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Viewpoints: Letters / Opinions

An Argument on How Traditional Prevention is Ending in Our Society

By Liberty-Anne Johnson

 

May 07, 2018
Monday PM


In February, it was reported online by KRBD that Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly needed to appropriate the 15% of tobacco tax revenue as previously agreed through ballot measure. Despite being a victim of brain and eye hacking via remote to be professionally polite and disclose current circumstance, I decided to write a letter to the Ketchikan Borough Assembly about the appropriation given my former prevention position in that community. Writing the letter from a more personable level rather than professional prevention analytical perspective which seemingly resulted according to the KRBD article immediately after that meeting with report of absent in-depth discussion from the borough assembly with additional request of agency proposals by them with additional testimony by the communications manager from the medical center at that specific meeting. My suggestion was to appropriate the funds for small grants for proposed projects by individuals, small independent groups, the art community, and local businesses to conduct related projects with possibility partnering with other businesses. Further ideas for tobacco tax uses through these grants included promoting or developing social media content, or other research advancements related to tobacco prevention or cessation rather than seeking typical agency outcomes to give the community some buy-in.

Career track history provides record containing a certain amount of knowledge of the tobacco industry, related public health strategies, local history through prior residence/childhood, and previous professional related volunteer experience through the Pharmaceutical Community of Practice within PMI membership prior strategic business model aimed at providing knowledge sharing and professional development opportunities for PMI members that lead global life science projects in all cycles or areas and not just research and development. Specific tobacco prevention experience—as previously mentioned with now elaboration—comes from my former position through the Ketchikan Wellness Coalition solely representing the State of Alaska Tobacco Prevention and Control Grant Program as a grant coordinator with ending employment as interim project officer. Partnering agency leadership through SEARHC, and direct organizational contract with the other lead agency, NCADD in Juneau coupling with close hands-on relationship from the state grant manager (who spent childhood summers on POW and Ketchikan) and state office headquarters located in Anchorage. One of the cementing and illuminating after-the-fact factored realizations for grant success was her promotion to Deputy Director sometime after my grant coordinating position which most likely isn’t widely known in Ketchikan.

In-depth explanation while forward progressing this argument requires contributing what was recently learned from the Strategic Healthcare Communications elective graduate course through Purdue University which was chosen as a replacement course believed after letter written to the Borough Assembly. Instructor steering us away from studying policy outside of the Affordable Healthcare Act with advisement against prevention or policy public relations campaign development for our final term projects including the subject of Peace Health billing as read in the media. Focused concepts or aspects on the ecology web and history aspect, epidemiology, public health overall strategies, community health literacy, and specific determinants with disparities a component or aspect rather than a main star in the show with equal attention to increased value placed being on health promotions rather than prevention, and E-Health infrastructure challenges and goals becoming more patient-centered. Focusing importance of strategic communications with physician communications imperative while becoming more adaptive for better patient communications or engagements. Cessation somehow fitting differently into the structure than historically as a uniformed component equal to other areas like diabetes and cancer rather than a main show worthy prevention topic emphasizing cessation rather than control with recognition that tobacco cessation has been within some healthcare organizational structures for a while.

Exampling PeaceHealth Medical Center corporate environment as played in the media using possible excuse burdening rhetoric which isn’t isolated or outside of the healthcare industry but rather common with cost and billing systems or process organizational challenges as primary arguments. Failing or lack of admittance to recognize possibly that local government grant funding from taxes is no longer best business practice for tobacco cessation because of progressing business landscape changing in the healthcare industry: equal should be the borough’s recognition of these business landscape changes within in the Healthcare Industry.

Stressing that E-Health technological infrastructure, framework, themes, programs, corporate structures, other government regulations tied to the E-Health structures, and overall national healthcare goals eliminate the necessity to rely on medical centers, non-profit outside agencies, or government agencies for prevention programs, and rather develop and increase a professional conducive public relations environment to create effective health promotion opportunities with inclusion of all demographics and cultural backgrounds. Adding from local perspective that with the actual direction E-Health is currently heading it provides quite the needed blessing to residents (including surrounding areas) rather than the always cultured knee-jerk “outside doesn’t understand logistics or life in Ketchikan” reaction which is being erased not only nationally but also by Alaskans own adoption or acceptance of technology utilization with both voluntary and corporately required integration or use.

E-Health components are: secure patient information sharing opportunities, remote health monitoring through mobile patient-centered remote equipment, virtual medical assistance including instant access to physicians or specialists, more convenient billing, and opportunities for online patient support from health professionals and other patients within health-related areas like cancer or diabetes. Elaborating the vitality, convenience, effectiveness, and cost reductions that are becoming available directly because of these increased options for rural areas and are being adopted in other states for rural target areas. Reducing or eliminating costly trips to Seattle or Anchorage with even less trips to the medical center itself with different framework structures that are indeed more patient-focused. Striving toward of course being highly secure with the patient and their individual and community health literacy rated technological level or comfort factored.

Addressing the direct Tobacco Industry aspect of the argument with its new lower proprietary levels of nicotine under last year’s added FDA regulation changes. News articles from CNBC touted RJ Reynolds CEO’s expression or desire to work with the FDA to lower nicotine in its cigarettes with agreement using the “man in the moon” analogy. Successfully taking a page out of their own playbook from early and mid-century periods when industry harnessed studies on generalized health, behavioral health, and stress to progress the industry forward while encompassing ads and commercials showing medical professionals claiming societal acceptance and positive professional opinion of smoking while in the medical office treating a patient. While I haven’t seen the use of medical professionals recently for new ads it might be circling back if it hasn’t already with up-to-date advancement or newer aspects with offer of professional guess being technology and/or brain science themed. Forcing a changed business environment that eliminates typical prevention strategy because they cannot accuse Big Tobacco through the classic rhetoric or taglines that tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in our country, tobacco kills, and any other argument involving youth initiation. Sans Juuls recent crisis with Big Tobacco disowning through its own cultural brand of media development while continuing to make vaping into an unrelated industry like a step-child of yesterday. Yet Juuls recent public relations and regulatory crisis demonstrated how to effectively manage corporate reputation and brand through proper strategic communications management with proper due strength and credit in crisis communications meaning it was a textbook case on handling a crisis.

Neurotechnology fashions harnessing or incorporating certain computational brain techniques, technological gadget development with direct emphasis on parallel or coupling within the healthcare industry, and use of private funding and government funding from certain programs like B.R.A.I.N Initiative or DARPA while advancing professional strategies using a supposed responsible outlook on better fitting into our rapidly advancing health conscience society with new uses and claims recycling techniques for consumer products harkening how hacking the brain can positively affect one rather than the dark aspect. While seemingly off-put but not exactly given my current crime victim status are the technological experiences or knowledge with admitted still attempt to fully conceptualize when exactly domestic violence and sexual assault non-profit organizations will cease place in society or ability of original mission because of these rapid health behavioral and societal behavioral changes spearheading the continued advancement of technologies and engineered pharmaceuticals. Interesting to even me is how all of this isn’t outside of the Big Tobacco argument with possible elaboration at another time when more studying and conceptualizing can be done.

With continued argument involving personal confession that after recent researching the tobacco industry, I found something not mentioned or talked about in tobacco prevention. Nicotinic drug, Targacept or similar previously failed clinical trial but is an advanced engineered drug that now apparently dates back over ten years ago in its development process using nicotine as a main ingredient to treat various diseases including Alzheimer with possible more successful testing for other causes. However, still feel it necessary to share my current desire to someday try a nicotine based drug to possibly treat or cure what’s been affecting me since childhood. Despite former tobacco prevention bias against nicotine it makes sense after also being a former smoker how it can possibly treat stomach or digestive issues with that of other listed brain issues no longer isolating the potential health matters. Continuing to provide my learning disability that wasn’t a disability to the school district in the 6th grade along with my also struggle to pay attention sometimes in conversations or studying and the doctor’s diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome as a teenager. As an adult there was a peer informal diagnosis of ADD with professional advice on how to function with specific to working which might now be re-diagnosed through newer or about to be labeled revolutionary diagnosis by advanced medical scientific research within neurology given the direction of advancing computational neurobiology or neurological diagnosis abilities if it hasn’t already. Proving in the most interesting and unexpected manner that age-old arguments against Big Tobacco again don’t apply game-changing multiple industries societal position with due reiteration of investment in neurotechnology and biotechnology.

Now winding down of argument provides space to serve professional industry position and announcement that I’m no longer against Big Tobacco or the Vaping Industry providing the update that I’m slowly overcoming the shock value of seeing them discussed in the media again in our country with renewed confident corporate aggression. Hailing Big Tobacco superior in strategic communications management through updated or renewed health and tech related industrial communications management. Giving special mention to the vaping company Juul for their textbook crisis communication strategic play citing that not much more can be asked of either of them. Making this specific timeframe worth watching and noting by any public relations professional knowing that these textbook strategies might be useful in the future for another campaign.

Crimes experienced myself continuously for over a year as a victim highlights the indeed need for a new version of prevention or next gen prevention which might come off as contrast to argument but should be seen non-contrasted with further in-depth study on the Tobacco Industry history. Better or more accurately defining what exactly constitutes as brain or eye hacking or happens to a victim narrowing and educating beyond mainstream stories of addiction to Facebook, one’s cell phone app directory, or generalized neurotech industry jargon which is of course tied to other communications strategies.

Further suggesting from own research of advancing brain science, advanced engineered pharmaceuticals, and advancing technologies with artificial intelligence encompassed or independent will play a more vital role in eventual replacing Behavioral Health and the diagnoses once thought as absolute with respect to behavioral health conditions or previously known about the human brain for neurological conditions thus shifting the social services community even more to possible elimination especially given the new ability or level in technological crimes. Reminding that Big Tobacco once funded behavioral health studies with guarantees exchanged for certain results in development studies, and absolute stigmatized diagnosis in our society with their products offered both as treatment facility patient gestures & control mechanisms: solution and prevention outside of Behavioral Health directly also tied to heart disease reduction or stress prevention.

Requesting: An independent historian with possible tobacco prevention interest conduct a study on how effective tobacco prevention was within the community with the outcomes publicly shared. Hopefully declaring publicly tobacco prevention historic within the community of Ketchikan with due credit to those that made a difference and recognizing the darkness that still existed.

Crime Status Update: She is still brain & eye hacked until further notice with end-date or crime ending not known to her resulting inability to drive, bank, work, participate or use Facebook & cell phone for safety and banking reasons, and otherwise.

Liberty-Anne Johnson
Thurston County - Washington

About: She completed a duel program of MS in Communications specifically studying strategic communications theory and practice & Graduate Certificate in Strategic Communications Management through the Brain Lamb School of Communications at Purdue University. Her additional degrees are an undergraduate in Business Information Management and applied associates in Video Production. Earned a Statement of Achievement through Linguistics from Stanford Leland School of Medicine for Writing in the Sciences. Volunteered as a member during her eight years of membership through the Project Management Institute with specific highlight of the Pharmaceutical Community of Practice where she was recognized for volunteer excellence in 2013. Formerly held the now expired PMI credential Certified Associate in Project Management. Served as a tobacco prevention coordinator through a small community wellness-based coalition in her hometown with sole local representation of the State of Alaska Tobacco Prevention and Control Grant Program with the coalition. During her tobacco prevention time-frame she was a KRBD volunteer on-air programmer sharing her old timeslot from the 1990s with other established volunteers. She absolutely loved working with youth during her tobacco prevention time-frame with emphasis on at-risk. Long-time Washington resident but considers Ketchikan, Alaska her beloved home. Her main interest or focus is the ending of the brain and eye hacking that’s affecting her while changing the views or stigmas of society about these crimes and those who commit them while hopefully helping other victims on both sides. Forward looking to a future career in strategic communications and finding someone to marry.

 

Editor's Note:

The text of this letter was NOT edited by the SitNews Editor.

 

Received May 02, 2018 - Published May 07, 2018

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