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About the Authors

Dr. J. Patrick "President Pat" Vandersluis is our fearless leader here at HealthRx. He spends much of his time learning about and researching cardiology, bioengineering, medical informatics, and health IT. Someday Pat plans to write a novel that has nothing to do with any of those things. In his little free time, he enjoys Battlestar Galactica, home improvement, How It's Made, and circus peanuts. Say hi to Pat on email or LinkedIn.

Kelly Morgan is our Director of Marketing and Communication. She is a health communication researcher and Ph.D. candidate, adjunct professor, and a fitness instructor outside of HealthRx. Kelly has also been "fixin' to" finish writing a novel for the last five years, but prefers talking about it to doing it. She also enjoys party stores, ghost stories, fashion mags, The Simpsons, and ginger tea. Holler at Kelly on email, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter.

Patrick Walsh is our COO. He directs operations from our offices in Myrtle Beach (tough duty) and cracks the whip when the rest of us start going down rat holes. Pat is crazy for golf at its highest level (so the Golf Channel is a favorite), American history, classic movies, fast cars (as they go by), and an occasional Rocky Patel and cognac. Send your love to Pat by email .

Eric Morgan is our Director of Advanced Technologies. He specializes in iPad development, but willingly dabbles in less exciting "hacking" as well. In his spare time, Eric brews beer and occupies Micro Center. Eric loves sci-fi, fast cars, Batman, and fancying himself as an Ancient Alien Astronaut Theorist. Transmit geeky messeges to Eric on email or LinkedIn.

Lauren Spengler is our Customer Support Manager.  She spends her time guiding researchers down the easiest path to solving their problems. Lauren has also spearheaded our healthy company fitness initiative! She is a proud cat lady who loves bowling, live music, crafting, indoor rock climbing, painting, and being an advocate for women's health. Tell her all your secrets by email.

Jackson Sunuwar is one of our Software Developers. Outside of work, he plays soccer and cranks up his Xbox with Fifa and Halo. When he wants to show his artsy side, Jackson works on his photography skills with some sweet Nikon cameras and taps into his inner Jason Mraz by playing soft rock/acoustic on his guitar. Send a song request his way by email.

Dylan Pullia is a Software Development Intern. He is currently studying Computer Science at George Mason University and aspires to start his own software company. Outside of work, Dylan likes to play paintball, video games, and work on his own programming projects. Interface with Dylan by email or on Skype at dylan.pulliam.

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USDA Responds Faster to E.Coli

Posted on Fri, May 04, 2012
  
  
  
  

Stephen is on loan to us from George Mason University's MPH program. We're pleased to have his perspective on health sciences news.

HealthRx

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has some good news for us before cookout season is upon us.  The USDA announced a quicker response procedure to alerting the public of E. coli in the food supply. This new procedure can trim off 24 to 48 hours for the agency to trace the original source. (Image Credit)

If a batch of meat receives a “presumptively USDA E.Colipositive” test result for E. coli, the USDA can immediately begin efforts to link products, companies, and the pathogen to the source supplier and processors that received the contaminated meat, according to The Associated Press.  E. coli, a foodborne bacteria, can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infection, respiratory illness, and pneumonia (CDC, 2011). Oftentimes, symptoms are minor, but a specific strain of E. coli known as O157:H7 is considerably damaging, possibly leading to kidney failure (CDC, 2011).

Additional regulations announced require meat and poultry companies to prepare recall procedures and notify USDA within 24 hours that a potentially contaminated product has been shipped, AP reports.  Between 13,000 and 15,000 samples of ground beef and beef trimmings are tested for E. coli contamination (AP, 2012).

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommends four tips in avoiding E. coli sickness:

  1. Wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom or changing diapers and before preparing or eating food. Wash your hands after contact with animals or their environments (at farms, petting zoos, fairs, even your own backyard).

  2. Cook meats thoroughly. Ground beef and meat that has been needle-tenderized should be cooked to a temperature of at least 160°F/70˚C. It’s best to use a thermometer, as color is not a very reliable indicator of “doneness.”

  3. Avoid raw milk, unpasteurized dairy products, and unpasteurized juices (like fresh apple cider).

  4. Avoid swallowing water when swimming or playing in lakes, ponds, streams, swimming pools, and backyard “kiddie” pools.

  5. Prevent cross contamination in food preparation areas by thoroughly washing hands, counters, cutting boards, and utensils after they touch raw meat.

 Stephen Hicks

 


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