2010fmaa_stat-winter

S TATF l o r i d a M e d i c a l A s s o c i a t i o n A l l i a n c e M a g a z i n e :

D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0

Steps to a successful deployment 10Giving to soldiers abroad 14Recognize and relieve PTSD 16

HomefrontHelp from the

Reaching out to soldiers and their families

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2 FMAA STAT December 2010

What Does the A l l i a n c e D o ?

Now that you know

• ProvenAdvocacy&Influence

• CommunityEnrichment

• DynamicNetworking&Leadership

• EssentialNews&Information

• Experience

A better question would be, what doesn’t the

Alliance do for the medical family?TheFlorida

MedicalAssociation(FMA)Allianceandyourlocal

CountyAllianceunderstandyourneedsbetter

thananyotherorganization.Forover80years

wehavesupportedFloridapatients,physicians,

andtheirfamilies.Wearephysicianspouseswho

advancehealth-relatedendeavorsandengagein

legislativeadvocacy.

whoweareandwhatwedo,comebeapart

oftheAlliance.Likeyou,wearededicatedto

servingthemedicalfamilyandweareherefor

yousoyoucanbethereforthem.

To learn more about the FMA Alliance and your local County Alliance

call 800.762.0233 or visit www.fmaalliance.org

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3FMAA STAT December 2010

S TAT4 President Being in a medical family brings great

responsibility, yet you are rewarded

with honorable fulfillment and gratitude.

6 Executive Director Reflecting on 2010, the FMA Alliance has

accomplished its goals and looks to 2011 as

another successful year.

8 Alliance Icon Strength and commitment to marriage can

be found in dialogue with Marge Hutton,

FMA Alliance President, 1995-1996.

p. 13

“ The Alliance supports the well-being of military families.

“10 The Details of Deployment

16 The Battle Within: Finding Relief from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Suppor ting a physician spouse takes true grit

and stoic commitment. Robin Pieriluisi reveals

how she dug even deeper to suppor t her

militar y-physician husband when he was called

to active duty.

War can leave behind lasting emotional

damage. Without help, explosive memories can

eliminate the joys of being home. The Alliance

and the medical community can offer relief

from this growing disorder.

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14 Project: Any Soldier

We know they are out there - soldiers ser ving

our countr y and upholding our freedom. Learn

ways in which you can effectively and sincerely

show your appreciation for the sacrifices made

by militar y personnel.

Copyright © 2010

STAT is published tri-annually by the Florida Medical Association Alliance, Inc. located at 1430 Piedmont Drive East, Tallahassee, Florida, 32308. This publication is copyrighted by the Florida Medical Association Alliance, Inc. Views expressed in this issue represent those of the individual authors and may not necessarily represent the views of the Florida Medical Association Alliance, Inc. The Florida Medical Association Alliance, Inc. does not represent the accuracy or reliability of any of the advertisements displayed in this publication or endorse any of the advertisers in this publication.

ComIng EvEnts

January 14-16, 2011Southern Regional Al l iance Meeting

Loews Royal Paci fic Hotel

Univer sal Studios Theme Par k

Or lando, FL

July 27 - August 1, 2011FMA & FMA Al l iance Annual Meeting

Disney’s Contemporar y Resor t

Or lando, FL

Florida Medical Association Magazine


We received a late night phone cal l from my brother. My husband l istened to the history: our godchild was hit during a soccer game a few days ago and had blood in his urine. Sound familiar? We al l have been there to offer our fr iends and family members advice in diff icult and stressful t imes. It is an honor to be in a career that can be so fulf i l l ing. Our spouses are lucky to have achieved such respect. Sometimes we just need to be reminded. In a research study, Robert Emmons, Ph.D., University of Cali fornia, examined gratefulness and whether that effects a person’s happiness 1. Dr. Emmons directed three groups of students to keep journals, once a week, for ten weeks. Their assignments were: The f irst group to record f ive things they were grateful for that occurred in the past week, the second group to record f ive daily hassles

from the previous week, and the third group, the control group, to record various events that occurred in the last week (those events could be posit ive or negative). After ten weeks, the f indings indicated that the ‘grateful ’ group felt better as a whole, were more optimistic about the upcoming week, spent signif icantly more t ime exercising, and had fewer physical complaints.

I am grateful for the All iance. Advantages of being

a medical spouse are amplif ied by being a member

of this organization. Together we can enjoy the four

facets of the All iance mission:

• Support of the Medical Family

• Health Promotion

• Legislative Advocacy

• Leadership Training

Success is not the key to

happiness. Happiness is the key

to success. I f you love what you

are doing, you wil l be successful .

- Albert Schweitzer (1875 – 1965),

theologian, organist , philosopher,

and physician.

1. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV, text revision 2000, American Psychiatric Association.

Remember to be Grateful


This STAT issue focuses on the support of the medical and military families.

Our men and women in the armed forces, who are also in the medical f ield, are

indeed dedicated people.

We highlight Marge Hutton, FMA All iance Past President, whose husband is an

orthopaedic surgeon and served in the United States Navy for many years.

Another All iance member, Robin Pierluisi discusses the diff icult ies associated

with spouse deployment. Robin relates that the support of her All iance friends

is one of her successful keys to coping.

We have heard about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for a while, but I

wanted to offer a brief overview:

• Exposure to a traumatic event

• Persistent re-experiencing

• Persistent avoidance and emotional numbing

• Persistent symptoms of increased arousal , not present before

• Duration of symptoms for more than one month

• Signif icant impairment

The FMAA’s support was important last year as we co-sponsored a

recommendation with the Indiana Medical Society All iance regarding PTSD

awareness. From this, one of our responsibil i t ies as the All iance is to encourage

PTSD education.

After reviewing this issue of STAT, I realize just how grateful I am to be a

physician spouse, to l ive in a free country, and to honor those who protect

our freedom. The All iance is an organization that fosters health and wellness,

not only in the medical community, but in the mil itary as well . We have an

opportunity, and a duty as Americans, to honor those who serve by becoming

more aware of the i l lnesses and treatments associated with PTSD.

Be sure to review al l the All iance is doing for physicians, their families and

patients by going to www.fmaall iance.org.

I look forward to continuing our support of your medical family as you, in turn,

support our communities. Together we wil l make a difference.

Shar C. Donovan, R.N.President


The FMA All iance had an amazing year. As a member,

or rather, investor in this organization, you should be

proud of i ts recent accomplishments.

In early 2010, the FMA All iance unveiled its latest

health promotions program, the Know All You Can

(KAYC) cards, a teen drug awareness tool . Since

January, over 4,000 cards have been given to All iance

members and pediatric off ices. In October, the FMA

All iance began offering organizations the opportunity

to be a part of the KAYC program by co-branding the

cards. Since this new instal lment, over 1 ,000 cards

have been co-branded with County All iances.

The FMA All iance has been a resource of the Medi-

File card, a prescription record card for patients,

for over a decade. From recent marketing efforts, we

have given over 9,500 cards to All iance members and

physicians off ices in 2010 alone.

Legislatively, we were active supporters of the FMA’s

campaigns, such as Don’t Rush Reform and Stop

Medicare Meltdown . Our influence at the grassroots

level was evident from the invitation to join the

Florida Pediatric Society coalit ion to support the

Child Restraint Requirements bi l l (HB 443/SB 956).

The FMA All iance continued to be viewed as a strong

legislative voice as we were asked to endorse the

“Keep Antibiotics Working” letter and support the

Preservations of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment

Act (HR 1549/S 619).

In 2010, FMA All iance communications were held in

high regard. Articles from Just Between You and Me ,

a personal e-mail from the FMA All iance president,

and STAT were republished by the AMA All iance, AMA

Foundation, multiple state and County All iances, and

a County Medical Society.

Members participated in biannual leadership forums

where they experienced the legislative process, online

newsletter production, web-conferencing options,

communication strategies, and networking with other

members.

For more information on any of the programs,

legislative efforts, communications, or meetings

mentioned, email al l iance@flmedical .org or cal l

800.762.0233.

The FMA All iance and its investors have only to

surpass the successes of the previous year. Commit to

expound upon the programs of this f irmly-established

organization and have an amazing 2011!

A l l i a n c e E xe c u t i ve D i r e c t o r

Allison FinleyExecutive Director

A Year of Dedication


A l l i a n c e U p d a t e s

The FMA Alliance will continue its advocacy

and encourages you to become involved in the

local, state and national level. To receive updates

on this year’s Florida legislative progress, send a

subscription email to [email protected].

Mission: Tallahassee is an annual grant program,

offering members an opportunity to become

effective communicators with Florida legislators. To

apply, please go to www.fmaalliance.org.

Legislation

2011 Membership

The Alliance is a strong organization because of

our local and state relationship. Through District

Member Meetings and the You Call, We Come

Program, the FMA Alliance offers leadership

development and updates on member benefits.

Email [email protected] to have Alliance

leaders attend your next County Alliance event.

The FMA Alliance will host the Southern Regional

Alliance Annual Meeting on January 14-16, 2011

at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal

Studios in Orlando, Florida. This year’s meeting will

feature health programs from 12 regional states,

personal and professional development forums,

CME for physicians, and fantastical adventures at

the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter®. Go to

southernregionalalliance.webs.com to register.

Renew your FMA and County Alliance dues online at www.fmaalliance.org.

Benefits include: proven advocacy and influence, community enrichment,

dynamic networking and leadership, essential news and information, and

experience.

You’ll notice, on this year’s invoice, FMA Alliance dues are $50.00 annually

and the American Medical Association Alliance will send a separate

membership bill.

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6You Call W e Co m e


A l l i a n c e I c o n

Wow, has it been fifteen years since I was

President? In 1995, my goals were communicating

with our membership and health education,

specif ical ly Breast Cancer awareness.

I worked hard for health projects. The focus was

successful . Over half of organized County All iances

had some sort of Breast Cancer awareness program,

whether for the All iance Members or the community.

The PRN program and health grants throughout the

State provided specif ic emphasis on health education

in different County All iances. It is wonderful to see

the All iance st i l l has goals of communicating with

members with programs such as the “You Call and We

Come Program.”

I told my husband how amazing it was to be so

connected. Needless to say, he started attending

with me. My husband, Pat, and I were Presidents of

our respective Medical Society and All iance (then

Auxil iary) back in 1988-89. I started my involvement

by holding several off ices on the county and state

levels.

In 2006, ten years after I was President of FMAA, Pat

was instal led as FMA President. Now that’s some

kind of influence!

We were married only six months when Pat was

assigned to the USS Saratoga , an aircraft carrier

headed to the Mediterranean for seven months. The

network of mil itary wives was phenomenal! Those

in leadership looked out for the incoming members

and we kept in touch. It was our strength that got

us through some major challenges. By the t ime I

f inished the f irst deployment, I knew I would be able

to face whatever was ahead because of the support.

Back in late 70’s and early 80’s there were no

cell phones, Internet, Facebook or Twitter,

and certainly no Skype. Our only option was good

ole ’ snail mail . After the f irst few weeks, we began

to number our letters because the order was not

guaranteed, which made for interesting reading. We

would send tapes; I would record snippets of each day

and send them off at the end of the week.

Marge HuttonTime Spent with:

FMA Alliance President 1995 - 1996


Sending goodies like my pound cake was his

favorite. One time I didn’t let the cake cool enough

but sent i t and the tape anyway. Two weeks later when

it arrived, the mail department on the ship cal led it

“hazardous material .” Pat had to go down to retrieve

the tape and the rest went to the f ishes.

The stakes are so intense for today’s military

and their families. They are required to make so

many more lengthy deployments. The only t ime that I

can compare to what mil itary personnel and families

face each day was 27 years ago when Pat was in Beirut.

It was a time that certainly left me praying and

wondering where my life was headed. That day,

one terrorist , and the largest non-nuclear explosion,

took the l ives of 241 Marines, sai lors and soldiers

from the 1st Battal ion, Eighth Marine Headquarters.

Pat went back to the ship that night instead of staying

at the Battal ion. I bel ieve God had other plans for

him.

I don’t know how you could handle the trauma

and devastation and stay the same person. In

each part of every mil itary heart there is a heavy

place for those friends and buddies that are lost , but I

bel ieve God is there, too.

I truly believe that it will always be through

communication that we can remain strong.

Continue to care for al l , reach out and be there for

one another. With that kind of support, you can face

anything!

reCognize subsTAnCe Abuse in Teens

800.762.0233 • [email protected]

Call to co-brand your Know All You Can Cards today!

The FMA Alliance offers the Know All You Can card to help explain the reasons teens say they use, identify signs of use, and expose most common slang terms.

You have an oppor tunity to place your organizations logo on the cards as a means of co-branding with the FMA Alliance. Co-branded cards also feature a Spanish option.


The Detai l s of Deployment

My heart goes out in ways

that I’ll never be able to fully

express to those whose spouse

is deployed for a year or more,

with young children at home.

The Detai l s of DeploymentBy Robin Pierluisi, St. Johns County Medical Society Alliance

PREPARATION

gui l lermo, my husband, i s a c iv i l i an phys ic ian dedicated to the mi l i tar y. Deployment

occurred soon a f ter we were marr ied. He had been on severa l by th is point in h is

mi l i tar y career and i re l ied on h im to te l l me what to expect . Pr ior to h is leav ing

we worked together to d iscuss potent ia l “what- i f ” s i tuat ions . gui l lermo ca l led h is

fami ly to get current phone numbers , addresses , and e-mai l addresses for me so that

i could mainta in contact with them on h is behal f . We set-up weekly phone ca l l s to

h is mother with prepared spanish phrases so that i could ta lk to her.

The mi l i tar y requires sold iers to have a wi l l in p lace as par t of deployment

preparat ion. Fol lowing su i t , i a lso prepared a wi l l . This made us p lan the d i f f icu l t

and uncomfor table th ings we had yet to ta lk about , such as funera l arrangements

and inher i tance d istr ibut ions .


We were forced to take a hard look at our f inances

since his deployment pay would not match his

physician income. Bil ls were reviewed and cut backs

were made. I stressed over the amount of money

he would make during his deployment - thinking

it would not be enough. We also had to review our

l i fe insurance coverage. Many providers wil l not

cover “acts of war”, so we had to f ind out what the

mil itary would provide in case of death. Respect for

my husband grew tremendously during this t ime

because it became clear that he intended to provide

for family ’s futures.

Guil lermo was due to retire from the mil itary about

six months after starting a new posit ion in a new

town. We real ly didn’t think the mil itary would deploy

him except for short periods before his retirement

date. However, as an Emergency Physician, he is

desperately needed. The news soon came that he

would deploy one more t ime - to Afghanistan.

Our most recent move was to a small town. This t ime,

the whole community felt the loss l ike we did. His

absence created sacrif ices local ly that we could see

and feel . I took his deployment as an opportunity

to volunteer more at the hospital where he works.

Staying involved at the hospital has kept Guil lermo’s

eventual return in the forefront.

To pass the t ime during, I did my best to stay busy. I

wrote a course for a university and uti l ized the quiet

to do my research. Prel iminary drafts were sent by

e-mail for Guil lermo to review, make changes or

suggestions. Including him in my work gave us lots to

talk about when he cal led. I l ived for those moments.

The news organizations became an important topic

and Guil lermo would do his best to give me the “rest

of the story” or correct misinformation. I would write

a l ist of things I wanted to tel l him, even putting it

on the bedside table for those middle-of-the-night

cal ls . I tr ied to keep bad news to a minimum so

as not to worry him, especial ly since there was not

much he could do about i t . I f things got real ly bad

or an emergency occurred, the mil itary would send

him home on special leave to take care of things,

but I was confident I could manage. In a way, our

communication improved since I knew his computer

t ime was l imited so I had to think about what I wanted

to say and how.

I spoke with Guil lermo’s two daughters frequently;

keeping them current about how their father was

doing. My efforts strengthened t ies to his family and

they were grateful for my persistence to keep them

informed. I sent gifts to the girls in his name so they

would know he (and I) were thinking of them. In turn,

his girls learned they could rely on me, which gave me

tremendous satisfaction. I began to feel better about

my abil i ty to cope with him being gone.

Texting has helped to keep most everyone informed

and prevented miscommunication and uncertainty. I

use Facebook to keep my husband current about his

family through their postings. We were able to e-mail

almost every day and then we discovered Skype. I took

out a tethering plan on my cel l phone so that when I

STAYING CONNECTED

ONCE MORE


visited Guil lermo’s family they al l could see and talk

to him. They were able to participate in a way they

never had before. The greater communication access

benefited everyone. Guil lermo was so happy to see us,

and his girls looked forward to his cal ls .

Unfortunately, towards the end of his deployment,

he lost wireless access, and the phones have been

out more than they have worked. Most of our

communication in the month before he returned home

was only through e-mail . Delays are inevitable and it

is important to let go of the frustration that fol lows.

One learns to get past what seems to be the purposeful

chaos of miscommunication from the mil itary.

When it came time to prepare for my husband’s

return, I kept in mind what he had told me about his

l iving conditions. Where he was stationed, the sand

was extremely f ine and got into everything, no matter

how well i t was sealed. He looked forward to taking a

shower and drying off with a towel that wasn’t grit-

laden. He longed to sleep in clean sheets without dirt

digging into his skin. I made sure to have a clean

house and his favorite foods ready in the fridge.

Thinking how tired he might be from the long f l ight

and jet- lag from the t ime difference, I picked my

husband up from the airport and drove him home. He

had spent his f irst month of his deployment riding

with medical ly-evacuated soldiers on a highway

l i ttered with roadside bombs. Guil lermo learned how

to scan the road looking for anything suspicious. It

was a habit that was st i l l in force during our ride

home.

So many of our fr iends and family wanted to have us

immediately start being social but I knew asking my

husband to do this without having some downtime

would make his homecoming less enjoyable. I had to

return the favor to my husband and look out for him

now.

I am more informed as to what to expect while he is

gone. Yet, I st i l l get downright shaky at the thought of

having to cal l the mother of his children and give her

the bad news. Our home phone is forwarded to my cel l

phone in case someone tries to cal l while I am out.

I don’t leave town without tel l ing someone in case

visitors show up to my house. This is how you cope

being married to a soldier.

The All iance supports the health and well-being of

mil itary individuals and their families. That ’s how the

St. Johns County All iance members surrounded me

with their love, devotion, and care during Guil lermo’s

last deployment.

Robin Pierluisi is a member of the St. Johns County Medical Society Alliance and has served as Past Treasurer.

COMING HOME


Project:Any Soldier

The Any Soldier program began as a simple family

effor t to help the soldiers in one Army unit. Sergeant

Brian Horn, with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, was

in Iraq when he asked his parents to help care for

soldiers who were not getting mail or packages from

home. The program has since expanded to include

any member of the Armed Services. Today, Any

Soldier has ser ved over 1.4 million troops stationed

in 22 locations. The effor t to suppor t those in

ser vice is extremely welcome and necessar y, yet has

experienced recent economic difficulty. To learn how

you can help Any Soldier remain a constant provider

for those in the militar y, go to www.AnySoldier.com.

Shirley Davis, Seminole County Medical Society Alliance


There are a number of programs throughout

the United States that aim to help our military

personnel overseas. The Any Soldier program is just

one of them. Here are more ways you can help:

• Communicate with Alliance members and

the County Medical Society details about a

donation program.

• Designate a time and place for collecting

donations and include a list of acceptable

items.

• Cash received can pay for shipping expenses.

• Volunteers can donate their time to help

collect, package, and ship the items.

• Any messages received back from the

soldiers can be displayed at Alliance or

County Medial Society gatherings.

• A final summary should be provided about

how many boxes or pounds of goods were

collected and shipped so the actual success

can be shared and celebrated.

For more information on the Any Soldier Program,

please visit www.AnySoldier.com

The Seminole County Medical Society Alliance Health

Project Committee Chair, Karen Giles, had the idea

of helping troops after reading several news stories

about similar projects in central Florida. From her

compassion, and following our association’s mission, the

Alliance began to participate in the Any Soldier Program.

Through newsletters, e-mails and fliers, we explained

the program to Seminole Alliance members. Our focus

was to send care packages to U.S. soldiers in Iraq and

Afghanistan. Donations were collected at the Annual

Seminole County Medical Society meeting, attended by

both physicians and spouses. Alliance volunteers boxed

the items and shipped them out.

Personal items were collected to supplement what the

government provided to the military. Supplies included

eyewash (much needed due to dust storms in the area),

shampoo, hand-sanitizing wipes, personal hygiene items,

books, games, magazines, stationery, and nonperishable

“comfort” food such as beef jerky, candy, gum, granola

bars, and soup packets.

Regardless of political views, the Seminole Alliance

felt compelled to help. Through giving a portion of the

comforts of home, it supported the emotional health

and well-being of our troops overseas. Along with the

supplies and nonperishable items, handwritten notes of

thanks and encouragement were tucked into each box.

These simple items brought smiles and good feelings to

the soldiers, realizing that people they had never met

cared about them, and helped them get through difficult

times away from home.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Shirley Davis is a Past President of the Seminole County Medical Society Alliance, and currently serving as the Communications Committee Chair.

ESD 223 - Foxt rot Team, PSC 451 , FRO AE 09804-2800

The BaTTle wiThin

By Jamie Stafford, FMA Alliance Staff


Finding relief from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

It is estimated that a shocking one in five American soldiers

returning from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan struggle with Post

Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The numbers continue to

grow and the symptoms are intensifying. In 2007, the amount of

soldiers diagnosed jumped 50 percent, making the number of

soldiers with PTSD a staggering 40,000.

The sound of gun shots surround you. When the blasts cease, the screams

begin. Silence is nowhere to be found. Your eyes are wide open. Gasping

for breath you realize you are not in war, rather safe in your room. The

battle rages on from within.

Many soldiers return from duty and mentally re-l ive

the harrowing events that took place, developing

reoccurring memories about l i fe in batt le. These

memories can produce night terrors such as

nightmares, s leep walking, screaming, etc. Severe

levels of PTSD are evident when soldiers begin to

believe the traumatic event is occurring and wil l act

upon it . Stressors from everyday l i fe, post-battle,

most l ikely trigger these symptoms.

Once loved hobbies or activit ies might be shied away

from and familiar places wil l be avoided, in the hopes

of preventing traumatic memories. The perception of a

bright future wil l dim and the soldier wil l experience

detachment from others. Frustration, loneliness and

general environmental numbness wil l fol low.

PTSD is a condition that is not l ikely to improve

without treatment. In fact , without help, there is a

higher risk of developing depression and substance

abuse, leading to suicidal tendencies. The symptoms

wil l begin to escalate, putting the solider and

everyone around him in danger. Counterpart to severe

PTSD is loss of jobs, fr iends and sadly, family. The

longer symptoms go untreated, the lower the risk of

successful recovery.

Treatment is readily available privately and through

the mil itary i tself , consisting of individual, family or

group meetings. Through therapy, one can learn to

cope with memories, practice stress rel ieving methods

and healthy sleep strategies. A soldier with PTSD

should avoid violent movies, television shows, music

and other over-stimulating outlets that could trigger

traumatic memories. I f symptoms return, he/she

should see a therapist or counselor and make a plan

of action. PTSD suffers may also f ind rel ief through

medicinal treatment, including: antidepressants,

l i thium, anti-anxiety medicines, beta-blockers,

c lonidine and others.

Sadly, a large portion of sufferers refuse treatment.

Out of the 40,000 soldiers with reported symptoms of

PTSD, only about half of them seek help. The reason?

Appearing weak to the rest of the troops and potential

downfall of their careers. A Defense Department

study of combat troops returning from Iraq found

that one in six soldiers acknowledged symptoms of

severe depression and PTSD, and six in ten of these

same veterans were unlikely to seek help fearing

their commanders and fel low troops would treat them

differently. A change is underway.

There is hope


In May 2009, the Defense Department launched a 2.7

mil l ion dollar service-wide anti-st igma campaign,

where ordinary service members wil l share their

stories of seeking help. This campaign is an effort to

show troops that seeking help isn’t just the right thing

to do, but i t can also save their l ives.

The majority of mil itary and family member treatment

is primarily accomplished by nonmilitary physicians.

All iance members and their spouses wil l personally

encounter the one in f ive soldier who is effected by

PTSD. That soldier ’s struggle has now becomes ours.

The FMA All iance recognized the severity of this issue

and joined the Indiana State Medical Association

All iance in a co-sponsored recommendation to the

American Medical Association All iance, establishing

support and awareness of stress disorders in mil itary

members and their families. Education and early

compassionate treatment of patients and their

families wil l more l ikely lead to successful resolution

of stress disorders, thereby decreasing the l ikel ihood

of chronic symptoms or even permanent disabil i ty.

The FMAA also offers Health Promotion Grants for

County All iances or members who would l ike to

start or expand an existing PTSD related program.

Continued membership wil l help the ones who suffer

from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and their loved

ones.

The All iance can help

Jamie Stafford is currently an FMA Alliance intern, working toward her undergraduate at Florida State University for Graphic Design and Animation,. Professionally, she is an accomplished graphic designer and owns her own logo/branding business.

Vincent Marcano, West Pa lm beach

Pr ivate F irst Class

After my f i r s t dep loyment I not i ced a

change in my way of th ink ing . There

was an inc ident dur ing my two week

leave . I was dr i v ing home la te one

n ight and I had a fee l ing someone was

fo l low ing me . I took an a l ternate route

to my house . I saw the same veh ic le

beh ind me the ent i re t ime . I came to

a screech ing ha l t and pu l led out my

weapon . The veh ic le turned out to be a

ne ighbor who had moved in wh i le I was

gone .

My ins t inc ts are ‘messed up ’ . I fee l

that ever yone i s out to get me , when

in rea l i t y they ’re not . Af ter a so l ider

comes back f rom war the s t ress leve l

i s through the roof . Many so ld ier s

don ’ t know what to do or are too

embarrassed to say anyth ing . Somet imes

they take the i r own l i ves for i t .

Resources: Psychiatric Disorders: PTSD, www.psychiatric-disorders.com/articles/ptsd/causes-and-history/history-of-ptsd.php

S TATF l o r i d a M e d i c a l A s s o c i a t i o n A l l i a n c e :

P . O . B o x 1 0 2 6 9T a l l a h a s s e e , F L 3 2 3 0 2

P R S R T S T DU S P o s t a g e

P a i dP a n a m a C i t y , F L P e r m i t N o . 2 3 0

It is the perfect time of year to send gifts of

seasonal fruit. A portion of your purchase will

go towards the Florida Medical Association

Alliance, in our effort to support programs that

help families of impaired individuals. To place your

order, call 800.713.7848 ext. 6500 and mention

your order is for the FMA Alliance. For more

information go to www.fmaalliance.org.

Holiday gifts that benefit a greater cause

FLO

RID

A M

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C.

ESTABLISHED 1926

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