Susanna Von Essen, M.D., professor of internal medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center spent the second week of September as she has every year since 1992 – talking with Nebraska farmers about their health and safety at the annual Husker Harvest Days.
Considered to be one of the top farm shows in the country, Husker Harvest Days offers the latest in farm machinery, technology, information and education and draws thousands of participants. The event is also the perfect lead-in to National Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept. 17-23.
National Farm Safety & Health Week is an annual promotion from the National Safety Council commemorating the hard work, diligence, and sacrifices of America’s farmers and ranchers. Each year at Husker Harvest Days, Dr. Von Essen and other volunteer physicians and support staff, provide free lung disease screenings to farmers and distribute free respirator masks that can minimize exposure to potentially hazardous materials. In addition, they discuss numerous issues of safety
in the farm environment and listen the hundreds of farmers talk about their particular safety concerns and experiences.
In a recent bulletin on farm and ranch safety from the National Safety Council, Scott Whitman and Dr. Steven Freeman wrote: “Because farming and ranching is as much a lifestyle as an occupation, the entire family, including children and senior citizens, are often exposed to the many hazards associated with the agricultural workplace. Unlike most other industries, the majority of our farms are exempt from the enforcement of many government safety and health regulations. Farm families, therefore, must take on the responsibility of educating family members and workers about hazards, and implementing safety practices that prevent injuries.”
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through its commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC has established itself as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology, ophthalmology and arthritis. UNMC’s research funding from external sources is now nearly $80 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,600 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes more than 460 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties. They practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center, UNMC’s teaching hospital. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.
-30-