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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

Personal Protective Equipment Benefits for Companies and Employees

With an MD from Brown University, William D. Jones is an Oklahoma City, OK resident and an experienced doctor. At his private practice in Oklahoma, William D. Jones, MD offers preventive medicine services and sources personal protective equipment to healthcare workers.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) help people not get infected at the workplace. They can provide workplace safety and prevent people from being exposed to chemical substances that could harm them. Even if employees get infected or exposed to germs or bacteria, PPE minimizes the risks and can be why an employee is not heavily hurt. PPE also reduces the risk of transmission of germs or bacteria from one employee to another.

This can benefit companies and businesses of all kinds as it can secure larger manpower since people won’t get sick or injured. Investments in PPE send a strong message to both clients and potential employees that the company values people. It can also save costs from workers’ comp claims and personal injury cases if a person is indeed injured due to the company’s negligence.

Three Health Communications Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic

William D. Jones, MD, works in occupational medicine at his practice in Oklahoma City, OK. A member of the American Medical Association since 1988, William D. Jones, MD, of Oklahoma (OK) is certified by the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure. One current concern for him and other other medical practitioners is communication about non-COVID-related questions.

Major concerns facing non-COVID patients attending medical appointments and procedures range from lack of a straightforward process after arriving for the appointment, the protective items and medical certificates must-haves in the facility, and the availability of in-vehicle registration to minimize physical contact.

Ironically, telemedicine offers a new communication challenge though it accords a safe avenue to access medical attention. As much as healthcare providers encourage and educate the public on the benefits of telemedicine, studies show that most adults do not understand the intricacies, lack the technology, or openly ignore the benefits, preferring physical facility visits instead.

What Are Employee Protections under FFCR Act?

William D. Jones, MD, of Oklahoma City, OK, has over 25 years of experience in medicine. In addition to working in healthcare, William D. Jones, MD, has also been in private practice – also located in Oklahoma City, OK – for almost 24 years with focus areas that include occupational and preventive medicine.

In recent months, COVID-19 has been a priority in the state for all healthcare providers and the public at large, with legislation being enacted to protect everyone’s health and financial security through the Families First Coronavirus Act (FFCRA). FFCRA requires certain employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide certain types of leave to employees for COVID-19-specific reasons.

Effective through the end of 2020, the law makes provisions for paid sick leave, family leave, or medical leave. The law allows for two weeks of paid sick leave if a person has to be quarantined or is dealing with symptoms of COVID-19, two weeks of paid sick leave but at two-thirds the employee’s pay rate to care for an individual with the virus, and “an additional 10 weeks of paid expanded family and medical leave at two-thirds” of the employees pay rate to care for a child.

The Act specifies what conditions that qualify under FFCRA and include:

*federal, state, or local order to quarantine because of the virus.
*when employees are advised by healthcare providers to self-isolate.
*if an employee is seeking a diagnosis and experiencing symptoms.
*if an employee is caring for an individual or a child with COVID-19.
*if an employee has to remain home to care for child as result of school closures.

The Long Term Impact of COVID-19 on the American Workplace

An Oklahoma City preventive care and occupational health physician, William D. Jones, MD emphasizes patient-focused care. One area in which William D. Jones, MD has a strong interest in is the impact that COVID-19 has in the workplace.

A recent article in Forbes brought attention to the way people’s work will be impacted in the long term. One is that corporate flexibility when it comes to remote working will become widespread. Many companies will either maintain a virtual workforce or offer a work from home (WFH) option to those who choose it. While WFH is not possible in every type of job, there are many positions that center on sitting at a desk using a computer.

At the same time, barring the quick development of a vaccine, those job sites that require physical presence are not likely to allow normal social interactions for a lengthy period after opening. Social distancing, temperature checks, and barriers between individual workspaces will be the norm, both as a way of protecting worker health and maintaining legal accountability.

The bottom line is that for a majority of working Americans, adaptations will need to be made to their normal way of working for months and potentially years.