Fall Summer 2018 Newsletter. In this Edition: Message from the MFDA President Policy Board Update MFDA District Updates Industry News

Transcription

1 Fall 2018 Summer 2018 Newsletter In this Edition: Message from the MFDA President Policy Board Update MFDA District Updates Industry News P.O. Box Jackson, MS Ph: (601) (888) Fax: (601)

2 Inside this Issue Fall 2018 Message from the President 3 MFDA Leadership 4 Policy Board Review 5 MFDA District News 6 Industry News: Suspected Sodium Azide Deaths 8 Advertiser Index 11 Classifieds 11 Have an interesting article to include in the MFDA Newsletter? Send suggested articles to the MFDA office. Your article could appear in the next quarterly issue! Office: Fax: MFDA@tatmangroup.com Page 2

3 A Message From the President This year is winding down. It s hard to believe but we re in October. Football season is underway and hunting season is not too far off. My dad told me years ago, Son, as you get older, that calendar really starts spinning. That is so true. District governors are getting district meetings lined up. The NFDA Convention is in Salt Lake City October 14 th - 17 th. I hope to see you there. I encourage you to go out and attend your district meetings as well. We, as a board, met with the MS State Board of Funeral Service and MS Funeral Directors and Morticians Association last month at the request of the state board. We have developed a plan to contact our state representatives to draft a bill to start continuing education in the state of Mississippi. The State Board wanted to make sure we re all in agreement and this is something that all three boards wanted. I believe that the future of both of our associations will need this to survive. This is something that is not going to be done overnight. It will require everyone s help in getting this bill passed. We will be contacting you once this gets started to help us reach as many representatives and senators as you can. This will take a joint effort from all of us. Sammy Reed MFDA President The MFDA board also met in August for a board orientation and strategic planning retreat. It was a great exercise for our new and returning board members to learn about the responsibilities of board members individually and as a whole. We also developed an abbreviated strategic plan, facilitated by our staff, which we will adopt at the next board meeting. I do hope you have a fantastic fall and thank you for you support in MFDA. Respectfully, Sammy Reed MFDA President Page 3

4 MFDA Leadership MFDA Board of Directors Executive Director & Staff President Sammy Reed Lee Memorial Funeral Home President-Elect Brett Brewster, CFSP Cutshall Funeral Home Vice President John Wise Boone Funeral Home Secretary- Treasurer Bruce Lynd Heritage Funeral Home Past President Ladd Pulliam Jones and Son Funeral Home NFDA Policy Board Rep David Ainsworth Memory Chapel Funeral Home Northern District Governors Whitney Pegues-Beck W.E. Pegues Funeral Home Troy Smith Brantley Funeral Home Central District Governors Rusty Walton Milling Funeral Home Shay Chedotal Natchez Trace Funeral Home natcheztracefuneralhome.com Southern District Governors David Brown Brown Funeral Home Brett Moore Moore Funeral Home Executive Director David Tatman Account Manager Jamie Freeman Asst. Account Manager Annie Wilson MFDA P.O. Box Jackson, MS Phone: (601) Fax: (601) MFDA Mission Statement The Mississippi Funeral Directors Association was formed to promote the advancement of funeral service through education, leadership, advocacy and dedication to our membership and the families we serve. Page 4

5 Policy Board Review During the upcoming Policy Board meeting in Salt Lake City, we will be discussing the issues that NFDA will be raising with the FTC during the review of the Funeral Rule. The seven issues that have been discussed on a preliminary basis with the commission: GPL Distribution CPL/OBCPL Distribution Requirement Variable Basic Services Fee Price Ranges Cash Advances Practical Necessity Exemption Handling Fee for Third Party Merchandising Posting GPLs on Funeral Home Websites If you would like more information on these issues you can me at dmainsworth@comcast.net and I will be glad to forward the information. I would appreciate your input on this subject. We have a very good chance to reduce the oversight of FTC on the funeral industry in the coming years. We expect the review will happen in the latter part of I am planning on having a discussion at our next district meeting and also at our state convention. Thanks, David Ainsworth Policy Board Representative Page 5

6 MFDA District News Central District John Wise won the 50/50 raffle and graciously donated the money back to the MFDA Foundation! We hope everyone had a great time! The Central District had a very successful event at Biaggi s Italian Restaurant in Ridgeland, MS on September 25, Thanks to the efforts of our Central District Governors, Shay Chedotal and Rusty Walton, there were over 30 people in attendance for the round table Q&A. Special thanks also goes to Bill & Linda Lindley for sponsoring the cocktail hour. Northern District The Northern District had a great turnout at their district meeting held at Harvey s Tupelo, in Tupelo MS on September 24th. Marcus Lawson from the new North Mississippi Veterans Cemetery in Kilmichael was the guest speaker. The $ collected in the 50/50 raffle was donated back to the foundation by the winner, Troy Smith. The Northern District would like to thank their sponsors who helped make the event a success: Mike Smalley with Wilbert Vault and Chad Garner with Ambulance and coach Sales. Page 6

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8 Industry News Suspected Sodium Azide Deaths The Cook County Medical Examiner s Office handled two sodium azide related deaths recently and one case last year. We would like to inform funeral directors of the proper way to handle these cases. 1. Sodium azide is a rapidly acting odorless, white solid chemical with potentially deadly effect (see links below for more information on the health hazards). 2. BODY AND BODY FLUIDS CANNOT BE EXPOSED TO WATER, HIGH HEAT, GLASS OR METAL TO PREVENT POTENTIAL FOR EXPLOSION: DO NOT USE METAL SYRINGES, NEEDLES, BLADES, KNIVES, ETC. 3. THE BODY SHOULD BE BURIED AND NOT EMBALMED OR CREMATED. CCME WILL NOT AUTHORIZE CREMATION. 4. Instruments used should NOT contain metal or glass (plastics or ceramics may be used). 5. As long as the preceding exposures are prevented, standard personal protective equipment is acceptable. 6. Body only to be cleaned with dry napkins. DO NOT EXPOSE THE BODY TO WATER. 7. ALL ITEMS including disposables used for the examination and/or preparation of the body should be placed in separate bags for special disposal. 8. Recommend to family that clothing and possessions be discarded (notify disposal company and follow their recommendations for safe/proper disposal of clothing and all items used for any examination and/ or preparation of the body). Useful links: country=us&language=en&productnumber=s2002&brand=sial&pagetogotourl=https%3a%2f% 2Fwww.sigmaaldrich.com%2Fcatalog%2Fproduct%2Fsial%2Fs2002%3Flang%3Den Page 8

9 Industry News Protocol for Suspected Sodium Azide Toxicity BODY AND BODY FLUIDS CANNOT BE EXPOSED TO WATER, HIGH HEAT, GLASS OR METAL TO PREVENT POTENTIAL FOR EXPLOSION: DO NOT USE SYRINGES, BLADES (EXCEPT PER BELOW), KNIVES, ETC. 1. Do NOT take possession of suspected sodium azide at scene and notify other agencies of potential chemical exposure and possible need for HazMat unit involvement. 2. Notify Chief Medical Examiner (CME), Safety Compliance Officer (SCO), Deputy Executive Officer, Morgue Technician supervisor, Morgue Attendant supervisor, Chief of Investigations, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, Photography supervisor, Radiology tech supervisor, Toxicology supervisor. 3. Consult with CME or Deputy Chief ME about autopsy vs external (cases strongly suspected will be examined externally only with limited exam as described below). 4. Body to be examined in Decomp post room. 5. Standard PPE is acceptable. 6. Body only to be cleaned with dry napkins. 7. DO NOT EXPOSE THE BODY TO WATER DURING THE EXAMINATION. 8. ALL ITEMS INCLUDING DISPOSABLES USED FOR THE EXAMINATION ARE TO BE PLACED IN SEPARATE GARBAGE BAGS FOR SPECIAL DISPOSAL. Bags must be labeled by SCO (i.e. Packing Group II etc.) 9. Recommend to family that clothing and possessions be discarded by CCMEO with other items to be specially disposed of. 10. Make small vertical incision in neck (2-3 inches) to expose jugulars (DO NOT PUNCTURE THE VESSELS WITH METAL) and puncture vessel with plastic forceps, milking blood into blue top plastic vial containing sodium fluoride collected from container NOT from glass tube. 11. Notify toxicology when specimens are ready to be sent to Tox department. 12. Please inform Tox that a) specimens are to be kept refrigerated and sealed in a box away from potential water sources, b) Fedex should be notified of shipping of hazardous material, c) NMS is to be notified, d) specimen should be shipped in dry ice and sent priority overnight. 13. Intake to explain the nature of the hazard to family and funeral home explaining that the body CANNOT be cremated. 14. Tox order should be for, among other things (i.e. expanded tox panel), cyanide and methemoglobin. 15. At end of examination, notify janitorial staff that bags of waste from case are NOT to be discarded per normal schedule. 16. Notify Deputy Executive Officer for arrangements to be made for special disposal. Page 9

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11 Classifieds Classified ads are provided as a complimentary service to MFDA members. Ads will run for one issue, unless an extension is requested. To place your classified ad, send a Word document with the information to: Mississippi Funeral Directors Association P.O. Box 22584, Jackson, MS Or MFDA@tatmangroup.com The ad will appear in the following newsletter. The printed ad should not be deemed to constitute a recommendation or endorsement of any type by MFDA. Advertiser Index Company Affordable Cremation Society & Mortuary Service Page American Benefit Life Insurance Company 5 Aymond Mortuary Support 8 Federated Insurance 7 Messenger 10 MFDA Foundation 2 SFLIC Page 11

12 P.O. Box 22584, Jackson, MS Save the Date NFDA International Convention & Expo October 14-17, 2018 Salt Lake City, UT MFDA Winter Seminar January 27-28, 2019 Oxford, MS Annual Joint Convention June 2-4, 2019 New Orleans, LA Mississippi Funeral Directors Association Phone: (601) Fax: (601)