Exploring Nepal’s Historic Pashupatinath Temple

Based in Oklahoma City, OK, William D. Jones, MD, is an occupational and preventive health practitioner who is active with the OK State Medical Association. Passionate about travel, William D. Jones, MD, has visited far-flung locations, including India and Nepal.

One of the key historic and spiritual centers in Nepal is the Pashupatinath temple. The original temple was built around 400 AD along the Bagmati River’s banks in Kathmandu. It grew over the years to include various ashrams and temples, as well as statuaries and inscriptions along the river.

The main temple was built as a pagoda-style structure in the 17th century. One of its central precepts, based on Hindu scripture, is that death should not be feared. This is the reason a ritual cremation ground lies in its vicinity. Its structure is designed to contain gold on the roof and tower, with a large bull statue residing in the center of the temple.

Pashupatinath is also noteworthy as one of a dozen Jyotirlinga complexes worldwide, which are said in Hindu mythology to be spots where Shiva pierced the earth by revealing himself as a massive pillar of light.

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Membership

A doctor specializing in occupational and preventative medicine, William D. Jones, MD, began serving patients in Oklahoma City, OK, in 1994. A member of multiple professional organizations, William D. Jones, MD, belongs to the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
Founded in 1916, the ACOEM is comprised of physicians and their allies in occupational medicine. Members strive to increase workplace safety for employees in all positions and industries. They also advocate for OEM-centered state and federal legislation, while educating lawmakers and the public on the field’s importance.
Membership types encompass medical students in OEM fields, those in residency, non-physician OEM professionals, and active and retired physicians. Each membership type pays a differing annual fee, with medical students, for example, joining for free, retired physicians paying the lowest annual dues, and active physicians paying the highest amount.
Active Members can not only advance in their careers via the ACOEM’s job board and attending the American Occupational Health Conference (AOHC), but via online and in-person CME courses, and a print or digital subscription to the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM).

Three Simple Tips for Improved Public Health Communications

Based in Oklahoma City, OK, William D. Jones, MD, has specialized as an occupational and preventive medicine physician since completing his residency in 1994. Over the course of his medical career in Oklahoma City, OK, William D. Jones, MD, has gained experience with effective approaches to public health communication.

When it comes to developing a public health message, there are a number of key areas of focus. To start, messaging must be clear and concise. Public trust and transparency are key to successfully delivering public health communications. Misleading or unclear copy can result in the general public ignoring or even taking an adversarial stance to messaging.

Public health messages are also typically made with some call to action in mind. If the general public is not clear on exactly what they need to do during a public health emergency, the messaging has failed.

Next, public health communications should be developed with diversity and inclusivity in mind. As a basic example, consider senior citizens and the use of online communications. According to Pew Research Center, only 61 percent of Americans over the age of 65 use a smartphone, with just 45 percent maintaining a social media presence. Public health messaging that only uses online communications will struggle to reach this group.

Other issues of diversity and inclusivity are more complex. It is advisable for those releasing the message to collaborate with community health groups to ensure the message has reached as wide an audience as possible.

Finally, medical professionals cannot overlook the importance of the aesthetic design of a public health campaign. While public health crises are far more urgent than a new marketing campaign, the principles are similar. Posters, for example, should feature the most pressing information at the top. Individuals usually interpret information the same way they would while reading a book, meaning copy should flow from left to right and from top to bottom. Large sans serif fonts and accompanying graphics can also make for effective additions to a public health communication.

Communicating Health Messages Using Puppets

William D. Jones MD is an Oklahoma-based self-employed medical doctor with almost three decades of medical practice experience. He is the treasurer and secretary of the Oklahoma College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. As an occupational and preventive medicine expert, William D. Jones advocates for effective communication of health messages.
Healthcare professionals must communicate health messages to people in the most effective and engaging ways. This way, people can take preventive steps or understand the right medications to seek when indisposed.
One of the most effective ways of communicating health messages is using puppets. This is especially true case for less educated people, children, and those living in rural areas. Puppet shows can explore sensitive topics better than simple drama. Children especially are usually intrigued by puppet shows. They’ll likely watch the entire show and repeat the messages to their families for a long time. Healthcare professionals who wish to use this medium can involve the community in preparing for the show so they can help work the puppets and prepare a suitable story.

Three Simple Tips for Improved Public Health Communications

William D. Jones, MD, has worked as an occupational and preventive medicine professional in Oklahoma City, OK, since 1994. When he is not providing medical support to patients in and around the Oklahoma City, OK, area, William D. Jones, MD, engages with professional organizations such as the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Environmental medicine is a broad term encompassing a variety of medical specialties and procedures, all of which involve interactions between humans and the surrounding environment. More specifically, practitioners of environmental medicine train to address adverse reactions resulting from exposure to something in the environment.

Three key aspects of environmental medicine include individual susceptibility, adaptation, and the concept of “total load.” Individual susceptibility is a term used to describe a specific person’s response to an environmental excitant. There are a wide range of factors that may influence individual susceptibility, from genetic predisposition to nutritional standing.

Adaptation, meanwhile, describes the changes a person or organism goes through over time in response to environmental factors. In some cases, the body may respond positively and fight off a virus or infection. In cases of maladaptation, the adaptive mechanism breaks down and the body begins to suffer the ill effects of one or more excitants.

Finally, total load draws on both of these concepts. If a susceptible individual fails to adapt to environmental excitants over a period of time, they may hit their total load and experience a total breakdown of various homeostatic mechanisms.

More information about environmental medicine is available at the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine website, acoem.org.

About Oklahoma State Medical Association Foundation

William D. Jones MD is a practicing medical doctor based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He obtained his MD in medicine from Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, specializing in occupational and preventive therapy. William D. Jones is also the treasurer and secretary of the Oklahoma College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and a member of several federal, state, and local medical associations, including the Oklahoma State Medical Association (OSMA).

Established in 1991, the Oklahoma State Medical Association Foundation seeks to improve public health using scientific and medical research. A scientific, educational and charitable foundation, OSMA focuses on the four areas established by its board member as the most crucial areas affecting patients and physicians of Oklahoma. These areas include public health, healthcare delivery, communication initiatives, and education.

OSMA is also committed to partnering with other foundations, corporations, trusts, or funds, making strides in creating transformational and sustainable change either by innovative responses to medical needs or by developing systemic and feasible solutions to public health challenges.

Three Ways to Offer Medical Assistance to Ukraine

William D. Jones, MD, is an occupational healthcare specialist with a private practice in Oklahoma City, OK. He has served as an occupational doctor for companies such as General Motors and St. Anthony Hospital. Additionally, Dr. William D. Jones served as the medical director of the Norman Region Hospital Department of Occupational Medicine in Norman, OK.

Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24, 2022, Ukraine has been experiencing a severe healthcare crisis due to a shortage of healthcare professionals and a low supply of healthcare products and facilities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), many healthcare facilities have been destroyed, leaving many without proper medical care.

WHO has called upon everyone for assistance in this medical crisis. One way to help is to donate surplus medical supplies. Another way to help is to donate money to WHO or any other humanitarian effort.

Lastly, healthcare professionals can volunteer for on-site medical support. They will be taken to areas where help is needed. Doctors also can aid the Ukraine Telehealth Relief program, which does not require them to be on-site.

Preparing for Future Pandemics and Disease Outbreaks

A self-employed doctor, William D. Jones, MD practices in Oklahoma City, OK. William D. Jones obtained his BA from Vanderbilt University in Nashville and MD from Brown University in Rhode Island. He is interested in general public health and preventive medicine.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for the public and the medical sector to be prepared for future pandemics and disease outbreaks. Here are three areas that might help the world’s preparedness for future pandemics and disease outbreaks.

Collaborative action at the global level
This includes sharing resources with less endowed countries to address gaps in health preparedness and the distribution of medical supplies.

Boosting vaccinations across the world
The sting of future variants might be reduced by higher vaccination rates.

Improving communication to the public
Engaging communities can help to boost levels of preparedness and response strategies. This calls for an integrated and coordinated approach by the government and stakeholders to avoid effort duplication.

What Are Respiratory Protective Equipment?

Based in Oklahoma, OK, William D. Jones, MD specializes in general public health and preventive medicine. William D. Jones, MD is also keen on health workers having the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) is a type of PPE that protects its wearer from respiratory hazards in the workplace or any other location. RPEs can be divided into two depending on their functions. Some PREs have their source of non-toxic oxygen, which the wearer can use while wearing the PRE. On the other hand, some PREs filter and clean toxic oxygen such that the wearer ends up breathing clean oxygen.

It is ideal to wear RPEs when you work in settings with a lot of vapor, powders, dust, and gases. Similarly, if you frequently use cutters, saws, welding equipment, and grinders, it is advised that you use PPEs.

Before choosing an RPE, a qualified face fit tester should conduct fit-testing to ensure that RPE fits your face correctly. This fit-testing test might be conducted subsequently in instances where the facepiece is changed or significant changes in your facial features.

Some Ways You Can Help Refugees

William D. Jones, MD, is an Oklahoma City, OK-based practicing medical doctor and the secretary/treasurer for the Oklahoma College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. He obtained his MD in medicine from Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, in 1992. William D. Jones, MD specializes in occupational and preventive medicine. He also has an interest in providing medical and humanitarian needs for war refugees, particularly those from the war in Ukraine.

One of the significant adverse effects of war is the refugee crisis, as people and their families have to vacate their homes and communities to stay safe. The current war in Ukraine is a typical example of this. Millions of Ukrainians have made their way to neighboring countries for safety. These refugees need all the help they can get. As a private individual, you can play a crucial role in reducing their burden.

One way is donating to various refugee programs and organizations like Doctors Without Borders, International Rescue Committee, or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Another way to help refugees is by hosting as many as you can in your home. This helps provide a much-needed respite to the refugees after their long and arduous journey.

You can also volunteer your skill to the refugees if you have any. For example, if you’re a doctor, you can visit refugee camps and help as many people as possible requiring medical care. If you’re an entrepreneur, you can employ refugees, even for menial positions to help them settle in as quickly as possible.