In 2013 and 2014, The Sierra Fund, in partnership with the California Indian Environmental Alliance (CIEA), hosted 11 “Eating Fish Safely” trainings at health clinics and county health departments throughout the Northern Sierra. Additionally, some trainings were live-teleconferenced to remote clinics that we would not have otherwise been able to reach, via partner organization Connecting to Care.
These trainings, provided at no cost to the clinics or hospitals, are designed to assist healthcare professionals in identifying patients that may be at risk from methylmercury in their bodies, and to provide these patients with advice on how they can continue to enjoy the benefits of eating fish, while avoiding toxins including mercury and PCBs.
Trainings include all materials and a one-hour presentation that is accredited by the California Medical Association for continuing medical education credits (CMEs) for doctors and nurses. All participants in these presentations received the following materials:
- CIEA’s 120 page “Mercury Health Toolkit” which was developed specifically for California healthcare professionals, and includes background on mercury in California, how it behaves in the human body, and the full text of peer-reviewed medical journal studies referenced in the training.
- All relevant state-issued fish-consumption advice, including a newly issued statewide fish consumption advisory for all lakes and reservoirs in California.
If you are a healthcare professional and would like more information or to schedule a private training at your clinic, please contact info@sierrafund.org.
See Also:
Peer-reviewed journal articles about mercury in the human body – Compiled by partner organization CIEA, and provided as part of their Mercury Health Toolkit
Fish Consumption Advisories – State-issued fish consumption advisories for lakes, reservoirs and rivers in California, many based on high mercury levels in fish
Gold Country Angler Survey – A study The Sierra Fund has been conducting since 2010 to look at exposure potential to mercury through eating locally caught fish
Health Outreach Program Report – The Sierra Fund’s 1-year pilot outreach program about environmental health threats associated with abandoned mines
