma received "Best Scientific Award" at the 2009 Annual Congress of the American College of Surgeons in Chicago.  

He is eager to see Teletrauma use become widespread, not for any reward but so that more patients will benefit from this "incredible tool."


Please join us on Thursday February 9, 2012 at 5pm PT/ 8pm ET and welcome Dr. Grossman Zamora on #hchlitss.