INHealth 07/31/2017

Mystified by Mold

15

| Pickle It!

34

| The Clacks’ Medical Legacy

Health

HEALTHY LIVING IN THE INLAND NORTHWEST

42

FREE

Taking THE Plunge Pushing past your comfort zone can make you healthier and happier PAGE 28

AUG-SEPT, 2017

SUPPLEMENT TO THE INLANDER

ADHD Specialty Center for adults & children

knowledgeable, compassionate, & empowering WWW.WINSTONCENTER.COM

509.465.1252

Life-changing Education and Research

Health

SPOKANE • EASTERN WASHINGTON • NORTH IDAHO also at inlander.com/inhealth 1227 W. Summit Parkway, Spokane, Wash. 99201 PHONE: 509-325-0634

EDITOR Anne McGregor

annem@inlander.com

MANAGING EDITOR Jacob H. Fries ART DIRECTOR Ali Blackwood CALENDAR EDITOR Chey Scott COPY EDITOR Michael Mahoney CONTRIBUTORS Hector Azion, Brad Brown, Wilson Criscione, Young Kwak, Robert Maurer, Julie Rehmeyer, Mitch Ryals, Carrie Scozzaro, Matt Thompson, John R. White, Samantha Wohlfeil PRODUCTION MANAGER Wayne Hunt ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Kristi Gotzian DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Kristina Elverum ADVERTISING SALES Autumn Adrian, Mary Bookey, Jeanne Inman, Claire Price, Carolyn Padgham-Walker, Wanda Tashoff, Emily Walden EVENTS & PROMOTIONS Emily Guidinger Hunt SALES COORDINATION Andrea Tobar, Sarah Wellenbrock DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Tom Stover, Derrick King, Jessie Hynes

Helping to slow disease progression.

Making health care more accessible.

Advancing solutions that reduce costs.

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Justin Hynes BUSINESS MANAGER Dee Ann Cook CREDIT MANAGER Kristin Wagner PUBLISHER Ted S. McGregor Jr. GENERAL MANAGER Jeremy McGregor

InHealth is published every other month and is available free at more than 500 locations across the Inland Northwest.

One copy free per reader. Subscriptions are available at $2.50 per issue: call x213. Reaching Us: Editorial: x261; Circulation: x226; Advertising: x215. COPYRIGHT All contents copyrighted © Inland Publications, Inc. 2017. InHealth is locally owned and has been published since 2004.

spokane.wsu.edu Find out more about human patient simulators on campus at nursing.wsu.edu/clinical-performance-simulation SUPPLEMENT TO THE INLANDER

4 Health AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

INSIDE

Take a

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

SWING at

ON THE COVER | ALI BLACKWOOD DESIGN

Breast Cancer!

CHECK-IN 100% LOCAL

Delicious Gleanings 9 LIFE COACHING 10 / SUPERFOOD 11 / PILL BOX 13

NEWS

Saturday, Sept 30 Tekoa Golf Course Shotgun Start at 10 AM

HOSPITALS

A New Partnership 20 MEDICAL MYSTERIES 15 / INNOVATION 23

Proceeds will support

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breast cancer awareness

FOCUS

Your donation stays local COST: $50 PER PERON Includes BBQ Lunch

PARENTS & KIDS

Reading List 24 LOCAL EXPERTS RECOMMEND BOOKS FOR PARENTS

LIVING HEALTHY BEAUTY

Activated Charcoal 36 RECREATION 28 / PRESERVES 34 / PEOPLE 42 always at inlander.com/inhealth

REGISTER ONLINE: www.everywomancan.org

QUESTIONS? Call 509-315-5940 Golf cart not included but may be available upon request

Thank You: City of Tekoa | Sandy DeHan Tekoa Chamber of Commerce Tekoa City Council and Mayor Jaeger Tekoa Golf Course

Every Woman Can

1 in 8 Will Get Breast Cancer AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

Health 5

FROM THE EDITOR

Do you have a story idea? Share it with Editor Anne McGregor at annem@inlander.com.

Never Stop Learning

Thank you.

Thanks to your support, the Community Cancer Fund has worked with our local partners to provide over 3,800 nights of complimentary lodging options to cancer patients receiving treatments in our region. That means cancer patients traveling to our region who need a place to stay will have one. It’s just one of the many ways we’re battling cancer in our community. For details or to donate, visit communitycancerfund.org.

A

s students return to the classroom, they’re poised for all kinds of growth: getting to know new teachers, making new friends and learning about the world — and themselves — in all kinds of ways. But if you haven’t officially gone back to school in, well, quite some time, and even if you’re not about to commit to spending the next nine months studying, what’s to stop you from experiencing all those benefits — meeting new people, trying something totally unfamiliar, gathering up your courage and taking a risk? In short, there’s no reason to be content with the status quo. That’s why we explore four fun ways to step out of your comfort zone in our cover story, “Taking the Plunge.” Maybe you’ll pick one of our suggestions, or at least be inspired to find your own path out of your routine.

We’ve also enlisted local experts’ to share their go-to guides for parents — both new and experienced. One of their book suggestions is sure to find its way to your nightstand.

And if you just can’t quite let summer go, there’s a way to savor those fresh flavors during the cold winter months ahead.

It’s both an art and science, and it requires a little learning: home canning. Discover how to achieve safe and tasty results in this issue’s cooking feature.

To your health!

6 Health AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

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PEOPLE WHO CARE EVENT 15th Annual Fundr aising Event

Thursday, October 5th at the Hotel RL

303 W North River Drive

The Save Date

RESPECT FOR HUMAN DIGNITY

Breakfast (7:30 am - 8:30 am) —&— Lunch (12:00 pm - 1:00 pm) For more information about this event, including Table Captain opportunites, Sponsorships and Virtual Pledges, please contact: Mary Tracey at mtracey@help4women.org or 509-328-6702

This event raises funds to support Transitions mission to end poverty and homelessness for women and children in Spokane, WA. Help us provide safety, support and the skills for success to more than 1,600 women and their children each year.

8 Health AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

CHECK-IN 100% LOCAL

Sweet Salvage

U

nlike the rest of their artisanal hard cider offerings, Liberty Ciderworks’ co-founders and cidermakers don’t have an exact idea of what’s in their latest creation, the Spokane Scrumpy Cider. Known for their award-winning English-style ciders, Liberty’s latest special batch, a limited release produced last fall, is made from a literal mash-up of apples picked from local backyards, roadside trees and abandoned orchards — apples that would otherwise have gone to waste.

Scrumpy was made using more than 6,000 pounds of apples collected by volunteers with Spokane’s Second Harvest Food Bank. A portion of bottle and keg sales proceeds from the blend is being donated back to the regional food bank.

Cidermaker Austin Dickey describes Scrumpy as slightly sweet and buttery, reminiscent of a white wine.

He and co-founder Rick Hastings allowed the cider to ferment using the naturally occurring yeast that arrived on the fruit, rather than adding a cultured yeast strain.

The idea to brew a cider from salvaged apples first arose a few years ago, Dickey explains, after a conversation with the local nonprofit Spokane Edible Tree Project, which collects unwanted fruit to distribute around the region through Second Harvest.

“Our idea was to try to do a hyperlocal cider using overlooked and underappreciated apples,” Dickey recalls. “We knew there would be some apples we didn’t know, and the hope was that we got an interesting cider out of it. And we ended up with a fairly pleasing product that is not like any other ciders we make.”

While this year’s Scrumpy is a limited release, customers can find it in bottles at the Liberty Ciderworks tasting room downtown, and on tap at some local restaurants.

In keeping with Liberty’s adherence to Old World cider traditions, the name Scrumpy is also a nod to a historical type of English cider. The word “scrump,” Dickey explains, means to collect, steal or scrounge.

“So 300 years ago, if you were poor you might grab apples from an orchard at night,” he says.

“That was scrumping.”

— CHEY SCOTT

STAY CONNECTED Email InHealth Editor Anne McGregor at annem@inlander.com. The conversation continues on the Inlander Facebook page, and stay in touch with us at Inlander.com/InHealth.

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

Health 9

CHECK-IN LIFE COACHING

Parenting Made Simple…

But Not Easy

R

aising a healthy child can appear to be a daunting task. Parents worry about many issues such as: Is my child going to the right school? How much exercise versus TV time is right? Does my child have enough friends? How important are after-school activities, and how many is too many?

Allow me to comfort you: No one has ever sat in a counselor’s office for any of these issues.

There are three essential ingredients for successful parenting: NUMBER ONE: Provide your child with food (hopefully, healthy choices) and shelter (hopefully, safe and warm in the winter).

This one you already knew. Two and three may be less obvious.

NUMBER TWO: Provide a role model of loving relationships.

When you walk through the door, does your mate’s face light up and the house become brighter and more alive? Or does it feel to your mate and child as if the warden just came on the cellblock?

When your friends or family come by, again, is the Robert Maurer is a home even more loving and animated than before?

Spokane psychologist, This is how your child will learn about the meaning consultant and author of relationships and what to look for when they are of “One Small Step Can older and seek out friends and a life partner.

And NUMBER THREE: Consider how you talk Change Your Life.”. about your job when you are home.

When you are talking about your day at work with your mate at the dinner table or on the phone to a friend, does the tone of your voice suggest you are describing the challenges with pride and enthusiasm, or does it sound like you are going off each morning to a world of frustration, aggravation and annoyance? If it’s the latter, why would your children want to work hard in school to get to this world that beats you up every day? Come home with pride, and on the difficult days make your work sound like a Lord of the Rings adventure so your child will want to enter the world of work.

So, to sum it up: Love your partner, your family and your friends, and love your work. You will give your children the greatest gift possible. Simple, but not easy.

As the visionary George Lucas put it: “In almost everything you do, you teach, whether you are aware of it or not. Everyone teaches all the time.”

— ROBERT MAURER

10 Health AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

ASK DR. MATT

Just For Girls

L

et’s talk about peeing. For boys, good voiding technique just has a few variables relating to handedness, fly management, aim and toilet-seat stewardship. For girls it’s a bit more involved. This article is for all the ladies.

The goal is to empty the bladder, completely and at will — no sooner.

This sounds easier to a guy than it is. First of all, girls need to stay well hydrated, so the urine is nice and dilute as it passes through the delicate tissues. Good hydration means it will be necessary to empty the bladder more often, and this is a good thing. Please, let’s encourage our daughters to not wait for the urge to go to go, but to stay ahead of the call. Too often we see little girls doing the potty dance (also known as Vincent’s curtsy — for those who are fans of micturition trivia), alerting onlookers to their need to go.

It helps if parents and teachers can encourage girls Matt Thompson is a to use the potty at least every two hours. pediatrician at Next, upon arriving at the potty, girls should Spokane’s Kids Clinic. pull their pants all the way down and take one leg out of the undies (pants, tights, jodhpurs — whatever one is wearing). This is important, so that they can spread their legs.

They also need to have their feet well supported. If they are on tiptoes, their abdominal muscles are tightened, like sitting on an exercise ball.

So you may need two stools to support the feet, so that the legs remain spread and the abdominal muscles are relaxed, or the modern miracle “The Squatty Potty.” (I’m serious; check it out online and in stores.) When they think they’re done, they should stand up and sit back down again.

This is called double voiding, and it eliminates the few more drips that would otherwise end up in the undies, with potential for irritating the labia.

A few other tips: Wipe front to back, of course, but gently! They’re not scrubbing grout, after all. No bubble baths until they are in their 80s. If they do get a bit irritated, add a tablespoon of baking soda to warm bath water for a soak that should simmer things down. Waterproof the area as needed, with something like Vaseline if irritation is common.

If accidents start occurring — day or night— when they weren’t previously, or a girl is experiencing pain or increased frequency with urination, it’s time for an office visit to make sure there are no complications, like a bladder infection or constipation.

Happy peeing!

— MATT THOMPSON

SUPERFOOD

Meet the Beets ATTRIBUTES: Virtually the entire beet plant is edible. Beet greens can used like their relatives, spinach and swiss chard. The root portion can be steamed, roasted or pickled.

SUPERPOWERS: Beet greens are a good source of lutein, a nutrient that protects your eyes. The red root portion is good source of the antioxidants anthocyanin and betalains, as well as folate, magnesium, copper and potassium.

WEAKNESS: “They taste like dirt.” This is a common comment among those who choose not to eat beets. It may — or may not — help to know that the flavor is not actually the taste of dirt, but rather the compound geosmin, which is produced by microbes in the soil. Humans are very sensitive to geosmin, with the ability to detect 0.1 parts per billion of it. Some beet varieties — Detroit Dark Red and Crosby Green Top — are lower in geosmin than the commonly available Chioggia variety. You can try to mask geosmin by using dressings containing dark balsamic vinegar, mustard or horseradish.

IT’S

HOW TO USE IT: New York Times food writer Martha Rose Shulman created this recipe filled with contrasting flavors. Add about 3 roasted, sliced beets to a salad containing 3½ cups arugula, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, 4 tablespoons chopped walnuts and one orange, sliced. Top with vinaigrette composed of 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, a small clove of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon walnut oil, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste!

— ANNE McGREGOR

what’s

underneath 3131 N. DIVISION S T. SPOK ANE, WA 9 9207 MON - FRI 10 A M - 5:3 0 P M SAT 10 A M - 4 P M

THAT

counts.

WHAT’S SUPPORTING YOUR GOWN?

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

Health 11

CHECK-IN CHARITY CORNER

Ten Years Into Africa

I

n the summer of 2007, four medical volunteers traveled from Spokane to Kopanga, Kenya to work at an understaffed and inadequately supplied clinic that treated severely malnourished residents of the area. Upon returning, they were determined to continue their efforts to help the people of this destitute region.

Now, the local nonprofit Partnering for Progress is celebrating a decade of progress in its work to provide improved health care, sanitation, clean water and educational opportunities for the people of Kopanga.

Each year, P4P, as it’s also known for short, hosts its Into Africa auction, raising funds to help sustain projects in the upcoming year that complement its mission of helping people become selfsustaining in Kopanga. This year they are hoping to raise around $45,000.

“A huge part of our fundraising goes to educa-

tion,” says Pat Lynass, chair of the auction committee. “We provide scholarships for 27 students to go to high school, which otherwise they wouldn’t be able to, because high school isn’t free in Kenya.”

Attendees of the 10th annual benefit get the unique opportunity to try out a blend of African and American cuisines, along with an assortment of dessert options in the popular Dessert Dash.

KHQ’s Kalae Chock and Sean Owsley are the evening’s masters of ceremonies. There will be a variety of silent auction items, along with “fantastic” loud auction items.

“I’m proudest of the fact that we’re providing education for the kids, and health care, nutrition and nutritional education for the parents, because infant mortality is extremely high,” says Lynass. “There’s lots of really good things going on that all started here in Spokane.”

— BRAD BROWN Into Africa Auction • Sat, Oct. 7 at 5:30 pm • $65/person; $500/table of 8 • Mirabeau Park Hotel • 1100 N. Sullivan Rd., Spokane Valley • partneringforprogress.org

PILL BOX

Sugar Addiction?

I heard someone recently refer to sugar as a drug. Is that true?

John R. White chairs WSU-Spokane’s Department of Pharmacotherapy.

T

he technical definition of a drug is a non-food substance that alters physiology. Sugar (table sugar, sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, and a plethora of other names) could be considered a food, but I think it is also important to consider that it is a highly refined and purified substance that does not occur in nature.

This purified substance could in many ways be considered to be a drug, or at least drug-like. It has an impact in the same area of the midbrain as do drugs of addiction. Its highly rewarding properties, beyond that of taste, signal our brains to consume more, which is what many of us do. When consumed, sugar also causes

an increase in insulin levels and triggers many other physiologic signaling pathways.

In the body, sugar is broken down into two different simple sugars. Overconsumption of refined sugar has been linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and inflammatory diseases. Unfortunately, it is added to an estimated 75 percent to 90 percent of all processed foods, and is also widely available and offered to us in an unrelenting fashion in almost all retail stores. You will notice that it is strategically placed in the checkout aisle!

There is a raging argument about how much sugar we can safely consume, but almost everyone agrees that it is now widely overconsumed by most people.

So yes, sugar is drug-like, and it is best to limit consumption, and be mindful of its omnipresence in our modern diet.

— JOHN R. WHITE

MEMORABLE HAPPENS HERE.

spokanecenter.com

12 Health AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

SPFD_060517_InHealth_QtrH_KS.pdf

BRAIN EXERCISE

2

Sudoku

8

RATINGS: Moderate (left), Killer (right) To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

6

1

8 6 7 5

PUZZLES BY JEFF WIDDERICH & ANDREW STUART www.syndicatedpuzzles.com

6 2 5 8

3 1

7

Answers to all puzzles on page 40

5

7

4 6 6

3

7

1

Codewords 16

22 25 14

23

12 2

T

11

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21

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2

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26

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1

2

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25 1

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25

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25

R T

3 4

9

Each letter has been replaced by with a number. Using the starter clues, work out the words that must go in each cell on the codeword grid. Some well-known phrases and names may also be found. For a three-letter clue, turn to page 22.

25

2

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

6 3 8 1 4

9 2 6 1 4 2 3 9

8 3 5 7 8 6 2 6 5 8 7 5 1

1 to 25

6

5

4 25 10 11 18

7

6

7 25 24 23 24

To solve 1 to 25, move the 22 5 4 8 9 22 numbers from the outer 21 1 3 19 10 21 ring onto the board in the 15 2 18 15 20 11 directions of the arrows. The 16 17 16 14 13 12 number must appear on the line — up, down or diagonal 23 17 3 14 9 12 — that the arrow indicates. As you place them, they must snake together vertically, horizontally or diagonally so they link in sequence from 1 to 25. We started you out with a number to work from. A solved puzzle will look like the one above. There is only one solution.

8 19 2 13 20

19 15 9 22 23 24 10 25

1

18

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3

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11 16 14 21 2

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7

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Health 13

14 Health AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

NEWS MEDICAL MYSTERIES

From Desperation to the Desert For any journey into the online health underworld, you’ll need to be equipped to separate hype from healing

BY JULIE REHMEYER

F

ive years ago, against practically anyone’s better judgment, I knowingly abandoned any semblance of medical evidence to follow the bizarre-sounding health advice of strangers on the internet. The treatment was extreme, expensive, and potentially dangerous.

If that sounds like a terrible idea to you, imagine how it must have felt to a science journalist like me, trained to value evidence above all. A decade ago, I never would have believed I’d do such a lunatic thing.

But I was desperately, desperately ill. My chronic fatigue syndrome had gotten so bad that I often couldn’t turn over in bed. On days when I felt well enough to shop for groceries, my legs would sometimes begin dragging as I walked down the aisle — within a few steps, I might suddenly be unable to move them at all, as stuck as a mouse in a glue trap. Top specialists had run out of treatments for me, and research on my illness was at a near-standstill. It was a hard thing to internalize, but I finally started to accept that science wasn’t going to help me anytime soon.

So I took a deep dive into the murky world of untested treatments. The incredible thing is, I found something that brought astonishing improvements, even if not quite a cure. ...continued on next page

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

Health 15

NEWS “FROM DESPERATION TO THE DESERT,” CONTINUED...

I describe the entire journey in my new memoir, Through the Shadowlands: A Science Writer’s Odyssey Into an Illness Science Doesn’t Understand. What helped me is no cureall. But my experience taught me lessons about how to navigate the online world of data-less anecdotes, a place I still recognize as being full of potential scams, pitfalls and harm. But it’s also a community that gave me my life back, and if it helped me, it could help other people — provided they take the proper precautions.

MEETING THE MOLDIES

My journey into the online health underworld started just after I wrote a story about chronic fatigue syndrome, also sometimes known as myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Writing that story meant “coming out” as having ME/CFS myself, and after it was published, several patients who believed that toxic mold was the source of their ME/CFS started contacting me through Facebook. Although they’d been sicker than me, they said, they had experienced incredible improvements by taking extreme measures to avoid exposure to toxic mold.

Pseudoscientific hogwash, I scoffed.

Health authorities confirmed that mold could cause asthma and respiratory problems, but I didn’t cough or wheeze; I became semi-paralyzed. Surely, mold couldn’t do that.

Still, the patients’ stories wriggled like jumping beans in my brain. One of my new Facebook friends posted a link to a previously housebound young man’s blog post seemingly validating the theory, complete with pictures of him running through the wilderness after spending two months living in a cargo trailer in the (relatively) mold-free desert. Running! Longing surged through my bloodstream like adrenaline.

I figured just asking a few questions couldn’t hurt, so I wrote to the “moldies,” as they called themselves. I’d never lived in an obviously moldy house, and moving had never seemed to affect my illness. So mold wasn’t my problem, right?

Not so fast, the moldies argued. You can’t always see mold in a water-damaged building, they said. And if I’d lived in just one moldy house, my possessions could have picked up enough mold to keep me sick — once you’re sensitized, they claimed, tiny amounts of mold can be enough to keep you sick, just as traces of peanut dust can sicken those who are severely allergic.

The moldies proposed an experiment: Spend two weeks in the desert with none of

16 Health AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

Julie Rehmeyer my own (potentially contaminated) belongings to “get clear” of mold. If mold was my problem, they predicted, returning home would make me extremely sick. This intense reaction could help me start detecting the presence of mold, which could in turn help me avoid it — and thus, to heal.

Of course, the moldies could muster no credible scientific evidence for their assertions. Nada. One crusading doctor made big scientific claims, but academic researchers steered clear of the idea. And the moldies’ talk sometimes veered into what seemed like sheer paranoia — the word chemtrails popped up once. Still, they were an erudite bunch, including a Harvardtrained lawyer, an MIT computer scientist, an art history professor.

And the truth was that when they limited their discussion to mold, their theories sounded as believable to me as any other I’d heard, including from the most pedigreed specialists.

I still thought they were probably deluded. But I also found myself thinking “maybe…” My health was on a bit of an upswing. Perhaps I could pull off a solo trip to the desert. And when it came down to it, I was out of reasonable ideas — only un-

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reasonable ones were left. So a few weeks later, driving a friend’s car loaded with new and borrowed gear, I bounced up a rutted track in Death Valley. That mold-free zone would be my home for two weeks.

While there, I didn’t feel dramatically better, but I didn’t get paralyzed, either. But the real test was yet to come: whether returning home would make me really, really sick. When I got back, I decided to camp outside, saving going inside for the next day. I dashed inside for just a few seconds to grab clippers I needed to cut the wire

SOMEHOW, IT WORKS

Over the next few days, I kept testing the hypothesis. After 15 minutes inside, my body began to crumple. Just handling paper that had been sitting inside crippled me. I was astonished, and I kept worrying I might somehow be deluding myself. (Later, I recruited some friends to help me do an elaborate double-blind, placebo-controlled test, involving a couple of packages of washcloths, to test whether I was imagining things. I almost certainly wasn’t — the test showed there was only a 2 percent chance

“Being forced to take another path showed me that patient communities can possess wisdom that doctors can rarely match.” fence separating me from the spot where I wanted to camp.

That night, I woke up paralyzed, with an intense, unfamiliar sensation I can only describe as “poisoned.” I also felt gleeful: Maybe the moldies are right!

I’d have done as well by guessing.) It was interesting to see that mold might make me worse. But the real question was, could avoiding it make me better?

After another week of scrupulous avoidance, I decided to take a gentle walk. When

my body managed to propel me to the top of a 350-foot hill, my breath caught and turned to sobs.

That was just the beginning. Within months, I was running again. My body became a mold-meter: Entering a moldy building, my teeth chattered or my gait stiffened. I’d flee, changing my shirt and rinsing off. These days, as long as I successfully avoid mold (which, at times, is an absurdly demanding task), I feel nearly well. I’m able to travel, hike, dance, work — my life is utterly changed.

My mold-avoidance experience is so far from any conventional scientific expectations that I’m often incredulous that it actually works. I’m used to assessing a treatment by talking with my doctor and reading studies, not by talking with strangers and performing elaborate, unlikely experiments. Being forced to take another path showed me that patient communities can possess wisdom that doctors can rarely match. The problem is, they also possess a level of bullshit doctors rarely match, so the trick is figuring out which is which.

Of course, the fact that patient commu...continued on next page

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Health 17

NEWS “FROM DESPERATION TO THE DESERT,” CONTINUED... nities sometimes find answers that scientists and doctors have missed doesn’t mean that all of modern medicine is misguided. In fact, it seems inevitable to me that patients will sometimes discover answers science hasn’t yet explored. Patient communities, I’ve come to see, are a bit like guerrilla fighters. They’re intimately familiar with the terrain of illness, and they can quickly mobilize to explore a new, radical idea. On the other hand, they don’t have the organization or discipline or resources that armies of scientists have. But the scientific armies move slowly, and sometimes never arrive.

Patients and scientists are both fighting the illness, not one another — or at least should be. And those of us who live in both camps can adopt both guerrilla and army tactics in waging the battle. n Julie Rehmeyer is author of Through the Shadowlands. She lives in Santa Fe and has written for the New York Times, O,Wired and Slate.com, where a version of this story first appeared.

THE FIVE-WAY TEST I’ve found that leveraging the wisdom of online patient communities boils down to five key principles — all of which are also basic principles of both journalism and science:

example, aren’t necessarily benign just because they’re “natural.” The great injustice of following untested treatments is that their side effects are also untested.

1

3

ABOVE ALL: LISTEN, BUT NURTURE YOUR INNER SKEPTIC. Demanding scientific proof in a realm science has abandoned will go nowhere, so a kind of radical open-mindedness is essential. But because compelling personal stories can be dangerously seductive, especially when pain and emotion are part of the mix, skepticism is equally crucial.

2

KEEP A SHARP EYE OUT FOR POSSIBLE DOWNSIDES. Is a treatment invasive? Expensive? Potentially dangerous? Will following one course of treatment preclude others? The risks are not always obvious: Dietary supplements, for

EVALUATE YOUR SOURCES. In the case of recommendations from patients, that means evaluating the patients themselves — which typically requires getting to know them pretty deeply. Some key questions to ask: How thoughtful and trustworthy do the patients seem? How similar is their situation to yours? How critical and precise do they tend to be about their own experiences? How much have they really benefited from the treatment?

Do they have objective evidence to back this up?

Subjective reports of vague improvements can easily be wrong. Do they present themselves with excessive authority? Do they, for example, use impressive-sounding, scientific terms they can’t explain? This is a huge red flag.

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4

CONSTANTLY LOOK FOR CONTRARY EVIDENCE AND ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS. Or, to put it another way, stay humble. The more you invest in a solution, both physically and emotionally, the more likely you are to want it to work. That desire makes it easy to come up with ever-more elaborate theories to explain away contrary evidence. This is the best way to delude yourself. If you’re not naturally skeptical, make yourself explain your ideas to a friend and have her give you an honest reaction.

5

DON’T IMAGINE YOU KNOW MORE THAN YOU DO. Without research, it’s often anyone’s guess just how a particular treatment works, but the only thing that matters is whether the treatment works. Eventually, I did extensive research trying to figure out the mechanism by which mold might be sickening me. I found recent studies suggesting three different newly discovered ways it might be happening, but I still don’t know how it works. My improvement was so overwhelming, however, that I figured even if this is the placebo effect, it’s good enough for me.

— JULIE REHMEYER

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Health 19

NEWS

HOSPITALS

Reaching Out Providence Health Care reaches across the state line to form an alliance with Kootenai Health

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

I

f it were the dating world, you might label the relationship between Kootenai Health and Providence Health Care through the years as “friends with benefits.” The two operated separately and had never formalized any kind of relationship, yet they shared certain values, and they’d occasionally get together for a common goal.

In June, however, Providence and Kootenai announced the relationship had taken a step forward. The two organizations formed a not-for-profit entity called the Kootenai Providence Health Alliance to better serve patients and improve health across the region.

Call it an “open relationship” between Kootenai and Providence. It’s not an acquisition or merger, and both organizations will continue to operate independently. It’s a unique, formalized alliance between two of the major health care organizations in the Inland Northwest.

Scott O’Brien, chief strategy officer for Providence Health Care in Eastern Washington and Montana, says the two sides had been flirting with the idea of

20 Health AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

making the relationship official for more than a year.

“We’ve had those discussions about what that might look like. We realized there’s a lot of things we could do better, together,” O’Brien says. “This is sort of the vehicle, or the way we landed on doing that.”

The agreement benefits both sides, but it’s the patients who may see the greatest benefit. With the two entities sharing medical records, and in some cases physicians, the continuity of care for patients is expected to improve. It will be easier for patients, both in North Idaho and Eastern Washington, to stay in their local communities for quality health care.

“That will be a common theme: How we can better coordinate the patient experience to see how we can drive better outcomes,” O’Brien says. “Then, how and where we can provide greater access to patients closer to home.”

T

here are already plenty of examples of successful collaboration between Kootenai and Providence. The two

have joined together for education initiatives, for a venture on radiation oncology, and for Kootenai’s cardiac surgery program that uses surgeons from Providence.

Those kinds of efforts will only expand, says O’Brien.

“We have different partnerships with other like-minded organizations in other communities, but this is sort of the only one that’s gotten this far,” O’Brien says.

“Kootenai and Providence know each other really well and have our shared commitment to the community, and we know we’re a good fit, in terms of working together.”

Here’s an example of how the collaboration benefits both organizations, right now. Kids and families who come to Providence’s children’s hospital for clinic visits sometimes must travel from North Idaho. Providence has been looking for a way to have an outreach clinic in Post Falls to better serve its patients. Under this alliance, physicians from Providence can use Kootenai buildings in Post Falls — saving Providence the cost of constructing its own buildings. From Kootenai’s perspective, it brings pediatric subspecialists to a community that otherwise wouldn’t have the population to support pediatric subspecialists. Eventually, it could lead to other physicians rotating to North Idaho.

“We’ve got physician resources that we can share with them, and they’ve got some facilities and some space that we can use,” O’Brien says. “So we’re able to provide that service to the community more affordably than if we did it separately.”

For Jon Ness, Kootenai Health’s chief executive officer, probably the best part of the alliance is sharing electronic

medical records through a system called Epic. Kootenai Health was using an electronic medical record system called Meditech, which “has not been meeting our needs,” Ness says. Kootenai went through the process of evaluating alternatives, and it became clear that Epic was the best option. Coincidentally, it’s the system Providence uses as well, and under this new alliance, patient records can be shared between systems — with Providence also providing some technical support.

Essentially, if a patient sees a provider in North Idaho, records from that visit can easily be found if the same patient visits Providence at a later date.

“All of our patients in North Idaho and Providence are on one shared regional medical record,” Ness says. “We think that is unique.”

T

he alliance will have its own board with representatives from both organizations. Soon, a chief administration officer will be chosen to lead it.

“That’s really the only cost,” O’Brien says. “We want a senior leader who can get up every morning and can focus on what

health issues in Eastern Washington and North Idaho, along with the prescription opioid crisis facing the area and much of the nation, Ness says.

Even though it’s an alliance, Ness says it’s actually a step toward Kootenai maintaining its own independence. It helps Koo-

“All of our patients in North Idaho and Providence are on one shared regional medical record. We think that is unique.”

— JON NESS, KOOTENAI HEALTH CEO Kootenai and Providence can do together to better meet the needs of the communities we’re serving.”

The alliance may consider future initiatives focusing on women’s and children’s services, community wellness or information technology. In addition, they will discuss how to better address behavioral

tenai provide quality services to patients, closer to home, even as independent and smaller hospitals continue to be bought out by larger health systems across the nation.

“Kootenai Health is a strong, stable organization,” Ness says. “and we certainly want to do anything we can to help patient care. For us, this was a perfect solution.” n

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Health 21

NEWS INNOVATION

regulates messages between brain cells and quiets the activity of neurons. When GABA is out of balance, it’s difficult for the brain to communicate properly with itself and with the rest of the body.

There is currently no “targeted” treatment for the genetic disorder itself, Gibson says. Rather, doctors treat the symptoms.

However, one drug used to treat the disease that has shown some benefit can also have a severe side-effect known as “night blindness.” Patients could permanently lose some degree of their peripheral vision if they “And I mean rare,” he says. “There take the drug long enough, he says. are about 200 patients with this disorder That’s where his research comes in. published in the literature around the world.

The grant will be used to conduct laboraWe think there are quite a few more, but it’s tory studies with a second drug that Gibson a very rare condition.” hopes will counteract that visual side effect.

The disease, known as succinic semialde“It’s a four-year grant, and I expect we hyde dehydrogenase deficiency, or SSADH, will have a good, solid pile of data in the is caused by a gene mutation that manifests next year, and then we would hope to be differently in different people, planning human clinical tribut can cause difficulty with als,” he says. “Those can be speech and movement, as notoriously slow to develop, from the puzzle on page 13 well as severe epilepsy. but I would like to think 11 = L; 15 = S; 25 = E Those symptoms are down the road about three to caused by the buildup of a neurotransmitter, four years, max.” gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), which Indirectly, he says, his research can have

WSU Researchers Battle a Rare Genetic Disease

BY MITCH RYALS

M

ike Gibson has studied a rare genetic disease since 1980. Last April, his research took an important step forward.

Gibson, a professor in the pharmacotherapy department, and his team of researchers at Washington State University’s College of Pharmacy secured a four-year, $1.58 million grant from the National Eye Institute to study a drug that could eventually provide treatment for the rare disease he studies, as well as addiction and autism.

He specializes in studying how to understand and treat rare genetic disorders, known as “orphan diseases.”

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Pharmacy Professor Mike Gibson with Dr. Kara Vogel, who did foundational work for the research grant. WSU PHOTO implications for autism and addiction treatment.

“Most people ask ‘Why study rare genetic disease?’” he says. “It turns out that rare genetic diseases, taken together, are

more common than we think, and agencies such as the National Institute of Health realize this. You learn a lot about normal metabolism when you investigate where it goes wrong.” n

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FOCUS: PARENTS & KIDS

BOOKS TO GROW BY Expert advice on how parents can approach the exhilarating, frustrating, delightful and humbling work of raising kids

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

K

ids aren’t the only ones who can benefit from a summer reading assignment. As new parents soon find out, children don’t come with an instruction manual. In fact, more attention may have been paid to getting ready for the birth than

what in the world to do with a squirming, helpless infant who will require a daunting minimum of 18 years of assistance. There is no shortage of ink spilled on authoritative advice about what parents absolutely must do to ensure their children “turn out” well.

PEDIATRICIAN MATT THOMPSON RECOMMENDS: Here are four books I recommend to expectant parents: 1. NurtureShock: New Thinking about Children by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. This is a research-based look at how to screw up — and not screw up — our kids.

2. The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement

by Jean Twenge and W. Keith Campbell. This book is few years old, but wow, is it still relevant to our times.

3. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. The takeaway message for

But some books only serve to make a parent queasy with guilt, or more uncertain than ever, while offering little in the way of helpful advice. That’s why we set out to discover what local child experts think are the most helpful guides for the growing-up years.

parents is to relax. Your children’s success isn’t all up to what you do or don’t do — there are a lot of other variables, like timing, luck and a lot of hard work on their part. I find this message refreshing in a time when parents are given the feeling that they will ruin their kids if they don’t read to them in utero, feed them only organic food, or get them tutors when they are toddlers.

4. A newer book that is right on the money is UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World by Michele Borba. This book explores the importance of empathy for success, and as a foil for narcissism and entitlement. ...continued on next page AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

Health 25

FOCUS: PARENTS AND KIDS

DR. STANLEY OLSEN

ROSA METTLER

lthough Dr. Stanley Olson has his own children, he’s about to inherit a whole lot more when he takes over as interim superintendent of the Coeur d’Alene School District. A former teacher, coach, principal, director of community education, director of communications, assistant superintendent and adjunct faculty member, Dr. Olson has 42 years of diverse experience with kids and families. His pick is THE WHOLEBRAIN CHILD by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D. “As parents, we know a good deal about our kids’ bodies as they grow up, get hurt or sick, and change,” says Olson. “But we know relatively little about how their brains are developing, and how that affects decision-making, relationships, discipline and self-awareness.”

The Whole Brain Child, he says, explains how the parts of the brain work together, all in an easy-to-read format that’s funny and informative. There are even cartoon illustrations!

The authors, says Olson, “walk the reader through such strategies as sharing stories to help calm emotions, setting appropriate expectations for kids, and tapping into memories to aid in growth and healing.”

s parents know, kids are not always able or willing to explain what’s troubling them, leading to frustration all around. THE CONNECTED CHILD: BRING HOPE AND HEALING TO YOUR ADOPTIVE FAMILY by Karyn B. Purvis, David R. Cross and Wendy Sunshine helps parents clue into behaviors that might indicate a deeper issue, says Rosa Mettler. As the agency director for Children’s Village, a Coeur d’Alene-based residential home for children in crisis, Mettler has definitely seen her share of deeper issues — abuse, trauma, neglect, the impact of family homelessness — and recommends The Connected Child as a resource for caregivers working with adopted and fostered children.

The book, explains Mettler, “focuses on understanding children from ‘hard places,’ challenges they may face based on developmental deficits related to abuse, neglect and traumas, as well as

A

SNEAK PEEK

Take a moment and ask yourself: What do you really want for your children? What qualities do you hope they develop and take into their adult lives? Most likely you want them to be happy, independent, and successful. You want them to enjoy fulfilling relationships and live a life full of meaning and purpose. Now think about what

every waking second helping her children thrive. You know, the PTA president who cooks organic, well-balanced meals while reading to her kids in Latin about the importance of helping others, then escorts them to the art museum in the hybrid that plays classical music and mists lavender aromatherapy through the air conditioning vents. None of us can match up to this imaginary superparent. Especially when

If you’re like most parents, you worry that you spend too much time just trying to get through the day (and sometimes the next five minutes)… percentage of your time you spend intentionally developing these qualities in your children.

If you’re like most parents, you worry that you spend too much time just trying to get through the day (and sometimes the next five minutes) and not enough time creating experiences that help your children thrive, both today and in the future.

You might even measure yourself against some sort of perfect parent who never struggles to survive, who seemingly spends

26 Health AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

we feel like a large percentage of our days are spent in full-blown survival mode, where we find ourselves wild-eyed and red-faced at the end of a birthday party, shouting, “If there’s one more argument over that bow and arrow, nobody’s getting any presents!”

If any of this sounds familiar, we’ve got great news for you: the moments you are just trying to survive are actually opportunities to help your child thrive.

— from The Whole Brain Child

A

SNEAK PEEK

We have watched children and their families make tremendous progress in surprisingly short periods of time, but sustaining those gains takes commit-

We never accept hurtful or wild behavior from a child ­— but we also do not punish, reject, or bribe because those strategies don’t build long-term success. ment and a fundamental shift in parents’ perspective. Instead of seeing yourself as a the victim of a pint-sized terrorist, begin

NICOLA McLACHLAN

“G

teaching skills for easy, at-home implementation.” Trauma, she adds, might be direct or indirect, systemic or situational, such as an incident of bullying.

Included in the book are easy-to-use checklists for parents and caregivers to better observe behaviors that might indicate problems. It also gives strategies for dealing with such challenges as learning or behavioral disorders, as well as affecting non-threatening discipline and building and enhancing trust.

“It’s all about how you help them feel secure,” says Mettler. seeing your role as a compassionate, nurturing guide and ally for your little one.

Respect and honor the child’s needs, even when you don’t entirely understand what drives them.

We never accept hurtful or wild behavior from a child — but we also do not punish, reject, or bribe because those strategies don’t build long-term success.

Instead, we calmly and firmly interrupt bad behavior, identify the need that drives this behavior, show the child how to achieve his or her goals appropriately, and then praise the child for doing so.

Once you see yourself in this role of mentor, encourager, and protector, days become filled with opportunities — opportunities to show your child how to correct his mistakes, to practice doing the right thing, to communicate needs with words instead of behavior, and to get positive feedback for his efforts. As you help your child build social skills and feel safe in this world, you earn his deep trust. When your child feels truly safe, doors swing open to positive change.

— from The Connected Child

ood sleep is crucial for physical and emotional health,” says Nicola McLachlan, a pediatric nurse practitioner since 2003 who is currently on sabbatical from Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics and traveling the world with her husband and elementary-aged children. McLachlan recommends Dr. Marc Weissbluth’s HEALTHY SLEEP HABITS, HAPPY CHILD, 4th edition, which covers infancy through adolescence.

“When my own children were infants,” says McLachlan, “I found this book particularly helpful, as it helped explain the sleep requirements for children with different personality traits and gave strategies to help infants and children with sleep for working parents. Now, as my children are approaching adolescence, I find myself going back to this book to understand their changing sleep patterns as their brains and bodies are growing.”

McLachlan, who has a Masters of Nursing and is a certified pediatric primary care mental health specialist, acknowledges that the book won’t fit every parenting style, yet its research-based approach to understanding the physiology of sleep is vital.

“I learned from this book that most infants are not born knowing how to sleep well, but that it is our job to teach our infants and children how to sleep well.” n

SNEAK PEEK

With healthy sleep, parents are better able to cope with many of the challenges they face. When families are well-rested, they are more able to prevent and correct the inevitable problems that will develop.

baby. Not just for the first days and weeks, but for months to come, setting a pattern in place that will extend throughout childhood… and beyond.

When your child sleeps well, you, too, will sleep well, and as a result will be better able to nurture and teach your child, who

With healthy sleep, parents are better able to cope with many of the challenges they face. When families are well-rested, they are more able to prevent and correct the inevitable problems that will develop.

Becoming a well-rested family is not really that difficult as long as we don’t let our anxiety or exhaustion blind us. …

In the pages that follow, I will gently and patiently teach you many such lessons and give you many tips so that when you come home, your newborn will sleep like a

in turn, will be better able to learn. Thus, healthy sleep has a mutually reinforcing effect that goes back and forth between parent and child, bringing out the best in everyone.

— from Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

Health 27

LIVING

Bye-Bye RECREATION

Comfort Zone Sticking to a routine can help you avoid stress, but taking on new challenges brings unexpected rewards

BY ANNE McGREGOR

P

redictability gets kind of a bad rap. But, in fact, it makes life easy. It’s comforting to know what to do and how to do it.

It’s kind of nice when things are proceeding in an orderly fashion. You become an expert on your routine. If it’s Tuesday, it must be time for tacos! And there’s nothing wrong with being comfortable, confident and organized.

Except that over time, focusing too closely on only the things we are good at — things that are easy and familiar — can actually start to weigh on a person, says Spokane psychologist Laura Asbell.

“Challenging ourselves with new endeavors and new learning and new exposures adds to who we are.”

But being challenged doesn’t mean you have to do something rash or even dangerous. Asbell cautions against what she calls the current culture’s “over-encouragement of adventure” — the feeling that it is very nearly compulsory to have some incredible feats to post on social media or report to a listener who has just innocently inquired, “How was your weekend?”

“There’s a cultural expectation that we create adventures, when people have different tastes. But there are benefits to expanding your world, at a pace that fits with who you are.”

She notes that novel experiences can help us learn to “push through the status quo.”

28 Health AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

It turns out that living life only within our comfort zone serves to reinforce our skill at staying in a comfortable rut — “Look how successful I am at avoiding stress!”

And we are drawn to repeating things we are good at. But by regularly avoiding things that carry a risk of discomfort or embarrassment, we can end up less skilled at tackling all sorts of challenges; after all, we never get to practice those coping skills. And that, in turn, leads to more avoidance.

“I see that people’s circles get smaller," says Asbell. “It’s too effortful to go out and do something, and people’s lives can get more and more truncated. There’s less and less there, over time, and I think they are missing out.”

Looking for inspiration on how to change things up this fall? Read on to learn about opportunities for trying something new — ways to challenge your mind and body and social skills. It may not be easy. “In the short run, the first step will require effort and maybe a little discomfort,” says Asbell. “But there’s a long-term benefit that enriches and corrects our expectations, so that we will want to venture out more.” ...continued on next page

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

Health 29

LIVING

Get Off the Ground

M

ica Moon Zip Tours founder and owner Rik Stewart sees people get out of their comfort zones every single day he’s at work: “That is probably our theme: elevate yourself up out of your comfort zone. When we zip people, they are all there for different reasons.” But no matter why people show up to jump off the nine platforms on a trail through the forest canopy on Mica Peak, Stewart says they have one thing in common: “When they get out of the their comfort zone, they open. They flower. It’s so much more than adrenaline.”

The story of Mica Moon Zip Tours is in itself a study in moving beyond fears. “I had been fighting cancer for 18 years,” says Stewart. “And it went crazy. The tumors all came back. I was in the middle of 12 months of chemo in a 15-month period, and I thought this was going to be the end. I decided if I lived, I was going to do the things I want to do.” He survived, and “I quit my job and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

He runs Mica Moon with his wife, Heidi, and doesn’t deny that it’s a big operation — and a stressful one. But Stewart says his health is better than ever: “I attribute it to the clean air, the one-on-one contact, and the new friends I have made.”

Zip tours last about three-and-a-half hours and are done in groups of 10 to 12. Some people bring a friend; others may be zipping with people they just met. Regard-

less, Stewart says there are two ways people seem to work through their nervousness. “Some just talk, talk, talk.

And then there are some who are very quiet. But everybody in the tour intuitively encourages the others — even though they just met this person 20 minutes ago, and by the end of the tour they are high-fiving.”

Tours are open to most everyone, and there are often accommodations that can be made for various levels of ability and age. Stewart recently zipped a couple for their 60th anniversary. There is a weight limit of 275 pounds. Everyone gets weighed, with utmost discretion, Stewart says. “I tell them, ‘Here’s the scariest part of the event.’”

The newest zip line just opened, and at 3,500 feet long, with a 90-second zip, Stewart says it’s one of the 10 longest zip lines in the world. It’s not unusual to spot wildlife like moose and bear roaming unperturbed as people zip through the trees above them, and visitors also learn a little history of the area’s moonshiners and speakeasies during the ride up the mountain.

Sign up at micamoon.com/tours/classic

Dancers at Spokane’s Satori Dance Studio move to Latin rhythms. HECTOR AZION PHOTO

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Mallory Johnson zips down the line at Mica Moon Zip Tours near Liberty Lake. TIMOTHY PHILLIPS PHOTO

Lose Your Inhibitions

“Y

ou should try dancing! Victor can lead anybody,” exclaims Elizabeth Szombathy, an instructor at Spokane’s Satori Dance Studio.

On a recent visit, and after a generally informative 30-minute interview, things now seem to be headed straight out of my comfort zone. Protests over improper footwear sound hollow, and moments later I find myself standing, with studio owner Victor Smith, preparing to dance. I stare at my feet.

“Don’t look at your feet. There’s nothing down there,” he says. Memorizing steps is not what dancing is all about at Satori.

Instead, he encourages freeing the mind to focus on the music. “The term they use in Spanish is ‘falling asleep to the music.’

There’s a conversation to be had! You don’t have to break it down mathematically,” Smith says.

With just the simple instruction to bend one knee and then the other, and under the

influence of Smith’s subtle lead, pretty soon I do indeed seem to be dancing — twirling even — to a merengue. He proudly notes he got a “D” in ballroom dancing. That’s because, for him, dancing is something completely different — something that is at the very heart of his studio’s philosophy.

“Satori is a term from Zen Buddhism,” he explains. “It doesn’t mean I memorized a cool step. It means, ‘Oh! I get it!’

“You did a very nice merengue!”

Szombathy says as the song ends. She tells her own story of wandering in to Satori Studio out of curiosity after a stressful day at work, just to pick up a flyer, and how she found herself dancing within minutes. An interior designer by day, she now teaches at the studio in the evenings.

“The dance is sublime,” she says. “Tango is a dance that just kind of transports you into this different realm of just joy. And there’s such a nice crowd of people here who you come to be friends with.”

At Satori, dancers can bring a partner, or not, and choose to dance with others at the class, or just with one person. There’s no alcohol, and the goal is to make beginners comfortable. After a language lesson — Spanish or French depending on the evening, because dance is all about communication, says Smith — dancers take the floor. Sometimes there’s a live band.

Wear whatever shoes you like, although smooth-soled shoes with some sort of heel counter work best. Or try out one of the many different heel heights from the sample shelves at the studio. Some dancers dress up and make it an evening, others don’t.

After an hour lesson costing just $10, you will be dancing.

“You spend the rest of your life getting good at it,” says Smith, “but that’s like anything.” He notes a friend was invited to a get-together and was somewhat sad afterward. “It wasn’t a party. No one was dancing.”

View the schedule at satorispokane.com; for more info call 509-315-7691.

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

Health 31

LIVING

MORE OPTIONS SPOKANE POTTERS’ GUILD A non-profit studio that promotes knowledge of pottery 1404 N. Fiske, Spokane spokanepottersguild.org

THE CLAY CONNECTION Friendly atmosphere that encourages new opportunities for everyone 714 E. Sprague Ave, Spokane clayconnection.net

HANDS TO ART STUDIO Helpful staff ready to help with design, colors, and painting techniques 3115 N. Government Way Ste., 4 Coeur d’Alene, Idaho handstoart.com

32 Health AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

Get Dirty

S

ome people are most comfortable when they know exactly what to do, how to do it, and the outcome to expect. They like to be in control. Success is clearly defined, and if something doesn’t go as planned, well, that’s a failure. If that sounds like you, then getting out of your comfort zone might entail doing something unpredictable and, well, messy.

For thousands of years, humans have been unleashing their creativity and individuality to create beautiful and often practical items from clay. Just don’t think you’re going to be totally in charge of what happens when you get your hands on that inert-looking blob of damp earth.

“The clay is going to talk to you,” says JoDee Moody, a teacher and resident artist at Spokane’s Urban Art Co-op. “It’s gonna become what it wants to become. You think you’re gonna make one thing, and it turns out to be something totally different.”

There are two main types of clay work:

Hand-building, which entails using slabs and coils of clay that are pressed and pinched together to create all kinds of things, and the more familiar art of throwing pottery on the wheel.

People of all ages, from kids and people under 30 to new empty-nesters, are coming to the Co-op to sample both styles in 5- or 8-week class sessions, says Moody. Demand has been strong, and in April the nonprofit moved to a new 3,000-square-foot location on North Monroe — a space nearly twice the size of its previous home.

Clay art appeals to people who have worked with it in school when they were younger; some sign up with a friend or family members for something new to do together, or sometimes people sign up after they have “gone through a significant event in their life,” says Moody. But regardless of what draws students to working with clay, to creating something with their hands, “what it does is it gives people peace of mind. There’s no right and wrong, you can set away all your problems and just have fun.”

Because basic clay is a relatively inexpen-

Make A Connection

F

ace-to-face meetings with strangers can be awkward. Talking to someone next to you, while you’re both facing in the same direction, is often a lot more comfortable. It’s probably why parents learn that kids tend to say the most interesting, often surprising, things from the back seat of the car while they’re are driving them around.

But how are adults to achieve that form of easy, no-eye-contact-necessary conversation?

Perhaps by striding next to someone.

“We started [the Lantern Running Club] when we first purchased the Lantern about five years ago, because we wanted to have something that brought the community together,” says Lantern co-owner Melinda Dolmage. “We started with about 15 people in the neighborhood, and now we average about 93.”

“Running club” may be a bit of a misnomer, however. “The nice thing about it is there is no pressure, it’s more just get out and come… We have people who come with strollers, people with baby carriers, people with dogs, people who run, people who walk,” says Dolmage.

Check out the group’s Facebook page on Mondays to see the map for the upcoming Tuesday run/walk. Newbies are always welcome, and there are 3- and 5-mile routes to make the event accessible to most folks. After all that exercise, join other urban trekkers for a glass of one of the special $2.50 beers at the Lantern. Who knows? You might even enjoy a deeper conversation with a new friend — face to face. n Meet on Tuesdays at 6 pm at The Lantern Taphouse 1004 South Perry

Students at Spokane's Urban Art Co-op can opt to work on the pottery wheel.

SARAH WURTZ PHOTO

sive natural material, there’s plenty of room for experimenting. “With clay, it’s just clay. If it breaks, you can make another one. It’s very freeing. But I tell people, don’t get attached to your piece. There’s lots of things that can happen,” says Moody, who hand-builds all kinds of things from wall art to birdhouses.

Glazes can run and mix in ways you might not have imagined, and not every piece survives firing intact. But that’s okay. “That’s what’s so good about clay. You don’t have to make it perfect. If you want a perfect mug, go to Walmart and buy one.”

Fall classes start in September, and after taking one class, the co-op offers memberships for $30 a month.

Members get a locker to store their clay in and access to the studio, where resident artists offer tips and inspiration.

Sign up for classes at www.urbanartcoop.org or call (509) 327-9000

Runners take to the streets in the South Perry District as part of the Lantern Running Club.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

MORE OPTIONS

MANITO RUNNING CLUB

Saturdays, 8 am, 5-6 mile run Meet at 18th & Grand Parking lot manitorun.net

FLIGHTLESS BIRDS

Tuesdays from April to November, 6 pm, all skill levels

FLEET FEET SPORTS

A variety of training groups, 12 week programs

511 Sherman Ave., CDA, Idaho Zentropa Pizzeria & Pub, Cheney 1303 N. Washington St., Spokane facebook.com/flightlessbirdsfleetfeetspokane.com runningclub AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

Health 33

LIVING

PRESERVES

After losing frozen food to a power outage, WSU’s Anna Kestell says canning is now her go-to method for food preservation.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

Can-Do Attitude How to savor summer’s bounty long after the warm sun has set

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

F

or many people, harvest time marks the end of one season and the beginning of another important piece in the food system: preservation. Whether you’ve spent months planting, caring for and transplanting seedlings into foodproducing superstars or found a reliable vendor who does the same, fall finds us thinking about how to preserve summer’s goodness through the coming winter and beyond.

Canning, for example, is a popular preservation method — heating and sealing food in specialized glass jars — yet it’s only one of 12 common techniques, says Anna

34 Health AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

Kestell, Food Preservation/Safety Education Coordinator for Washington State University’s Spokane County Extension program.

Proper refrigeration, which should occur between 34° and 40° Fahrenheit, is the simplest method of preserving food, yet it’s obviously not as viable for the long term as freezing, fermenting or curing food. And not every food preservation method is ideal for every situation.

Kestell suggests two guiding principles: “No. 1, what are your plans for it? No. 2, how are you going to eat it?” If for example, tomatoes are used in pureed sauces, then whole-canning them makes sense, as

does freezing them.

Individual taste is certainly a factor.

Preservation methods can affect taste, texture and even color in ways from subtle to extreme — think pickling versus smoking.

Cost may be another consideration in determining the best food preservation method. Based on a WSU study, freezing, says Kestell, can be more than twice as expensive as canning and three times more costly than dehydrating, taking into account equipment needs, packaging and power usage.

Though it’s not the most convenient, Kestell says canning is her go-to, especially

after losing a large amount of frozen food to an ice storm a few years back.

Kestell, who cans a huge variety of food, including wild and domestic meat, recommends starting with small-batch canning, and something basic like fruits and vegetables. There’s a learning curve to canning safely, she cautions, just as with most food preservation methods. Unlike mold, however, or food that’s gone rotten, improperly canned food doesn’t exhibit a telltale bad odor; the only clue might be damaged seals on the jars.

Illnesses from canning are rare, says Kestell. The Centers for Disease Control reports that of the 39 confirmed cases of foodborne botulism nationwide in 2015, only one or two were clearly from homecanned food, compared to more than 15,000 confirmed foodborne illnesses nationwide due to such things as improperly cooked meat or poor sanitation.

Kestell relies on several sources to keep her canning savvy current, including the United States Department of Agriculture and So Easy to Prepare, a compendium of techniques, illustrations and recipes published by the University of Georgia Extension. Canning requires vigilance and attention to detail. Vinegar, for example, can range from 3 percent to 20 percent acidity. While the currently accepted level of acidity in cider and distilled vinegar is 5 percent, it used to be readily available in 7-percent solutions. So the USDA revamped its canning guidelines in 2009 to more accurately reflect formulas using the 5-percent solution.

Another vital component of proper canning is location, says Kestell. “Most recipes are written for sea level,” says Kestell, noting that above 1,000 feet, processing times must increase. Spokane County, for example, varies from slightly below to slightly above 2,000 feet, according to Elevation.net. (Inlander offices in Kendall Yards are 1,866 feet, while High Drive homes sit at 2,349 feet.)

If it all sounds way too complicated, Kestell can help; she’s been teaching variations of her “Grow It and Stow It” food preservation program since arriving at WSU six years ago. Introductory sessions at area libraries cover the basics, while numerous publications online detail specific methods for canning, drying, freezing, smoking, and even cheesemaking. n For more information and free, downloadable guides, go online to WSU Extensions’ publications page (pubs. wsu.edu), click on Health and Wellness, and select Consumer Food Safety.

RECIPE

BREAD-AND-BUTTER PICKLES This recipe yields 4 quarts of pickles.

• • • • • • • • •

6 pounds (4- 5-inch) pickling cukes 8 cups (about 3 pounds) thinly sliced onions ½ cup canning or pickling salt Ice 4 cups vinegar (5 percent acidity) 4½ cups sugar 2 tablespoons mustard seed 1½ tablespoons celery seed 1 tablespoon ground turmeric

Wash cucumbers. Discard 1/16 of an inch off blossom end. Cut into 3/16-inch slices.

Combine cucumbers and onions in a large bowl. Add salt. Cover with 2 inches crushed JAR SIZE UP TO 1,000 FEET Pint 10 minutes Quart 10 minutes

or cubed ice and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours, adding more ice as needed. Drain when done.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large pot and boil 10 minutes.

Add drained cucumbers and onions to the vinegar solution and slowly reheat to boiling.

Fill hot pint or quart jars with slices and cooking syrup, leaving a half-inch of headspace.

Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if needed. Process according to size of jar and altitude: 1,001-6,000 FEET ABOVE 6,001 FEET 15 minutes 20 minutes 15 minutes 20 minutes AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

Health 35

LIVING

HEALTHY BEAUTY

The New Black Activated charcoal isn’t new, but is it really as magical as its marketing claims?

BY CHEY SCOTT

D

uring a recent trip to Ulta Beauty, on a mission to find a new facial cleanser, I was struck by a trend I observed on the shelves: Activated charcoal as a major ingredient in skin-care products is a big thing right now. There were soaps, facial masks and scrubs in unexpected, deep-black hues by nearly every major brand.

With heightened curiosity, I picked one claiming its inclusion of activated charcoal would “draw out and trap 2x more dirt and impurities than a basic cleanser, for deeplycleaned, tingly smooth skin.” After all, I’m not alone when it comes to dealing with annoying blackheads and oil-clogged pores.

Not long after making my purchase, an ad popped up on Facebook to tell me about an activated charcoal-based toothpaste (see “Black to White?”) that asserted it would naturally remove stains and whiten teeth.

It showed a model with her lips bared, and a mess of pitch-black foam spread across her teeth. Activated charcoal in personal care products suddenly seemed like it was everywhere, but why now?

A

natural form of carbon, activated charcoal has an incredible adsorption quality due to tiny pores that

36 Health AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

increase its overall molecular surface area; one gram of activated charcoal can have a surface area of up to 5,400 square feet.

(Note that adsorption is not the same thing as absorption with a ‘b’; it means the molecules only stick to the surface, versus a sponge soaking up water into every pore.)

Of activated charcoal’s other uses, one of the more well-known is to treat drug overdoses and the ingestion of poisonous substances, by adsorbing toxins in the stomach before they enter the bloodstream.

Activated charcoal is also used in chemical spill cleanup, air and water filtration, and numerous industrial processes. It should not, however, be confused with the charcoal briquettes in a barbecue; the “activated” trait comes from a process that uses heat, gas and/or chemicals to alter the charcoal’s physical structure to become more porous.

In skin-care applications, activated charcoal is being used because these traits allow it to “trap” dirt and oil — it’s sort of like a carbon magnet. But how well does it actually do this?

“It’s basically awesome for getting into pores and sticking to dead skin cells, excess debris and sebum [oil secreted by pores] — that’s why it’s popular,” says Stephanie

Guerra, whose Spokane-based natural skincare line, Kani Botanicals, includes a few products containing activated charcoal.

However, Guerra cautions that not all products on the market with activated charcoal are as effective as they claim; much of this is due to a product’s other ingredients — water, emulsifiers, preservatives and even scents — and how much charcoal is actually added. (Remember that cosmetic ingredient lists are ordered by total volume, so if charcoal is at the end of the list, there’s probably not much in there.)

Because activated charcoal adsorbs most organic substances it comes in contact with, Guerra says that some skin-care products containing it might not be doing much, if any, extra work. Other ingredients in, say, a face wash, might have already been adsorbed into the charcoal, and thus there’s little left to do the job of cleaning your skin, she explains.

“Once it’s wet, the ‘pulling’ power starts to lessen over time,” Guerra explains. She’s seen this happen when developing her own products.

Kani Botanicals’ Black Magic ($28 for 2 ounces) activated charcoal mask was originally formulated as a wet product, but Guerra soon realized it didn’t have much of a shelf life because even the natural preservatives she’d added were being adsorbed by the charcoal.

“It was super-temperamental,” she says.

The scent of any added essential oils also diminishes in time due to the charcoal, which Guerra says is actually “a good sign for real, activated charcoal, because it should start to do that over time.”

D

ermatologists’ views of activated charcoal’s applications in skin care seem to be quite mixed; some have commented in articles on the trend that it’s not ever going to be as effective as chemical treatments, but many also agree that if users think it’s working for their own skincare needs, they shouldn’t necessarily stop.

Longtime Spokane dermatologist Dr. Philip Werschler agrees that there’s no harm in using products with activated charcoal on the skin — it’s a form of natural carbon, of course — and he believes that various product forms can offer benefits, even if there isn’t a proven physiological benefit. Werschler adds that he’s personally tried some of the activated charcoal soaps out there, and likes the gentle exfoliating properties the soaps offer.

“The bottom line in cosmetics is if you like [products] and you think it’s helping and it doesn’t irritate your skin, then go ahead and keep using,” Werschler says. “It’s

BLACK TO WHITE?

Despite its off-putting, deep-black hue, there are many manufacturers out there claiming that activated charcoal can naturally whiten your teeth when you brush with it. Hold up before you fall victim to the hype, though. Windy Rothmund, a professor with Eastern Washington University’s dental hygiene program, says there are few studies on activated charcoal’s benefits in oral care, and she’s skeptical until it’s researched further, or approved by the FDA or American Dental Association (ADA).

Rothmund says her biggest concern is that the abrasiveness could harm your tooth enamel and your gums, and that it could adsorb the good bacteria in your mouth, just as it does the bad.

A promising sign for consumers, in Rothmund’s view, is if or when the big dental-care brands, like Crest and Colgate, start adding activated charcoal to their products.

“I’d like to see long-term studies of [activated charcoal] as an ingredient in toothpaste,” she says. “We know it’s safe in filtration, and safe for poison overdoses, but we don’t know what it does in the mouth.”

— CHEY SCOTT hard to say [charcoal] is better than another product — it’s easier to say it’s safe and effective — but it’s an alternative and it’s a very natural product, and people today more and more like natural products.”

Kani Botanicals, for example, is made exclusively from organic and all-natural ingredients, making it vegan-friendly. Guerra founded her company in 2015 after years

of personal skin issues she struggled to find solutions to, including allergies and acne.

She’s made sure that the activated charcoal she sources for her products is from an ethical source — it’s made from burned coconut fiber that was dried and treated, and is pesticide-free.

In addition to the charcoal mask, Kani Botanicals also offers a charcoal body scrub

with sea salt, called Black Sea ($30 for 8 ounces). More abrasive than a sugar scrub, Guerra says the sea salt helps slough away dead skin; just don’t use it right after shaving, she cautions.

With her charcoal face mask in powder form, customers can mix a small amount of water — or, if they’re looking to reap the natural benefits of lemon juice, yogurt or a banana, it can be mixed with those ingredients, too — to control the consistency of the mask. With a clay base, the mask can be applied at any thickness before being left on the skin to fully dry before being rinsed off.

So, next time you find yourself — like I did — spending too much time reading ingredient lists as you contemplate a new purchase from the skin-care aisle, consider that in some products, activated charcoal can add an extra, beneficial cleansing boost. But in others, it might just be touted on the label simply to take advantage of the latest beauty marketing trend. n Find Kani Botanicals at kanibotanicals. com, and at the Window Dressing PopUp Shop, 159 S. Lincoln.

Cross over to the bright side.

Membership makes everything better.

Keep smilin’ at numericacu.com 800.433.1837

Federally insured by NCUA.

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

Health 37

INDISPENSABLE INLANDERS know that no story is one-sided — no issue is cut and dried. That’s why we believe great journalism makes a great community. But we also believe that no weekend should go unfilled. So we get the word out about where good times can be had, all over the region.

With nearly 200,000 of the most loyal readers in the country counting on us every week, we know this is a big job.

But we’re up for it, because we’re Inlanders, too. And it’s our mission to keep pumping out a must-read newspaper that helps cultivate the informed, creative community we call home.

I N L A N D E R .CO M / I N D I S P E N S I B L E

LIVING AUGUST-SEPTEMBER EVENTS DONATE BLOOD | Give blood at the Inland Northwest Blood Center, which requires up to 200 donors each day to ensure that the blood bank is adequately stocked. Donors can schedule an appointment online or donate during walk-in hours at the Spokane, North Spokane, Spokane Valley, Coeur d’Alene, Lewiston, Moscow, Pullman and Moses Lake collection centers. Hours and collection center addresses at inbcsaves.org.

LIVING WELL WITH DIABETES | An interactive, group-based workshop for those living with diabetes, helping them learn how to deal with symptoms, eat healthy, exercise and properly use medications.

Six-week sessions begin on Aug. 3 and Sept. 26. No cost to attend. Meets at INHS Community Wellness Center, 501 N. Riverpoint Blvd., Ste. 245. Register online at wellness.inhs.org BABYSITTING BASICS | This course is designed for youths ages 10 to 15, preparing them to become successful babysitters, and includes instruction in infant care, CPR, discipline issues, safety and more.

Sessions on Sat, Aug. 4 and Sept. 16, from 9 am-2 pm. $40; online registration available. St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute, 711 S. Cowley. inhs.org (232-8138) 8 LAKES LEG ACHES | The 19th annual bike ride heads through West Spokane, Cheney and Medical Lake, offering 30-, 45-, or 75-mile routes, with the longest route passing by eight area lakes. Proceeds benefit the Sexual Assault Family Trauma Response Center of Lutheran Community Services. Sat, Aug. 5. $50$60 (pledge rider options also available, $100-$355). Starts at Kaiser Permanente, 5615 Sunset Hwy. lcsnw.org/8lakesride (343-5020) PRINCESS PEDALFEST | The third annual women’s biking event, open to riders of all abilities. Choose from a 25-, 45- or 60mile ride through North Idaho, with lunch to follow. Proceeds benefit the Union Gospel Mission of the Inland Northwest. Sat, Aug. 5 at 7:30 am. $75-$85. Ride starts/ ends at Croffoot Park, 1347 W. Lancaster Rd., Hayden. princesspedalfest.com

LONG BRIDGE SWIM | Swim 1.76 miles across Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint in the 22nd annual open-water event, which helps fund swimming lessons for local children and adults. Sat, Aug. 5 at 9 am. $25-$30. Downtown Sandpoint, Idaho.

Longbridgeswim.org PADDLE, SPLASH & PLAY | The Spokane Canoe & Kayak Club’s annual water expo/ demo day for kids and families, offering the chance to try out canoes, kayaks of all types, stand-up paddleboards and more.

Bring a life jacket. Discover Pass required for park entry. Free. Sat, Aug. 5 from 10 am-2 pm. Free. Riverside State Park, Nine Mile Recreation Area, 14925 N. Hedin Rd. sckc.ws MIDNIGHT CENTURY | An annual, informal and unsupported 100-mile nighttime bicycle ride on dirt roads through rural areas around Spokane. Sat, Aug. 5 at 11:59 pm. Free; no registration required. Starts at the Elk Public House, 1931 W. Pacific. midnightcentury.com HUCKLEBERRY COLOR RUN | Run or walk through the forest and get covered with color during this family event marked for both 2.5 and 5K. $32-$45/person. Sun, Aug. 6 at 11 am. Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Sandpoint. schweitzer.com CLASS & A GLASS | A guided yoga/ pilates class with professional local instructors, live music and a glass of wine with a keepsake glass. Tue, Aug. 8 from 5:30-9 pm. $35. (Ages 21+ only). Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. (927-8571) COACHES VS. CANCER | This year’s event takes backyard games to a new level at Arbor Crest. Wear your game gear and bring your skills to test against local athletes and coaches. Fri, Aug. 11 from 5:30-10 pm. $95-$145 (reserved tables for 8 available). acsspokane.ejoinme.org/ SpokaneGameOn (242-8288) COEUR D’ALENE TRIATHLON | Races include an Olympic-distance triathlon (individual and relay team options), a scenic sprint and a duathlon. Sat, Aug. 12. $50$90. cdatriathlon.com …continued on page 41

CHARITY CORNER

Way to Glow!

B

ust out your best pair of neon leggings and any other brightly colored and/or retro-themed attire, and start planning your race day outfit now for the annual Glow in the Park run. The after-dark, all-ages fun run has no limits on how bright, colorful and wacky your costume can be, and encourages participants to go all out, even offering a “party package” of LED accessories as a registration upgrade.

Your glow gear might not make you go any faster, but it’s very likely to add to the fun you’ll experience at this community event organized by the folks behind the springtime Negative Split 5K and half-marathon. If the festive and party-like atmosphere isn’t enough to fire you up to run, jog or walk 3.2 miles, the pre-race party with a live DJ offers an extra energy boost, starting 2 hours before race time, and continuing post-run. While fellow runners will literally guide each other along the course, bright lighting effects will also help ensure you’re heading in the right direction.

By registering for the race in advance, you’ll save a couple of bucks, but latecomers can register up until race day (they may, however, miss out on the participant T-shirt). Proceeds from Glow in the Park benefits the Boys and Girls Club of Spokane County, which provides programming in the areas of citizenship, academic success and healthy living to thousands of area kids each year at its two clubhouse locations.

— CHEY SCOTT

Glow in the Park Spokane • Sat, Sept. 16; pre-race party at 5:30 pm, run at 7:30 pm • $39-$49; $12/kids under 10 • Spokane Convention Center, Riverside Lawn • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • nsplit.com/glow-run-spokane

Reach over 90,000 readers

advertise in the next INHealth* * 2016 Media Audit

Contact: advertising@inlander.com • 509.325.0634 ext. 215 AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

Health 39

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Oral Appliance Therapy is covered by most medical insurance plans, including Medicare

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40 Health AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

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LIVING AUGUST-SEPTEMBER EVENTS CELEBRATE LIFE FUN RUN/WALK | Run, walk or ride across Sandpoint’s scenic Long Bridge for this 14th annual event that supports local families affected by cancer. Sat, Aug. 12 at 9 am. Sandpoint, Idaho. celebratelifefunrunwalk.org (208255-9628) SPOKANE TO SANDPOINT RELAY | The annual 200-mile, overnight relay race starts at the top of Mt. Spokane, and is open to teams of 4 to 12 runners. $420$1,500/team. Aug. 18-19. spokanetosandpoint.com TEAM PARKINSON’S WALK SPOKANE | The second annual local event offers a family-oriented walking course, and helps to raise awareness, build community and raise funds for Parkinson’s care and research. Entry by donation. Sat, Aug. 19 from 8:30-10:30 am. Touchmark South Hill, 2929 S. Waterford Dr. teamparkinsons.org (443-3361) KIDS WHO TRI | Kids ages 6-14 can do one, two or all three legs of this junior triathlon, with a swim in Liberty Pool, followed by a bike ride and run around the park. Register by Aug. 5 to get a T-shirt.

Sat, Aug. 19 at 9 am. Liberty Park, 502 S. Pittsburgh. spokaneparks.org BUMP TO BABY FAIR | A family event offering activities including bounce houses, Disney princesses, henna artists, chair massages, babywearing demos, face painting, and more. Local midwives, hospitals, chiropractors, naturopathic doctors, doulas and other experts are also on site. Free admission. Sun, Aug. 20 from 10 am-4 pm. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard. bit.ly/2swCgXH (598-9933) 2017 FREE STATE PARK DAYS | Washington State Parks and Recreation allows visitors access to all state parks without needing a Discover Pass on specified days throughout the year. Includes access locally to Riverside, Palouse Falls and Mt. Spokane state parks. Upcoming “free” days on Aug. 25 and Sept. 30. More details at discoverpass.wa.gov.

SPOKANE WIFFLE BALL CLASSIC | The 8th annual event benefits the Bread Tie Challenge, which supports teens suffering from depression. Open to teams of 4-5 players; $200/team. Sat, Aug. 26 at 11 am. Assumption Parish, 3624 W. Indian Trail Rd. spokanewiffleballclassic.com IRONKIDS COEUR D’ALENE | A half or 1-mile fun run for kids ages 3-13, offering them the chance to feel the excitement of competition. Sat, Aug. 26 at 9 am. $15$20. McEuen Park, 420 E. Front St., CdA. ironman.com PRIEST LAKE TRIATHLON | The annual event at the scenic North Idaho lake offers Olympic and sprint distance courses, with individual and relay options for both.

Sat, Aug. 26 at 8 am. $89-$199. Starts/ ends at Hill’s Resort, 4777 W. Lakeshore Rd., Priest Lake. priestlakerace.com (208946-9543)

Check out the Ironman in Coeur d’Alene, this year on Aug. 27.

IRONMAN COEUR D’ALENE | Athletes in the triathlon swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. Sun, Aug. 27. Starts at City Beach on the lake; ends along Sherman Avenue in downtown Coeur d’Alene. ironman.com MARCH FOR THE FALLEN | Sign up for a 5, 10 or 15K run, or the 15K march. The annual event honors all of Washington’s fallen military members, with proceeds donated to local veterans groups. Sat, Sept. 9 from 8 am-4 pm. $30/person. At Riverside State Park, Seven Mile Trailhead of the Centennial Trail. marchforthefallen. com SPOKEFEST | The 10th annual community cycling festival welcomes thousands of residents to downtown Spokane for group bike rides, cycling safety tips, a bike swap and expo, and more. Volunteers are also needed to help run the event (register at spokefest.org/volunteers). Choose from a 1- to 2- mile family ride, or 9-, 21- or 50-mile rides. Sun, Sept. 10 from 8 am-2 pm. $8-$30/person. spokefest.org COBRA POLO CLASSIC | The annual fundraiser event features gourmet food, local wine, beer, and cocktails, paired with a silent auction, beautiful hats, a cigar and whiskey tent, and a lively game of polo.

All proceeds support Ronald McDonald House Charities of Spokane. Sun, Sept.

10 from noon-4 pm. $200-$275/person; $400-$550/couple. Spokane Polo Club grounds, 7500 W. Hwy. 2, Airway Heights. rmhcspokane.org MEDVENGERS GALA | The new event benefiting WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine Scholarships features appetiz-

ers, cocktails, dinner and a live auction. $150/person. Fri, Sept. 15, from 6-10 pm.

Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. go.wsu.edu/medvengers CANCER CAN’T DINNER | The growing local nonprofit supports those in the region diagnosed with cancer, hosting its third annual dinner with an auction. Fri, Sept.

15 at 4:30 pm. $100/person; $180/two.

Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. cancercant.com GLOW IN THE PARK | The fourth annual fun run through downtown Spokane features runners decked out in neon and glow sticks, with proceeds benefiting the Inland Northwest Boys and Girls Club. Sat, Sept. 16, pre-race events begin at 6 pm. $12-$49. Starts/ends at the Spokane Convention Center, nsplit.com BIKE MS | The “Cycle the Silver Valley” event is a ride through the beautiful scenery of North Idaho, to raise awareness and funds to support research and treatment of multiple sclerosis. Ride as an individual or as part of a team. Sept. 16-17. $75/registration; $250/fundraising min.

Starts/ends at Silver Mountain Resort, Kellogg, Idaho. bikems.org KIDICAL MASSIVE | Spokane joins thousands worldwide for the annual community bike ride. The family-friendly ride of about 3 miles heads out through Kendall Yards and back on the Centennial Trail.

Sat, Sept. 16 from 1-2:30 pm. Free. Starts at The Nest at Kendall Yards, at West Summit Parkway and Cedar Street. summerparkways.com SCENIC HALF | The annual race winds through downtown Sandpoint and along

the shores of Lake Pend Oreille. Choose from a full, half-marathon, a 10K or a 5K distance. Proceeds benefit the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce and the Community Cancer Services. Sun, Sept. 17. $25-$70/person. scenichalf.com (208-263-2161) CARING FOR KIDS | The 21st annual event raises funds for Catholic Charities’ St. Anne’s Children and Family Center and the Morning Star Boys’ Ranch. This year’s event moves to an evening format, with hors d’oeuvres, wine and desserts. Thu, Sept. 21 from 5-7 pm. $50-$100/person.

Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post. catholiccharitiesspokane.org (358-4254) APPETITE FOR CONSERVATION | The fourth annual fundraiser celebrates 26 years of conservation, featuring a keynote from Jon Snyder, Outdoor Recreation and Economic Development Policy Advisor to Gov. Jay Inslee. Fri, Sept. 22 from 6-10 pm. inlandnwland.org (328-2939) SPOKANE HEART & STROKE WALK | Join the American Heart Association for its annual family-friendly 5K. Form a team, join a team or register as an individual and set a fundraising goal to support the fight against heart disease and stroke. Free, donations accepted. Sat, Sept. 23 at 9 am.

WSU Spokane, 412 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. bit.ly/2teM0oA (818-3200) n The calendar is a free service, on a spaceavailable basis. Mark as “InHealth Calendar” and include the time, date, address, cost and a contact number. Mail: 1227 W. Summit Pkwy, Spokane, WA 99201; or Email: calendar@inlander.com.

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

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LIVING

Dave and Mari Clack at their South Hill home.

PEOPLE

Passing the Torch Arguably Spokane’s most active philanthropic couple, Dave and Mari Clack reflect on years of helping medical students feel at home in Spokane

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

W

hen students go to medical school through the University of Washington’s regional WWAMI program in Spokane, they’re in for years of hard work, but unlike students at most medical schools, they have a support system that’s ready to help out when life kicks them in the pants.

WWAMI is short for Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho, and students from all five states train to be doctors through the WWAMI program in Washington.

Mari and Dave Clack helped start the Friends of WWAMI Spokane to assist medical students with scholarships, but also to help out with aspects of daily life that can make school that much more stressful. Your

42 Health AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

daycare is closing and you need to find a new center? They’ll help you figure it out.

You car has broken down? An emergency fund can help with the cost.

The Friends host dinners and celebrations with the students, so they’ll get a better introduction to the Spokane community, Dave says. “Frankly, for those of us who have lived here a long time, it was a little bit of a recruiting effort, so that when they finished their medical education and their residency and became doctors, they would consider Spokane as a great place to come live and raise their families and practice medicine.”

The Clacks keep up with students in a personal way: One year when they were hosting a holiday party, a scholarship

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

student in Seattle asked if he could bring a carload of people over, and they said, “Of course!”

T

he program has had a presence in Eastern Washington since the 1970s. Until a few years ago, students would spend their first year at Washington State University, then go on to Seattle and clinical rotations.

After WSU decided to split with UW Medicine and start its own medical school a few years ago, UW partnered with Gonzaga University. Now the first two years — recently compressed into an 18-month curriculum — are hosted on Gonzaga’s campus, and students are getting into the field more quickly.

The Clacks were instrumental in helping with the transition, and have long had a passion for supporting doctors and students. Both are UW alumni (Dave, 1957; Mari, 1958). Mari served as a UW regent, and her father, Clyde Jensen, was one of the doctors who helped start UW’s medical school after World War II. Between them, the couple’s achievements are almost too numerous to list.

Mari has a long history of serving on boards in the community: Among many others around the state, she has served on the boards for Mothers Against Violence in America, National Parks and Recreation, Planned Parenthood of Spokane and

Family Owned and Operated

YWCA of Spokane, and she helped cofound the Women Helping Women Fund.

Dave served as director of Avista’s board for nearly 20 years, chaired Northwest Venture Associates, opened the Spokane office of Meridian Capital private banking investment firm, and has served in many other positions.

“Due in part to your leadership, not only did the UW School of Medicine remain in Spokane after separating from Washington State University, but the program expanded dramatically and dynamically, working with Gonzaga University to form the Regional Health Partnership,” writes Paul Ramsey, CEO of UW Medicine and Dean of the School of Medicine, in a thank-you letter to the Clacks. “With your counsel, the medical education program turned a challenge — the need for a new partner — into a wonderful opportunity. When we first asked you to take on the task of welcoming students to the Spokane community, we had just 20 firstyear students. Now the program has 100 first- and second-year students combined, housed on the welcoming Gonzaga University campus.”

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O

ne of the activities the Clacks have most enjoyed hosting is the white coat ceremony. Students used to get their white coats partway through their medical education, but the Clacks and Friends encouraged the school to hold the ceremony before the first day of class.

“It was fascinating to see the transformation that took place right on that stage when the doctor put the white coat on that student,” Dave says.

Mari says one student came up to her before a ceremony and said he was too nervous; he couldn’t do it.

“I said, ‘You’re not going into neurosurgery, just put your arms in there!’” she says. “He did, and walked up to me, and said, ‘That’s the best feeling, because I’m telling everybody I’ll do the best I can.’

That’s what I want any student ever to feel, that this school, this opportunity, is helping you. Is there to not only teach you, but to have your back.”

After years of forming close relationships with students, and with the school’s transition to partnering with Gonzaga, it’s time to let others in the community take a turn and share their own ideas to improve the program, the Clacks say.

“We believe in serving our community.

We’ve done a lot of it, and loved every minute of it,” Mari says. “It’s time for somebody to step in and have as much fun as we have.” n

The Insider’s Guide to the Inland Northwest ON STANDS SEPTEMBER 5TH AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2017

Health 43

Where Retirement

Comes to Life

Retirement means different things to different people.

For people at Rockwood South Hill, it means living in a beautiful, safe residence where you’re surrounded by friendly neighbors. Enjoy a host of activities, dining options, spectacular natural views and the security that comes from a community created for the lifestyle you desire.

Join us for a Discovery Lunch to learn what living at Rockwood South Hill looks like.

We look forward to meeting you!

Thursday Aug. 24th

11am-1:30pm The Summit Event Center

Please RSVP to Joanne at 509-536-6850 or JoanneB@rockwoodretirement.org

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