Health Help
HELP
Dr. John’s 5 year review of the health care needs of the American Trucker.
he American Trucker is the most invisible occupation in the USA when it comes to access to health care. After 15 years of interviewing drivers all over the USA me an some foolhardy soles in vested countless hours of time and money to bring health care to the drivers across the country. We failed, for many reasons, but succeeded in folks paying attention to the most needed profession in our country. Always remember “AMERICA Travels by Truck” as you read this first of many articles on healthcare needs for our most vital profession that keeps this country turning. Unfortunately some business out there are trying to make this into another money making rip off for truckers with everything know to man to shrink your hemorrhoids to make you feel energized. What you are about to read is an accumulation of datum collected by the old PDMD clinics and the St Christopher Driver Development and Relief Fund. www.truckersfund.com . In October of 2006 to January 2007 volunteers gave out free flu shots in exchange for survey participation on a confidential basis. To date the biggest study published in the medical literature was 300 drivers who were given a $10 dollar voucher at a truck stop. The majority approached declined. The data was interesting but lacked the numbers needed to be representative. The flu shot program produced 1667 participants that covered the entire WWT (Wonderful World of Trucking) men, women, fleet, owner operators, team drivers, Black, White, Hispanic, and American Indian. . How you say? Well with a generous donation
54
RPMfortruckers.com
A 5 0 1( c ) ( 3 ) o rg a ni z a t i o n
Health
T
from Dave Nemo, Michael Burns at Nemo Entertainment XM 171 Open Road Channel (Now Road Dog Channel) and myself we did what had never be accomplished in a short time. We now new what was needed but could we pull it off. We needed sites that a trucker could, on the fly, stop and get health care and educate the drivers and congress on what access to health care really will mean to a dying profession. This data is available at www.truckersfund.com for a donation approved by our Executive Director Donna Kennedy PhD. What are the needs of the American Trucker? Well the list is endless and to make a long story short I will summarize the #1 need using only one word, “EDUCATION”. Hopefully with the help of RRP (please format if you can) and their many publications and OOIDA with Land Line Now, St Christopher MeRV (medical resource vehicle) and Nemo Entertainment we hope to accomplish this “Education” piece. We have failed on our first attempt but have never given up. Our mission is to break through the stereotypical attitude that you can’t educate a trucker will be put to rest. RRP has asked the SCF to do an article every month. The first year will be dedicated to topics that we know to be fact. Then as we have done with our XM show, the MeRV, and Landline let begin showing America that you are the best of the best by dispelling rumor that we will never bring healthcare education to the drivers. —Dr John
September • 2010