Inhealth 4/4/2016

Helping Foster Kids Graduate

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Health

46

HEALTHY LIVING IN THE INLAND NORTHWEST • FREE

STICKER SHOCK How to get your health care costs under control PA G E 1 5

APRIL - MAY, 2016

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE INLANDER

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In our first two years, the Showcase golf event and festivities have raised over $2.3 million for the local fight against cancer.

And we’re looking forward to another big year. So join us in Coeur d’Alene this July for a weekend of fun, dynamic events to benefit the Community Cancer Fund and our cancer-fighting efforts in the Inland Northwest.

For event details and sponsorship information, please visit showcasegolf.com Benefitting:

Health

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

Spring Savings Coupon

EDITOR Anne McGregor

annem@inlander.com

Our 72nd Year

Save 10% Every Wednesday

MANAGING EDITOR Jacob H. Fries

Your Purchase of $30 or More

ART DIRECTOR Chris Bovey

May not be combined with other offers

Expires June 15, 2016

CALENDAR EDITOR Chey Scott COPY EDITOR Michael Mahoney

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Personal fulfillment expert and bestselling author of Feng Shui Your Life, Jayme Barrett has revelaed that when used in our homes, flowers ease the stress of everyday life and bring about truly inspired living, Barrett says in the vignette. The home office is an ideal place to inject the motivational energy; or the power of now.

Photo Courtesy Society of American Florists, www.aboutflowers.com

BUSINESS MANAGER Dee Ann Cook

Stop in Appleway Florist & Greenhouse today to see what we can do to bring a little more Vitamin F into your life!

Hours: Mon - Fri: 8:00am - 5:30pm Sat: 8:00am - 3:00pm

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 throughout the Inland Northwest. One copy free per reader.

Subscriptions are available and cost $2.50 per issue.

Call x213. Reaching Us: Editorial: x261; Circulation: x226; Advertising: x215. COPYRIGHT All contents copyrighted © Inland Publications, Inc. 2016. InHealth is locally owned and has been published every other month since 2004.

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4 Health APRIL-MAY, 2016

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PAGE 11

GOOD READ 9 MILESTONE 11

PAGE 12

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Health 5

FROM THE EDITOR E N R I C H E D L I V I N G . LA STI N G VA LU E.

T HE

lifestyle

YO U WA N T

TH E

quality

YO U D ESER V E

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

Read the Fine Print

T HE

community

E

YO U L O V E

N e w ho m e s i n S p o ka n e , S p o ka n e Val l ey, Li be r ty Lake, P o s t F a l l s & C o e u r d ’Al e ne .

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Group Thinking and the Roots of Collective Evil:

Implications for Health Care

20TH ANNUAL ROBERT F.E. STIER MEMORIAL LECTURE IN MEDICINE

Free Public Lecture Thursday, April 28, at 4:00 P.M. Dr. Mangione will discuss the problem of collective evil and its relevance to health providers.

Washington State University Health Sciences Spokane Campus Spokane Academic Center Building, Room 20 600 N. Riverpoint Blvd, Spokane RSVP by April 25 at spokane.wsu.edu/stierlecturersvp2016 More information at bfruci@wsu.edu or 509-358-7837.

6 Health APRIL-MAY, 2016

PRESENTED BY

Salvatore Mangione, MD Associate Professor of Medicine Associate Director Internal Medicine Residency Director Physical Diagnosis Course & Humanities Curriculum Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University

ver been surprised at the jawdropping “Amount You Owe” line on a medical bill? Even seemingly basic health care services can wind up costing you a lot, and it’s more than a little discouraging when the “Amount Paid By Your Insurance” is zero because you have yet to meet your deductible.

Twenty percent of working-age Americans with health insurance had problems paying medical bills in the past year, according to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation/ New York Times survey. About a quarter of those reported they had received unexpected claim denials; even more reported they had been surprised to learn that, when the bill arrived, they had inadvertently received care from an out-of-network provider.

What’s a consumer to do? In Chey Scott’s cover story, she explores what an unexpected medical bill meant for a local family, as well as ways to choose the coverage that fits your needs.

We hope you already have a favorite place to pick up your copy of InHealth, but did you know the magazine is available in hundreds of locations throughout the Inland Northwest, including grocery stores, coffee shops, fitness clubs and health clinics? It’s always online at Inlander.com/inhealth, as well. And starting this month, you can stay up to date by checking out our weekly blog at Inlander.com, where we’ll offer health news, wellness tips and community event previews. Watch for it every Wednesday.

Be informed. Live well.

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Northwest Farm Credit Services Senior Vice President Human Resources

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Plese Printing & Marketing is a proud supporter of Boys & Girls Clubs of Spokane County.

Plese Printing and Marketing is a proud supporter of The Boys and Girls Clubs of Spokane County.

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CHECK-IN

GOOD READ

Fear Not

I

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.

n his new book, Mastering Fear, Spokane psychologist Robert Maurer makes a compelling case that our most primitive and protective emotion — fear — underlies all that stuff we say “stresses” us out. And by revealing the biological imperative behind our “stress,” we can learn to tame it.

For his day job, Maurer treats patients and instructs University of Washington medical residents in Spokane. He also travels to Los Angeles every week to visit his 99-year-old father and stop in at UCLA, where he is also a faculty member. The author of several books, including the motivational bestseller One Small Step Can Change Your Life, as well as a consultant for Walt Disney Studios, Four Seasons Hotels, Costco, and Habitat for Humanity, Maurer writes in his latest book that what we call “stress” is really the result of two underlying states: fear of not being worthwhile and fear of losing control.

Filled with pithy anecdotes, along with surpris-

ing admissions by highly successful people that they, too, are often afraid, Maurer writes that fear ignites our primitive “fight or flight” system. Left unchecked, that can lead to a slew of health, relationship and career problems.

Other animals don’t have stress disorders, Maurer points out, yet they have the very same “fight or flight” responses that humans do.

“If all these animals have a built-in response to fear, what do you suppose ours is?”

Maurer asks. “Without one day’s training or preparation, a frightened child runs to mother, mother holds it, and the alarm system, the fear response, shuts off. There’s over a hundred studies … suggesting that the healthy human response to fear is to reach to another for support.”

Mastering Fear will help readers discover the surprisingly unhealthy effects of living in a perpetual state of fear. But it also guides you to the benefits of honestly acknowledging our underlying fears and how to enjoy the immensely positive effects of learning how to begin to reach out for a little help.

— ANNE McGREGOR

LIFE COACHING

The Fever of Spring

A

Carla Brannan is a certified professional life coach in Spokane.

midst a backdrop of rising temperatures and lengthening days, the ground opens up, allowing new growth to ascend.

Meanwhile, all around the Northern Hemisphere, baby creatures are breathing in life for the first time. This is the season of new beginnings.

Traditionally, January 1, the start of the calendar year, is a popular time in our culture to start over or make changes. New Year’s resolutions, however, are often thought to be short-lived.

For some, it may not be a good time to burst forth with the energy needed to initiate. It’s dark and cold. Many of our animal friends are deep in winter’s slumber.

This is the season for our hearts and souls to open wide. The plans we bring forth are an expression of our hopes and dreams.

This is also in contrast to January’s resolutions, which can lean toward obligatory goals. “I must lose my holiday weight,” or “I’ve got to get back to the gym.” Though vernal goals may be similar, the intention and spirit are hope-inspired rather than guilt-laden: “I want to maintain a healthy weight to feel lighter when I dance, and when I play with my daughter.”

What is stirring inside you, waiting to come alive? Take a leap!

Dive in! Do it now!

— CARLA BRANNAN APRIL-MAY, 2016

Health 9

CHECK-IN SUPPORT SYSTEM

Just Pick Up the Phone

B

ureaucracy can be frustrating, especially when a seemingly simple question needs a quick answer.

Even more so if you have no clue who to call. A new local helpline (509-960-7281) hopes to combat this by providing free referrals and objective advice for seniors and people with disabilities.

“This service is meant to make connections smoother and better, so people don’t waste time calling 20 different numbers looking for help,” explains Ray White, director of disability and access services for Community-Minded Enterprises, a Spokane nonprofit.

“It uses a concept that has been around in social services called ‘No Wrong Door.’ There needs to be a place in each community where health and human services are offered.

It’s our job to show them the right door to get what they want,” White adds.

The helpline’s target demographic is seniors and people with disabilities, though family, caregivers, law enforcement and health care providers can also use it to find out how to access resources. Common helpline inquiries could be related to housing, in-home personal assistance, transportation, health insurance, assisted living and mental health services. In some cases, the line can direct callers regarding legal issues. Options counseling, when multiple solutions to a problem are at hand, also is offered.

“If someone understands what they need to do, but they can’t do it, we can actually meet them someplace and provide some on-site assistance as well,” White explains.

Other counties in Washington offer similar helplines.

Spokane followed suit by going live with its helpline on Feb. 15.

Calls are already pouring in, and with increased marketing of the helpline, White expects 300 to 500 calls each month. The program is funded by Aging and Long Term Care of Eastern Washington, through a mix of federal and state funds.

Beyond assistance on an individual basis, the new program also helps take pressure off police and fire departments, as nonemergency calls are redirected to the helpline.

— CLAIRE STANDAERT Find out more at SpokaneHelpline.org, or by calling 960-7281.

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10 Health APRIL-MAY, 2016

1 5:30 PM

MILESTONE

’Dog Meet Dawg

A

fter Washington State University announced last year that it would start its own medical school, the University of Washington School of Medicine decided to look for a new Eastern Washington partner for its fivestate medical education program.

UW found that partner in Gonzaga University, which will welcome 60 first-year and 40 secondyear UW medical students starting this fall. Per the agreement, Gonzaga will provide space for the UW School of Medicine program, and courses will be jointly taught by Gonzaga and UW faculty.

The universities will also collaborate to share

facilities and research.

“Uniting Gonzaga University’s commitment to educational excellence, leadership and service with the UW’s nationally recognized medical school and research engine will continue the long tradition of educating doctors in Eastern Washington, and represents a phenomenal opportunity not only for our faculty and students, but the entire Inland Northwest,” Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh said in a statement following the announcement.

This agreement officially replaces the medical partnership UW had with WSU, which expects to

ASK DR. MATT

Sleep Aid

I started giving my 10-year-old son melatonin at bedtime. He previously became very active at around 8 pm and had difficulty getting to sleep. This has been completely resolved by using melatonin. Now I’m worried that melatonin might not be safe for him to use. Is it harmful?

Matt Thompson is a pediatrician at Spokane’s Kids Clinic.

M

elatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland that helps regulate our circadian rhythms. Melatonin production and release is affected by light and darkness. In general, it’s best to have a circadian rhythm set by normal patterns of waking and sleeping.

In our culture, it can be a challenge for kids to maintain a regular sleep pattern, particularly if they’re very busy with school, sports and homework. With all that work and activity, they may be fairly amped up right until they need to go to sleep.

open its own four-year Spokane medical school in 2017. The UW-Gonzaga agreement, by contrast, will provide medical school courses for the first 18 months of the UW program.

The UW will reimburse Gonzaga for services and space provided as part of the partnership.

Students will use the anatomy lab on WSU’s Riverpoint Campus until additional facilities can be secured.

Meanwhile, Idaho Gov. Butch Otter has announced plans for Idaho’s first for-profit medical school in Meridian, a city just west of Boise.

— WILSON CRISCIONE

It takes our bodies time to settle down for sleep, so powering down a few hours before bedtime — that means dialing back physical and mental activity, and even exposure to light — is ideal. In particular, note that using electronic devices can expose kids to concentrated light that may suppress melatonin release.

Though it’s best to use natural means to get the 9 to 10 hours of sleep most school-age kids need, I think it’s better to get a small dose of melatonin than to be sleep-deprived. While we don’t want to substitute melatonin for good sleep habits and our natural physiology, I think it’s OK to use it for a while to get things on track. It has been well-studied, and found to be safe and effective for use in kids.

So try to work on good sleep habits, but use the low dose melatonin (0.2 and 0.3 mg) until those habits are well established. Then you can see how your child does with half a tab for a few nights, then a quarter tab, etc. Don’t forget that other issues may lead to difficulty falling asleep, so check with your primary care provider if these tips don’t help.

— MATT THOMPSON

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Health 11

CHECK-IN

SUPERFOOD

Under a Cabbage Leaf

ATTRIBUTES Cabbage comes in a variety of styles to suit your taste and color-palette needs. Shredded red cabbage brightens a ho-hum salad, adding powerful antioxidants along the way. Just a half-cup of regular green cabbage offers up 47 percent of daily vitamin C requirements in only 17 calories, and promotes regularity with a hearty dose of fiber.

WEAKNESSES Overcooked cabbage can get stinky. Really stinky. That’s because as it cooks, it releases hydrogen sulfide, better known as the smell of rotten eggs. The amount of stink released actually doubles between the fifth and seventh minute of cooking. Note that vitamin C content begins to diminish once the leaves are torn or cut.

SUPER POWERS Compounds in cabbage have been found to inhibit the growth of tumors and spread of cancer cells, and also offer protection to healthy cells during radiation treatment. The fermented cabbage in kimchi and sauerkraut provides beneficial probiotics. Cabbage also can be used as a poultice, and many a nursing mother throughout history has used cabbage leaves to relieve painful breast engorgement.

HOW TO USE IT Cooking — briefly! — helps unleash the full nutrient value of cabbage. Sauté thinly sliced cabbage in a small amount of oil over medium heat, covering the pan to allow the cabbage to steam for three or four minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and a bit of butter. Enjoy!

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— ANNE McGREGOR

BRAIN EXERCISE

3

2

Sudoku

RATINGS: Moderate (left), Tough (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.

8 6

3

Answers to all puzzles on page 44

5

9

6 7

3

2

9

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

4 4 6

7

8

1 6

5 3 8 7

Codewords

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.

2

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11

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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

Str8ts

7 1 8

1 2 4

1

2

3 7 1

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4 6 3

6 1 4 9 8 5

RATING: Gentle Like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments.

These need to be filled in with numbers that complete a ‘straight’ — a set of numbers with no gaps but can be in any order. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution above to see how ‘straights’ are formed.

8 5 1 6

9

6

8

3 6 8 1 8 7 5 3 6 7 2 8 2 7 5 6 4

Life-changing Research Helping to slow disease onset and progression.

Making health care more accessible.

Improving community and individual health.

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Health 13

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NEWS IN-DEPTH

STICKER SHOCK Health insurance coverage may come up short just when it’s needed

BY CHEY SCOTT

S

he hoped it was just a sprain — nothing that some ice and a little rest couldn’t fix. “Someone said, ‘I thought I heard a pop!’ and I couldn’t feel my ankle. It was all tingly,” Jenna Carroll recalls from her dining room table, a stack of medical bills in front of her.

Not knowing the true extent of her injury — a fibula fracture near her right ankle — Carroll still drove herself home that night after team practice with the Inland EmPower Derby league.

“I didn’t want to go to the emergency room because it’s too expensive. So I went home, and

my husband carried me up the stairs to our apartment,” she recalls.

“At 3 am, I got up and crawled to the couch and texted my brother: ‘I need you to take me to urgent care.’”

Now, two years, one surgery, seven bone screws and more than $6,000 in medical bills later, Carroll’s ankle is back in working order.

Her story is not unique, nor is it one of the worst-case scenarios of how an unexpected need for care, combined with increasingly high health insurance deductibles, can create a serious financial setback. ...continued on next page

Jenna Carroll skates with the Inland EmPower Roller Derby League.

KRISTEN BLACK PHOTO

APRIL-MAY, 2016

Health 15

NEWS “STICKER SHOCK,” CONTINUED...

The multistage rollout of the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplace and resulting decline of the uninsured population has in part overshadowed a troubling trend in health care: the large number of Americans who are considered underinsured. These are many people like Carroll, who are enrolled in health insurance plans that ultimately shift a large burden of costs back to their policyholders.

A 2014 biennial study led by Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit health care policy advocate, found that approximately 31 million people, nearly a quarter of Americans who have health insurance, are underinsured.

While there’s not a universally agreedupon definition of what it means to be underinsured, the Commonwealth Fund

conservatively defines it using one or more of the following three measures: Someone insured for a full year whose out-of-pocket costs during that time (excluding premiums) amounted to 10 percent or more of their household income; a low-income household in which out-of-pocket costs were 5 percent or more of total income; or households in which the health plan’s deductible equals 5 percent or more of household income.

Most people defined as underinsured are enrolled in an employer-sponsored plan. Since the majority of Americans are covered this way, the new Affordable Care Act marketplace plans haven’t had a measurable effect so far on underinsurance trends, explains Sara Collins, vice president of health care coverage and access for the Commonwealth Fund, and coauthor of the recent study.

ELEMENTS OF A PLAN

Metal Level Guide

Plans in Washington’s Healthplanfinder are separated into four categories, called levels. Employer-funded plans often come in similar Plans metal in Washington Healthplanfinder are separated intoformats; four categories, called see whatlevels. plan may beout rightwhat for you. ( * figures reflectbeactual metal Find metal level may right2015 forpricing) you.

Answer a few questions about yourself

BRONZE

SILVER

How often do you go to the doctor?

Annual physical

1-3 times/year

How many prescription drugs do you need/use?

None

1-3 drugs

4+ drugs

How many times do you go to the ER in a year?

Once or less

Maybe a few times

Often

Are you planning to have surgery or have a baby?

No

Maybe

Yes

If you get sick, you’d be willing to pay a _____

$3,750 - $6,500 deductible*

$1,250 - $5,000 deductible*

$250 - $2,000 deductible*

PLATINUM

4+ times/year

-

How much are you willing to pay for your monthly premium?

Do you qualify for lower out-of-pocket costs, called Cost Sharing Reductions?

GOLD

No

Yes? You must choose a Silver plan to get these cost savings!

No

This is an educational tool only and is not intended as a plan recommendation. Health insurance plans differ.

on 2015 plan pricing.

16*BasedHealth APRIL-MAY, 2016

The study showed that while the percentage of underinsured adults hardly changed between 2010 and 2014, the rate is almost double what it was back in 2003.

Collins explains that 17 million Americans have gained coverage under the Affordable Care Act, which means that “fewer people are fully exposed to the full cost of care because of the increases in coverage, but the concern is that a trend toward higher cost sharing in private health plans might undermine those gains if more people are underinsured,” Collins says.

Using the underinsurance measure that only considers a plan’s deductible compared to household income, 7 million people were found to be underinsured as of 2014. That’s more than triple what this same rate was in 2003.

“Every single year we’re seeing an increase in people with high deductibles relative to their income,” Collins adds.

Still, provisions of the ACA have forced insurance companies to include coverage for services — including preventive care — that previously weren’t mandatory, says Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler. Deductibles are also capped each year, Kreidler adds.

“This year they’re limited to $6,850 for an individual. There were no limits before the [ACA] and deductibles reached up to $10,000 on some plans,” he explains. “Also, some people with serious illnesses who reached their lifetime benefit limits had to pay out-of-pocket for further care.”

A LEAKY SAFETY NET

For the Carrolls, Jenna’s broken ankle required surgery, physical therapy and numerous doctor visits. The financial setback meant that the couple wasn’t able to consider buying their first home until more than a year later than they’d hoped.

Because her individual health plan through work — she’s the volunteer and outreach coordinator for the Spokane Humane Society — had a deductible of $5,500, the couple was responsible for that full amount and then some.

“I knew it was going to be so expensive. I mean, this is the reason people have GoFundMe accounts when shit like this happens. These started rolling in, and it was really stressful,” she says, pointing to her pile of bills.

Surgery (not including the anesthesia; that’s several hundred dollars extra) to stabilize the bone fracture was billed at about $20,000, all but $4,100 of which was covered by Carroll’s plan. Still, based on the Commonwealth Fund’s measures, she

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is underinsured.

Then, halfway through post-surgery physical therapy, her insurance plan changed and that high deductible she’d previously met was reset to zero. Being forced to pay out of pocket again, she had no choice but to stop the rehabilitation.

The purpose of insurance is to create a safety net for a rainy day; when tragedy strikes. But not everyone — the Carrolls had a little bit saved up, but still went on a payment plan for some of the bigger bills — is well-equipped to handle the burden of several hundreds, or thousands, of dollars they may owe when the unexpected happens.

In a recent New York Times series examining the growing number of Americans saddled with medical-related debt, people across the U.S. shared their stories. Comments included anecdotes of failed mortgages, the need for second jobs, dipping into or draining retirement savings, deciding not to have children and even going bankrupt. Many also said they were afraid to go to the doctor anymore because of the costs such a visit might incur.

All of these issues are a major concern for health care providers, like physician Jeffery Liles, who practices internal medicine at Westview Family Medicine in north Spokane.

“I have a diabetic [patient] who has foregone the recommended medications because she couldn’t afford it. Now we’re trying to work through different prescriptions, going though the [drug] manufacturer to see if we can get coverage,” Liles says.

“Without a doubt, she has suffered. Her diabetes is really out of control.”

While Liles says he now rarely encounters patients without insurance, the trend has definitely shifted to “people who have, essentially, regular employment and have these very high deductible plans.”

From Kreidler’s perspective, part of this high deductible problem is that most people are motivated to pick a plan with a lower monthly premium.

“Which is understandable, but they may not consider the impact of a high deductible, especially if they need more care than they anticipated,” Kreidler says.

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Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) is a congressional leader on health care who’s been outspoken on the issue of underinsurance, calling it the “next big problem” in providing accessible, affordable American health care. On the campaign trail, presidential candidates also have presented potential solutions. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has openly proposed his “Medicare for all” government-run health plan that would eliminate deductibles and copays. Yet he’s been widely criticized regarding his plans to fund it, mainly implementing heavy taxes on the wealthiest earners.

Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, proposes expansions to the ACA that would require providers to pay for up to three doctor visits a year. She also has suggested tax credits for those with high deductibles — amounting to 5 percent or more of household ...continued on next page

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NEWS “STICKER SHOCK,” CONTINUED... income — and would cap monthly out-ofpocket spending on prescription drugs.

Republican candidates, who collectively oppose the ACA’s provisions, have been less vocal when it comes to solving the underinsurance problem. Other than vowing to “repeal Obamacare,” they have not directly addressed the issue of underinsurance.

A major factor contributing to underinsurance — besides rising health care costs, stagnant wage growth contrasted with rising plan premiums and more Americans simply having access to insurance — is the complexity of choosing a health plan.

“We need to do a better job at helping people understand the trade-offs they make when selecting a plan, and the impacts their choices could have on their family budget over the year,” says Kreidler.

He adds that his office offers some online resources to help make better insurance purchasing decisions, and mentions the compare-plan option and other features of the Washington Healthplanfinder exchange created to comply with the ACA.

Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler

“But more needs to be done to improve what we call ‘health care literacy,’” Kreidler says. “Agents and brokers are also a valu-

able resource in helping understand how a policy works, and the trade-offs made when selecting a plan.”

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High deductible plans can clearly create burdens when disaster strikes, but from the perspective of Spokane physician Liles, they’ve also caused some providers and their patients to be more cost-conscious.

“When something is covered 100 percent, people never question the cost,” he notes. “It’s not all bad to have a little bit more skin in the game. When you look at a health plan with no deductible, utilization goes through the roof, but with a huge deductible you have decreased utilization.”

Yet Liles is still frustrated when he considers his patients, like the woman with diabetes, who even with insurance can’t afford basic care.

“The ideal would be, you have incentives that really promote health prevention, and people get it all — regular physicals and checkups, preventive medications and chronic diseases are covered — but then other things maybe go to a higher deductible,” he suggests.

BACK IN ACTION

Since Carroll’s ankle has fully healed, she’s been able to lace up her derby skates again.

Naturally, she doesn’t want to relive the

SHOP SMART FOR HEALTH INSURANCE

I

t’s critical as a consumer to understand and compare how insurance plans work, what’s covered and what’s not, and that a low premium doesn’t always equal low costs for you. Here are some helpful online resources to become a better informed health care consumer:

Know your plan and how it works — the WASHINGTON STATE HEALTH BENEFIT EXCHANGE offers a great graphic that breaks down the complicated world of health insurance. Find it at wahbexhange. org under the “current customers” menu option.

The WASHINGTON STATE OFFICE OF THE INSURANCE COMMISSIONER also offers a helpful list of things to consider when shopping for health insurance. Find it at insurance.wa.gov, under the “For Consumers” tab.

To research the estimated price of various procedures that may not be covered in full by your plan — until a deductible is met — HEALTHCARE BLUEBOOK (healthcarebluebook.com) lets users search by procedure (surgeries, labs, hospital care, etc.) to find out what the average “fair price” for a specific health care need is.

— CHEY SCOTT stress and pain of another injury, but the sport means a great deal to her.

“I knew what I was doing when I signed up for roller derby; that I could hurt myself,” she says. “But I was depressed, and I needed a hobby and another identity that had nothing to do with my job.”

So she and husband David agreed: she can have one more derby-related injury.

If that happens, it’s time to hang up her skates for good. Since that accident two years ago, the couple has been able to save enough that if something else like it were to happen, they wouldn’t be caught in the same situation.

And though her injury was a major financial setback, the Carrolls finally were able to buy a home last fall. n

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Health 19

NEWS

Kelly Stanford of Group Health: “People will see additional resources in our community.” KRISTEN BLACK PHOTO MERGER

A Healthy Relationship How Kaiser’s acquisition of Seattle-based Group Health may (or may not) change the health care scene in Spokane

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

K

elly Stanford says people shouldn’t be too worried about how Kaiser Permanente’s acquisition of Group Health will impact health care in Spokane.

The real question is: What would have happened if Kaiser hadn’t acquired Group Health?

In March, Group Health voting members approved a proposal that would see it acquired by a much larger, yet like-minded organization in Kaiser Foundation Health Plan. The deal had been under discussion for much of 2015, and it could take another year to finalize the move before the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington is created.

Seattle-based Group Health Cooperative is one of the three largest health insur-

20 Health APRIL-MAY, 2016

ers in Washington, with more than 518,000 policyholders, holding more than 17.5 percent of the market, according the state’s

Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

Yet Group Health has struggled in recent years, says Stanford, the organization’s vice president of clinical operations and market integration. With rising drug and technology costs, and upgrades needed in its facilities, it was becoming a challenge for Group Health to do everything it needed for its patients and employees.

Group Health physician Bob Riggs of Spokane Valley, who was part of the conversation and decisions leading to the acquisition, puts it a bit more bluntly.

“If [the merger] did not go through,” Riggs says, “I am not confident we’d be in business in 10 years.”

He says that in the past few years, Group Health has had to take cost-cutting measures, including reductions in physicians and support staff through layoffs.

That’s where Kaiser Foundation Health Plan came in. Kaiser operates in eight states plus the District of Columbia, and it has more than 10 million policyholders. Since Kaiser shares a vision similar to that of Group Health — both, Stanford says, are nonprofit health insurance and care providers committed to more affordable rates — the potential merger was a way to keep the infrastructure Group Health already has in place while also being able to grow and offer the resources patients need.

T

hese kinds of mergers have been occurring nationally, and there have been concerns that as a result, patient premiums will be raised because the markets are less competitive. But Riggs believes that the opposite will happen, at least for Spokane members. Kaiser, he says, has a history of better cost control and should be able to cut premiums.

For example, Stanford says that Group Health has an aging claims and health-plan system that has needed to be replaced for a while, but has thus far been held together with “Band-aids and duct tape.” Replacing

FOUNDATIONAL MOMENT

E

ven though the nonprofit is being absorbed by Kaiser, the Group Health name will live on in the form of a Group Health Community Foundation.

Kaiser is paying Group Health $1.8 billion as part of the acquisition, and that money will be used as an endowment for the new foundation. Similar to Spokane’s Empire Health Foundation, which was created when that system was purchased by Community Health Systems,

it will be operated as a nonprofit, independent from Kaiser, and will serve communities all across the state.

It could serve several purposes, from funding medical research, vaccinations or screenings to filling gaps in mental health care, addiction treatment or social services, though details have not been worked out, says Group Health spokeswoman Angela Matson.

— WILSON CRISCIONE

that system is expensive, and spreading the cost across 518,000 policyholders would have raised patient insurance premiums.

However, spreading that cost across more than 10 million Kaiser policyholders would have little impact on premiums.

“Fundamentally, the way we provide care, and access to care and clinical services we provide, won’t change at all,” Stanford says. “What I do think people will see is additional resources in our community.

They’ll see investment in facilities and upgrades, and growth in adding specialties and services.”

Kaiser will invest $1 billion during the next decade in new facilities, staff,

Group Health is one of the largest health insurers in Washington, with more than 518,000 policyholders technology and research in Washington.

Stanford says that in Spokane, there will be no change in staffing and little change in leadership. She says Kaiser, as part of the agreement, has agreed to all labor agreements Group Health currently has in place.

Stanford says Group Health already has a larger network presence in Spokane than it does in Seattle, and contracts with more community providers.

“Group Health, and now our partnership with Kaiser, will be committed to the Spokane community, and continue to grow and provide additional resources and infrastructure,” she says.

Steve Duvoisin, for 31 years the CEO of Inland Imaging, which contracts with health care organizations around the area including Group Health, says that as Kaiser looks to expand nationally, it will have to figure out the formula in smaller markets like Spokane, rather than cities like Seattle and Portland. Part of that is not investing too much in making changes.

He says that when he first heard about the acquisition, he believed it would have a negative impact on his business, as he thought Kaiser would come in and set up their own imaging. But when he learned more, he realized that since Spokane is such a relatively small market, it wouldn’t make much sense for Kaiser to do that.

“Now,” Duvoisin says, “it’s just a matter of seeing how it plays out in the next few years.” n

EDUCATION

Up in the Air With the lowest graduation rates of all Washington students, foster youth need all the help they can get

BY TARYN PHANEUF

A

cross the state, fewer than half of Washington youths in foster care graduate from high school on time. Graduation rates for foster kids have inched upwards in the past few years, but they remain the lowest of all students, even compared to homeless children. Statewide, 77 percent of high school students graduated in 2014, but just 41 percent of foster

youth received diplomas. On any given day, 9,000 to 10,000 children are in foster care in Washington.

There’s a lot working against these kids, says Jess Lewis, foster care programs supervisor in the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. But recent efforts by schools and advocates around the state could set a ...continued on next page APRIL-MAY, 2016

Health 21

NEWS PRESENTS

“UP IN THE AIR,” CONTINUED... new course for this group of students.

Treehouse, a nonprofit group dedicated to supporting foster youth in Washington, is expanding its graduation success program beyond King County to include high schools in Spokane and Tacoma. Beginning this fall, Treehouse education specialists will work with foster youth in those schools to help them set goals, monitor their progress, and coach them throughout their schooling.

The program, which involves coordination with OSPI and the Department of Social and Health Services, helped raise the graduation rate among foster youth in King County from below 50 percent to 68 percent in four years.

dents to the same school even after they’ve moved out of the district.

“I know several social workers who get up early in the morning and pick kids up and drop them off at school,” Lewis says.

To her, the considerations seem like common sense, “but the truth of the matter is it hasn’t been that long that we’ve done that.”

‘FLAGGED IN OUR SYSTEM’

For many foster youths, the challenges of a disrupted childhood can last a lifetime.

Treehouse data show poverty rates for former foster kids are three times the national average. They’ll go on to receive public

“The complex trauma [foster kids have] experienced really can’t be overstated…”

assistance at five times the national average, and are twice as likely to be pregnant by Children in foster care were usually the age of 19. One in five will be homeless removed from their homes for one of three for at least one day after aging out of the reasons: abuse, neglect or death. As a refoster care system. Getting a high school sult, kids in foster care suffer post-traumatic diploma is seen as a key element in changstress disorder at twice the rate of returning ing all that. combat veterans. “The complex trauma But schools can’t address a problem they’ve experienced really can’t be overthey can’t see, says Lynda Hall, Treestated,” Lewis says. “Then we send them to house’s associate director of strategic school and say, ‘OK, learn.’” partnerships.

Many foster youths additionally suffer “They are in the system and the school from chronic medical conditions and menis not aware of it,” she says. tal health disorders, says Sarah Kurtzman, It’s hard to believe, but Fred Schrumpf, assistant director of communications at director of community partnerships and Treehouse. They often have special educaon-time graduation with Spokane Pubtion needs. lic Schools, says that foster youth in his On top of that, foster youth may move schools were invisible until a new deal bearound a lot. On average, a child goes tween DSHS and Spokane schools allowed through three different placements, Treeadministrators to access the state reporting house estimates. Moving to a new district database and find their students. or new state can put children behind, muck “I wish I could define the problem betup their high school credits, and disrupt ter,” Schrumpf says. “Until very recently … their lives all over again. Additionally, we didn’t have these foster kids flagged in many youths who enter foster care are alour system.” ready behind in school, says He’s enthusiastic about Shanna McBride, education the new agreement, which program manager at DSHS. coincides with plans for from the puzzle on page 13 Many aren’t in the system Treehouse’s expansion into long enough to fix all the Spokane. Specialists will 19 = E; 6 = L; 7 = Z problems, and education is coach students and coorjust one facet of a complex life. dinate with the other adults in their lives State legislation from 2008 attempts who can help them stay on track, cope with to make the system more manageable for trauma and succeed academically. The foster youth and ensure that all the agenindividual attention will likely be combined cies involved, mainly OSPI and the DSHS, with Spokane’s existing programs, which work together to support their academic helped the overall graduation rate jump success. from around 60 percent to 85 percent over For example, DSHS is required to prisix years. oritize keeping foster youths in their school “When [foster youth] become more visible to us,” Schrumpf says, “we can do a of origin. In the right circumstances, the better job of offering whatever it takes.” n state will pay the cost of transporting stu-

‘OKAY, LEARN’

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HEALTH & FITNESS

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EATURED EVENTS: • Demonstrations in hair, beauty, and image for active women on the go by Sonna Brado, owner of Jaazz Salon

Panel discussions on workout ecovery, nutritional oadmaps, and more!

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LIVING EXERCISE

Fitness Trending Engaging workouts entice newbies and reinvigorate regulars’ tired old routines STORIES BY LINDA HAGEN MILLER n PHOTOS BY YOUNG KWAK

B

Nicole Baldwin’s drumsticks fly during a POUND Pro class in Cheney.

efore Lycra, Spandex and a health club on every corner, gyms were gritty, dingy facilities where men went to lift weights and spar in the boxing ring. In 1935, bodybuilder Vic Tanny opened a brighter, more welcoming “health club” in New York, followed by one in California. By the 1950s, Vic Tanny Centers numbered more than 100 across the United States.

The following decades saw new gyms popping up as Arnold Schwarzenegger inspired a bodybuilding craze. Women began to feel more comfortable in gyms with the advent of dance aerobics and group fitness classes. Personal training was the rage in the 1980s, while over the past 30 years, spin classes, Tae Bo, kickboxing and yoga intrigued those more interested in communal workouts. Today the fitness industry encompasses an astounding array of options and equipment and generates $21.8 billion in revenue nationwide.

Along with that has come a plethora of fitness health advice, scientific studies on the ways to get fit and stay fit. None of that matters, however, if you don’t find the workout that fits your personality, health needs, lifestyle and goals. There’s a lot to choose from. And with research showing that exercise benefits nearly every aspect of physical and even emotional health, there’s not a lot of reason to say “no” to working out.

Whether you’re just starting out, or looking for something to spice up your fitness regimen, here’s the lowdown on five trendy options. ...continued on next page APRIL-MAY, 2016

Health 27

LIVING

ane’s Orangetheory Fitness.

Jason Vestal manages a smile while rowing at Spok

“DESIGNED FOR SUCCESS”

ORANGETHEORY FITNESS

28 Health APRIL-MAY, 2016

WHAT TO EXPECT High-intensity group interval training that’s a zig and a zag from conventional group gym classes. In a typical group class, the instructor performs the routine while calling out instructions from the front of the room. In an Orangetheory class, the certified trainer doesn’t do the workout, but is constantly moving through the group, correcting students’ form and encouraging and supervising each person’s progress. You wear a heart-rate monitor that has been programmed with your age, weight and gender. Everyone’s fitness output is transmitted to overhead screens in the form of colored bars (with the color orange signifying the anaerobic or interval training zone) so at a glance you know how you’re doing (as well as how others in the class are doing, if you’re curious). The science-based, 60-minute workouts produce 12 to 20 minutes of training at 84 percent or higher of your maximum heart rate, which creates an “afterburn” effect, meaning you continue to burn calories for 24 to 36 hours post-workout.

bathed in the invigorating color of orange. Overhead lights are manhole-sized orange disks; even the rowing machines are orange. The music is jumpin’ and loud, ranging from hip-hop to classic rock, depending on the instructor.

THE VIBE You’ll zip through a high-energy, contemporary, fine-tuned and welcoming workout,

COST Costs vary depending on the program the client chooses; 774-0636, orangetheoryfitness.com

YOU’LL WORK OUT WITH Men and women, old and young, fitness fanatics and fitness hopefuls. Class size is never more than 28.

WHAT TO WEAR Standard gym clothes and cross-training shoes fit right in; a water bottle and towel are required.

FANS SAY “It’s a fast-paced, full-body, nomessing-around workout,” says Clint Buenconsejo, who has been at Orangetheory’s South Hill facility since it opened in December. “If I go to a regular gym to lift weights, I’ll do some reps, then send a text, do some reps, check my email. That’s not possible here.”

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Health 29

LIVING

Pure Barre owner Katie Wood helps Leslie Lowe fine-tune a pose.

“YOU’RE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK”

PURE BARRE

WHAT TO EXPECT Small is beautiful: small movements, that is. Pure Barre utilizes ballet barres, grapefruit-sized rubber balls, stretch bands, 2-to-3pound weights and intense but isometric or small movements to sculpt and tone muscles and burn fat. Created 15 years ago in Michigan by dancer/ choreographer Carrie Rezabek Dorr, Pure Barre has grown to more than 300 franchised studios across the country. Music is specifically chosen for each segment of the routine — deep tempos to match deep burn in an intense position, slower as the workout slows to encourage you to breathe deeper.

THE VIBE Friendly, professional and welcoming, Pure Barre also has a retail space in the check-in area that carries their brand of workout clothes (including a Barre Spokane shirt). The studio is carpeted and dimly lit, with barres on two sides. The upbeat workout playlist includes Beyoncé, Adele, David Guetta and more.

YOU’LL WORK OUT WITH Mostly women of all body shapes, ranging in age from teens to 70s.

30 Health APRIL-MAY, 2016

Few participants have actual ballet or dance training. Pure Barre holds occasional Date Nights, where ladies bring their male partners and introduce them to the strenuous total body workout.

WHAT TO WEAR Tights or exercise pants and fitted tanks are a must. Socks are mandatory (for sanitary reasons); sticky socks, available at the Pure Barre shop for $12, have rubber grippers on the bottom to help create traction.

FANS SAY “I’ve been pretty active my whole life — basketball, taekwondo, weight training, boot camp, cross country, track — and I definitely underestimated Pure Barre,” says student Victoria Trott. “It’s totally different from anything I’ve tried, and as you get more comfortable with the technique and form, it actually becomes more challenging. It forces you to make a mind-and-body connection.”

COST Options range from single classes to monthly unlimited, $49 to $280. Details and class schedules at purebarre.com/wa-spokane or 509-315-4920.

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Health 31

LIVING

THE COUNTING GAME I wear a Fitbit, and I think it’s making me healthier. Or just obsessed with numbers.

BY MIKE BOOKEY

M “FEELING THE RUBBER OF THE STRAP PROVIDES A SUBTLE NUDGE THAT I SHOULD PROBABLY GET A WORKOUT IN.”

32 Health APRIL-MAY, 2016

y parents gave me a Fitbit for Christmas. Not with the sort of “Get your shit together, fatty!” weight such a gift could easily carry with it, but because I’d actually said I wanted one.

Granted, I am a grown man who is capable of procuring a wearable fitness monitor on my own, but I never would have bought a Fitbit for myself.

I needed that first nudge — a poke in the ribs to get me moving.

So, since Christmas Day, on which I burned 2,912 calories and took 5,016 steps on a lazy day consisting mostly of whiskey, a parade of fatty foods and assembling needlessly complex toys for my two little kids, I have been loyal to this thing around my wrist. In addition to steps and calories, my Fitbit tracks my heart rate, “active minutes,” and floors climbed, while also counting, to the minute, the sadly scant amount of sleep I receive.

I dropped about 16 pounds in January, and a lot of that had to do with the Fitbit. It should be noted that I also took the month off from drinking and was, for the first time in a long, long while, conscious of what I was eating. But after strapping on the Fitbit, I had an immediate and intense obsession with the statistics I was racking up while sprinkling the living-room hardwood with sweat, as I tried to keep up with a fitness video series probably designed to elicit intel from captive militants.

The stats are all archived and laid out with dazzling display on the Fitbit mobile app, and I have spent hours poring over them.

Apparently, my statistical obsession is a good thing. A San Diego State University study in 2014 found that people who made regular use of Fitbit’s mobile app were more likely to increase their physical activity.

Beyond the data tracking, the Fitbit has another, more basic function, in that it’s a visual and tactile reminder of my fitness

goals. Feeling the rubber of the strap around my wrist provides a subtle nudge that I should probably get a workout in. After three months, though, this thing feels like a second skin, not unlike how you stop fiddling with your wedding band after a couple of years of marriage. I don’t think removing my Fitbit for a week would lead me to a Taco Bell-and-recliner bender any more than slipping off my wedding ring would have me surfing Tinder, but nevertheless, I have at least at times felt a physical sense of accountability. I’ve begun to wonder if its most valuable function could easily be achieved by tying a red ribbon around my wrist or getting “Work out, you idiot” tattooed on the back of my hand.

I reached out to Dr. Anne Cox, an associate professor of sport science at Washington State University. She hasn’t studied the Fitbit specifically, but has spent a lot of her career investigating what motivates people to exercise and lead healthy lives.

“If somebody is not motivated to move, these external prompts and tools can get them started,” says Cox. The problem, she says, is that external motivators don’t often lead to long-lasting change in physical activity. Remember when you dropped all that weight because your ex-girlfriend was going to be at your friend’s wedding? Yeah, those pounds came back, didn’t they? The Fitbit can hold you accountable, but there needs to be a deeper connection with getting yourself active for the change to last. She calls this “intrinsic motivation.”

“Intrinsic motivation comes from the experience of doing it. The very definition is that you’re getting some sort of joy, or it can be satisfaction, or maybe a feeling of competence from the exercise,” she says. “Activities that help you feel confident make you more likely to do the little things in the future.”

I have no plans to ditch my Fitbit. If anything, it’s nice to have the time on my wrist for the first time in a decade, and the device’s Bluetooth capability lets it display my caller ID when my phone rings in my pocket, so I’ve got that going for me.

But it has made me change some habits, even if one of those is that I now park a good 75 yards from the grocery store, because this technology has convinced me that doing so is a step toward a healthy life.

I can live with that. n

APRIL-MAY, 2016

Health 33

LIVING

“ROCKOUT. WORKOUT.” ming provides stress-relieving and brain-boosting effects that improve focus, increase energy and help lower blood pressure. Participants use weighted drumsticks created specifically for this workout. The local POUND operation doesn’t have its own studio, but utilizes space in the Wren Pierson Dance Studio and gyms at Westwood Middle School and Snowdon Elementary, all in Cheney.

THE VIBE Funky, fun and casual atmosphere in a small dance studio with one mirrored wall.

Loud music (expect pop, rap, rock, a bit of AC/DC and Rage Against the Machine) and lots of choreographed snapping drumsticks all around you — overhead, to the right, to the left, in front and behind as well as vigorously striking the floor. The 45-minute workout is easily modified to suit beginner levels.

POUND Pro instructor Kim Best urges her class on during a workout.

POUND PRO

34 Health APRIL-MAY, 2016

WHAT TO EXPECT Searching for life balance, fitness and self-improvement, two California women, Kirsten Potenza and Cristina Peerenboom, created POUND; the franchise has spread across the country. POUND combines strength training, isometric/plyometrics, cardio and Pilates with constant simulated drumming against a backdrop of hard-hitting, rock-and-roll music. According to POUND Pro, studies have shown that rhythmic drum-

YOU’LL WORK OUT WITH Women of all ages and physical conditions, as well as guys who like the aggressive, music-driven routines.

WHAT TO WEAR Basic workout clothing is fine, but you might want to let your inner rocker loose and wear a cut-off T-shirt.

FANS SAY “POUND is fun, it’s hard. I’ve done Pilates, circuit, Zumba and this — I know POUND works all of my muscles,” says Kylie Gaard, POUND student and soon-to-be certified POUND instructor.

COST $4 per class with advance registration, or $6 per class for drop-ins. PoundFit.com or call 509-498-9250 to register.

“WHY GO TO THE GYM WHEN YOU CAN JOIN THE CIRCUS?” WHAT TO EXPECT If you’ve ever imagined gracefully swaying high above ground like a Cirque de Soleil performer, here’s your chance to give aerial silks a try. Former gymnast Sherrie Martin opened Spokane Aerial Performance Arts with her husband Patrick in 2011 in a warehouse on Broadway Avenue. In addition to aerial silks, classes include aerial hoop, the Cyr wheel (a giant metal ring that turns the performer into a human gyroscope), clowning, fire eating and stilt walking. Most classes are open to all age groups. Aerial silks are a good introduction to circus arts and a tremendous workout for shoulders, back, core and arms.

A basic aerial silks class is 60 minutes long. It starts with a warmup of burpees, planks and stretches, then moves on to the mats, where yards and yards of blue, yellow and red fabric hang from the 20-foot high ceiling. With an emphasis on safety and technique at the forefront, your instructor teaches you how to wrap, climb, dangle and dismount.

THE VIBE Circus, of course. Bright, brassy music plays in the background, trapezes and silks are suspended from the ceiling, mats line the floor and a few glittery costumes hang along the walls, as if waiting for performers to prance out and slip into them.

YOU’LL WORK OUT WITH Mostly women of all ages, shapes and sizes. Men generally consider aerial silks feminine, but male-only classes

l Performance Arts.

Colorful silks suspend Katie Lynch at Spokane Aeria have been offered in the past with a reasonable degree of success.

WHAT TO WEAR Tights, close-fitting sleeved shirts, and no shoes. For safety reasons and to protect the fabric, students may not wear jewelry, piercings or body studs.

FANS SAY “I’ve been doing aerial silks for about a year. It’s beautiful, fun and feels more like playing that working out,” says Nicole Chapman as she heads to the Cyr wheel. “My upper body is definitely stronger.”

SPOKANE AERIAL PERFORMANCE ARTS

COST A six-week basic aerial silk class is $65.

Call 509-435-1576 or go to spokaneaerial.com APRIL-MAY, 2016

Health 35

LIVING

Strength training in small gro

ups fosters bonding at Cro

ssFit.

“LOVE YOUR LIFE OR CHANGE IT”

CROSSFIT POST FALLS

WHAT TO EXPECT With more than 13,000 gyms worldwide, CrossFit is one of the fastest growing workout regimens around. More than a dozen CrossFit affiliates operate independently in the Spokane/Coeur d’Alene area. Founded in 2000 by gymnast Greg Glassman, the workout combines interval training with weight and power lifting and plyometric exercise, and even throws in a little gymnastics, using everything from barbells to gymnastic rings and jump ropes. With an average of 10 per class, members report they develop close bonds with each other and get lots of one-on-one coaching and tips from instructors. Trainers are certified by CrossFit. THE VIBE No glitz, no glam. Surprisingly, CrossFit fuses the intensity of competitive, military-style workouts with a family-friendly, y’all-come atmosphere. At CrossFit Post Falls, kids temporarily relegated to the childcare center watch their parents from the balcony. Rogue and Achilles, owner Amy and Doug Jessup’s dogs, offer a welcoming sniff.

Walls are decorated with uplifting sayings and flags from all the armed services.

36 Health APRIL-MAY, 2016

YOU’LL WORK OUT WITH A husband and wife, dad and son, assorted solo members of all ages. The male/female ratio is about 50/50.

Beginners are grouped in the Unloaded class with lots of cardio, core strengthening and movements utilizing body weight. Weightlifting is incorporated in intermediate and advanced classes.

WHAT TO WEAR Gym clothes and good shoes.

Your old USMC T-shirt would be right at home.

FANS SAY Chris Stewart, working out with his 13-year old son, also named Chris, says, “This gym isn’t intimidating, the workouts feel personal.

It fits my lifestyle, my budget, and I like working out with my son.” Heidi Iverson, working out with her husband Justin, calls it a “fully loaded workout” and likes the variety and her small group.

COST A variety of classes and programs starting at $85 per month. Discounts offered to military, firefighters and law enforcement. 509-671-6893, crossfitpostfalls.com n

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

K

now Your Body, Train Your Body, Heal Your Body is the theme of Providence Health Care’s spring expo. You can expect a highly energized event, with lots of activities as well as booths to visit. Attendees will be able to participate in 60-second fitness challenges, like tire flips and wall climbs, designed for men, women and students.

Elite local athletes will compete against each other, and area gyms and trainers will be on hand to describe their products and services. Check out a sporty fashion show hosted by Title IX and Goodwill, as well as panel discussions on health and fitness and displays of the latest in fitness clothing, gear and products. And $5,000 in prize drawings will sweeten the day’s possibilities.

— LINDA HAGEN MILLER

Local athletes will compete at the Health & Fitness Experience April 22-24 at the

Providence Health & Fitness Experience • Fri, April 22, from 4-8 pm; Sat, April 23, from 10 am-6 pm; Sun, April 24, from 10 am-3 pm • Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • $7 admission, good all weekend; children 12 and under free with an accompanying adult

Convention Center. TODD CONLEY PHOTO

TONY BENNETT In Concert

June 4, 2016 • Spokane Convention Center Spokane Symphony

70th Anniversary Gala

Gala Fundraiser to Benefit the Spokane Symphony

Reservations & Information 509-624-1200 • www.spokanesymphony.org This concert is sponsored by Frank Knott

APRIL-MAY, 2016

Health 37

LIVING

Goats help Quillisascut Farm deliver delicious cheese across the state.

BEN DELANEY PHOTO

COOKING

No Kidding?

Underappreciated goat milk — and meat — offers benefits to people and the environment

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

“T

he students who come to our farm are always surprised how friendly and engaging the goats are,” says Lora Lea Misterly, who owns Quillisascut Farm with her husband Rick. “They comment on how they seem like good companions, dog-like.”

Located in Rice, Washington, Quillisascut is a working goat farm with two claims

38 Health APRIL-MAY, 2016

to fame. First, they produce goat cheese: the slightly sweet, pliable curado; tangy viejo, with the consistency of pecorino; and mild, crumbly farmer cheese. Second, Quillisascut is a leader in promoting responsible farming, receiving the national nonprofit Chef’s Collaborative 2012 Sustainability Award. To that end, they offer classes for anyone — children, chefs, aspiring farmers

— who is interested in food systems from field to fork, with topics ranging from caring for animals to cheesemaking to running your own farm.

“There is presently a lot of interest in goats as urban agriculture, and the DIY culture is growing,” says Misterly, who provided this issue’s recipe from a muchheralded cookbook produced on the farm that’s been written up in publications as diverse as the Seattle Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Sunset magazine and Forbes.

Goat milk offers an alternative to both human and cow milk. It’s low in lactose, is highly digestible and hypoallergenic, and facilitates both iron and calcium absorption.

It’s higher in protein than cow or human milk, yet lower in cholesterol.

Goat meat is healthy, too — generally lower in fat and cholesterol and higher in iron than chicken, beef, pork or lamb.

RECIPE

50 TAPS

FULL BAR

@MANITOTAPHOUSE

Roasted Squash with Goat Cheese and Toasted Pepitas from Chefs on the Farm: Recipes and Inspiration from the Quillisascut Farm School of the Domestic Arts (Skipstone Books, 2008) ½ acorn squash, washed, seeded & cut into

medium dice (skin on) ½ delicata squash, washed, seeded & cut into

medium dice (skin on) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon red chili flakes 1 teaspoon nutmeg 2 cloves garlic, slivered ½ cup cooked garbanzo beans 2 tablespoons sherry or apple cider vinegar 3 ounces Quillisascut curado cheese, grated 2 tablespoons pepitas — toasted, salted

pumpkin seeds Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the cut squash with olive oil, nutmeg, chili flakes, garlic and salt and pepper, and place single layer in cast-iron skillets or a roasting pan. Put skillets/pan in oven, bake for about 15 minutes until squash is softened and starting to brown. Stir in cooked garbanzo beans and return skillets/pan to the oven for about 15 minutes, until squash is caramelized and tender. While squash is still hot, drizzle with sherry vinegar, toss with pumpkin seeds. Allow squash to cool for 8 minutes, then toss with grated cheese.

Adjust seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 6 to 8 servings as a side dish.

Goats are also easier on the environment than many other food animals, says Jim Jerow, who runs J J Goats in Davenport, Washington. For starters, “They’re very frugal when it comes to drinking water.” And they are not picky eaters. One cow/calf pair requires about 13 acres for grazing, explains Jerow. That same acreage can support eight goat families — a doe and two kids — that often clear vegetation other animals won’t eat.

With those numbers, you’d think goat products would be more popular on the table. Frequently found in Mexican and Indian cooking, an unscientific search of local restaurant menus revealed just one chef serving goat meat with any regularity.

Chef Adam Hegsted has served goat at the Wandering Table in various prepara-

tions, such as grilled with chimichurri, as a burger, and in a curry sauce. It’s milder and more delicately flavored than lamb, he says, yet should be cooked similarly: “Braise or slow-roast tougher cuts; grill loins and chops.”

Hegsted has purchased goat meat from Jerow, who also used to sell frozen goat meat at area farmer’s markets. Now J J Goats ships the animals out of state for processing.

Goats and sheep were both domesticated from a type of goat-antelope and are often counted as one category of the meat we eat. So even though goat farming worldwide has increased 20 percent since 1990, goat meat still accounts for less than 5 percent of overall meat consumption.

(Pork ranks highest.) n

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THE OLD BROADVIEW DAIRY APRIL-MAY, 2016

Health 39

LIVING

Dahlias bloom in a greenhouse at Tall Grass Farms.

HEALTHY PLANET

Blooming Health Beautiful blossoms may carry unwanted chemicals

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

G

etting flowers makes us happy, according to a 2005 research study that confirms what most people would say is common sense. Or is that common scents? Those smiles, however, may turn to frowns when considering hidden dangers in some commercially grown flowers.

The United States Department of Agriculture reports that U.S. floriculture is the country’s top user of pesticides per acre.

And that’s just part of the problem. About 70 percent of flowers sold in the U.S. are grown elsewhere, mostly in Colombia and Ecuador, countries with different environmental standards. Numerous reports document significant health risks to floral

40 Health APRIL-MAY, 2016

workers, particularly outside the U.S., which may translate to consumer exposure to pesticides and preservatives on shipped flowers. In fact, tests of pesticide levels on imported roses have revealed residue levels 50 times higher than what is allowed on food.

The good news is that the industry has taken notice, especially since the publication of Amy Stewart’s 2007 book, Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers. There are now organic retailers such as Organic Bouquet and California Organic Flowers.

Veriflora offers “sustainability and ecolabeling” to growers of cut flowers and potted plants, as well as designating preferred

providers. Many Shopko locations are Veriflora-certified for their bedding plants, for example. Some Trader Joe’s locations offer Veriflora-certified flowers, according to spokesperson Alison Mochizuki.

Though the case for preferring organic flowers is nearly as compelling as it is for food, few certified local growers exist — though Killarney Farms in Rose Lake, Idaho, is one. A big challenge which any Northwest gardener can attest to is the short growing season, while another is the arduous process for becoming organically certified.

However, there are a number of people — growers, floral designers, retailers — who are nonetheless promoting a healthier flower industry. “We have come to expect that some things can be grown cheaper in other countries,” says Nicki Farrell of Tall Grass Farms in Medical Lake, “so we try to focus on flowers that do not ship well.”

Specializing in dahlias, Tall Grass sells to Spokane’s Rose & Blossom (formerly Just Roses), Special Touch Floral Studio, Erica’s Expressions, Main Market Co-op and a few area farmers markets. Last year, says Farrell, they grew everything organically, using only neem oil, supplemented by a regular shipment of ladybugs.

“We have decided that a few bugs are not the end of the world,” says Stacey Van Wingerden , who operates Vanhoff’s Garden Center in Coeur d’Alene and Van Wingerden Greenhouses in Priest River, Idaho. She cites growing concern over how a class of insecticides known as neonicotinoids are affecting pollinators.

“There’s a huge shift because of the bee population,” she says, noting that she requires her vendors to commit to using natural ingredients, and is moving away from selling synthetic pesticides in her store.

Christen Davis Venn of Dragonflower Design works out of Vanhoff’s and uses flowers from Spokane’s Skyline Flowers and Bonners Ferry’s BeeHaven Flower Farm. She says that she’s noticed more people ordering local, seasonal products, and happily incorporates flowers provided by the customer into her designs.

Buying local or growing your own flowers offers one way to know exactly what is on your blooms, but other options exist as well. Google “DIY flowers” or peruse Pinterest to discover fresh ideas for crafting your own blooms from paper, ribbon, fabric, even old egg cartons. Or leave it to the pros, like Spokane’s Anemone, whose amazing paper flower arrangements will last well beyond the event for which they were intended. n

TOGETHER, WE CAN DO ANYTHING. EXCEPT STAND IDLY BY. Join Susan G. Komen in our mission to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cure! The money raised from this event stays right here in our community to help those fighting this terrible disease.

APRIL 17TH Riverfront Park

2015 Survivor Race Participants

Register NOW and help us save lives! www.komeneasternwashington.org

Presented by:

LIVING

Speech language pathologist Wendy Popa approaches reading through tactile, movement and auditory pathways.

KRISTEN BLACK PHOTO

PARENTING

Demystifying Dyslexia Helping kids overcome learning disorders

BY CHELSEA BANNACH

W

hen speech language pathologist Wendy Popa learned that her own child had dyslexia, she also discovered there was a dearth of evidencebased treatment available in the Inland Northwest.

A fortuitous meeting with Dr. Thomas Beck, an ADHD specialist, revealed their shared vision of expanding services to those with learning and attention disorders — which often go together — and led to the opening of the Winston Center in Spokane in February 2015.

Poor spelling and language decoding abilities are the hallmarks of dyslexia, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. These troubles exist even though many children with dyslexia have average or above-average intelligence. In dyslexia, “the areas (of the brain) in charge of processing language

42 Health APRIL-MAY, 2016

aren’t as well developed, or are not processing as well as a typical brain,” says Popa.

“They’re sort of processing the information differently.”

Popa helps kids compensate by stimulating multiple learning pathways — seeing, hearing, feeling and awareness of motion.

For example, a student might see the letter A, say it out loud, and draw it in sand.

“We’re experiencing the letter by feeling it,” she says. “Where do we start our letter?

Where do we end our letter? That can be very difficult for them.”

Her students first read and write sounds in isolation, then blend those into syllables and words, and eventually move on to building vocabulary, understanding sentence structure and writing composition, and developing their ability to comprehend what they read.

“In this approach, we’re targeting both

the reading and spelling components simultaneously, in the same lesson,” she notes.

D

yslexia is a neurobiological disorder — not a problem with vision or hearing — and recent advances in imaging techniques have offered better insights into brain function in those with dyslexia. In particular, the planum temporale — a triangular portion of Wernicke’s area, which is one of the most important language centers of the brain — is typically bigger on the dominant side of the brain.

But in children with dyslexia, it’s the same size on both sides.

Dyslexia often runs in families, and several genes appear to be associated with reading and language processing issues.

Kerry Jensen, a Liberty Lake mother who has three children with dyslexia, helped launch Enlighten: Dyslexia Understood, a local nonprofit that aims to promote public awareness, improve public education, and provide support for families with struggling readers. Although teachers are usually eager to help, Jensen says they often haven’t been equipped with the right tools, and many dyslexic students are “falling through the cracks.”

“I know that for most parents, it’s very

DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE DYSLEXIA? frustrating,” she says.

Following the success of a statewide pilot reading program that included Trentwood Elementary, legislation was passed in 2009 to improve dyslexia instruction.

Although the law resulted in the creation of a dyslexia resource guide by Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction — which Jensen calls a “consolation prize” — the legislation wasn’t funded.

Without intervention, “things don’t get better, you don’t grow out of it,” says Jensen.

Unfortunately, many children with learning disorders don’t qualify for special education, and insurance often doesn’t cover learning disorder assessments, which are considered to be educational in nature, not medical, leaving dyslexic children in limbo.

“It’s outrageous,” says Spokane neuropsychologist Angelique Tindall. “They need to provide the coverage to do these evaluations. It certainly impacts education, but it impacts livelihood, it impacts quality of life. It’s a health and wellness issue.”

Many children with dyslexia often suffer anxiety, depression and shame, due to struggling day after day in the classroom.

WARNING SIGNS IN PRESCHOOL OR KINDERGARTEN  Struggles to match letters to sounds, such as not knowing what sounds the letters “B” or “H” make;  Has difficulty blending sounds into words, such as connecting C-H-A-T to “chat”;  Struggles to pronounce words, like saying “mawn lower” instead of “lawn mower”;  Has trouble learning to count or say the days of the week and other common sequences;  Has trouble rhyming.

WARNING SIGNS IN GRADE OR MIDDLE SCHOOL  Confuses the order of letters, such as writing “It’s extremely, extremely stressful,” Tindall notes.

She suggests that parents who suspect their child has a learning disorder talk to the child’s teachers, then see if the school psychologist can administer a formal test.

If not, parents can ask their child’s primary care provider what other resources are available.

“Always be an advocate for your child,” Tindall said. “Number one, that’s what I

“left” instead of “felt”;  Has trouble remembering facts and numbers;  Has difficulty gripping a pencil;  Gets tripped up by word problems in math;  Has a hard time sounding out unfamiliar words;  Has trouble following a sequence of directions.

WARNINGS IN HIGH SCHOOL  Struggles with reading out loud;  Doesn’t read at the expected grade level;  Has trouble understanding jokes or idioms;  Struggles to summarize a story  Has difficulty learning a foreign language SOURCE: understood.org tell parents.”

Popa says that, along with seeking the right intervention, parents’ encouragement and support is key.

“I think it’s really important for kids to understand that they are significant, they are important, and they can contribute to our community,” Popa said. “I think that, a lot of times, helps develop that resiliency and encourages them to keep trying, to keep on going, when things get hard.” n

Love where you live!

We have a maid, a cook and a chauffeur...

Life is Good!

Senior Retirement Living

545 N. Garden Plaza Court • Post Falls, ID 83854 (208) 773-3701 • www.gardenplazapostfalls.com APRIL-MAY, 2016

Health 43

LIVING APRIL - MAY EVENTS

CHOCOLATE & CHAMPAGNE GALA Lutheran Community Services Northwest’s annual gala features tastings of champagne and chocolate and a gourmet dinner, with silent and live auctions. The evening also highlights the nonprofit’s work with victims of child abuse, with proceeds benefiting the Sexual Assault and Family Trauma Response Center. Sat, April 16, at 5 pm. $95/person.

Davenport Hotel, lcsnw.org/spokane (343-5078)

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS Spokane-based Partnering for Progress urgently needs local medical providers to join its service team for an annual trip to Kenya, May 13-22.

Needs are for physicians, pediatricians, nurses, nurse practitioners and other providers who can provide medical care and health training to the rural village of Kopanga, Kenya. Trips are self-funded. Contact P4P at info@partneringforprogress.org or 509-720-8408.

RACE FOR THE CURE Susan G. Komen of Eastern Washington hosts the 8th annual regional walk/run to raise awareness and funds to support research, prevention and treatment of breast cancer. Includes a 1-mile survivors walk and 3K walk/run through Spokane. Sun, April 17. $15-$35/person. Riverfront Park, downtown Spokane. komeneasternwashington.org

AUNTIE’S DOES YOGA Unwind at Auntie’s in the historic Liberty Building during weekly yoga sessions led by instructor Larkin Barnett. Thursdays, from 5:15-6:15 pm, through June 16. $15/session. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main (838-0206) BLOOMSDAY TRAINING CLINICS Get in running shape in time for the 40th running of the Lilac Bloomsday Run with hosted community training clinics, offering graduated conditioning and supported training courses.

Saturdays at 8:30 am, through April 23. Meets at SFCC Gym. bloomsdayrun.org (474-3081) UGM ANNUAL GATHERING Over a meal, attendees hear stories of how the Union Gospel Mission has helped break the cycle of homelessness, abuse and addiction in the community. Thu, April 7, at 6:30 pm, in Coeur d’Alene (CdA Resort) and Thu, April 14, in Spokane (Red Lion Hotel at the Park). The Spokane event offers a noon lunch ($300/table of 10 only) or a 6:30 pm dinner. Dinner tickets $35/person or $250/table of 8. uniongospelmission.org/gathering (535-8510)

Scotty Smiley is the keynote speaker at the Catholic Charities Gala on May 13.

INBODY 570 TESTS The InBody testing machine at INHS can provide an accurate picture of your weight, lean body mass, body fat, BMI, total body water, basic metabolic weight and body composition history. Tests are offered to the public on April 13 and 28; sign up for a 20-minute time slot online. $20/test. INHS Community Wellness Center, 501 N. Riverpoint Blvd., Suite 245. Register online at courseregistration.inhs.org

ST. VINNY’S COMEDY NIGHT A show benefiting St. Vincent de Paul of North Idaho, featuring local comedians Harry J. Riley, Jay Wendell Walker, Adam Lee, Nick Thiessen and headliner Susan Rice of Portland. April 8 at 8 pm. $25/person. Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort, Worley, Idaho. cdacasino.com (208-416-4716)

SENIORS RESOURCE & INFO FAIR An event to inform seniors and their families about available services and resources within the region, including hospice care, social work services, fun activities, senior-focused housing, financial and counseling services. Thu, April 14, from 10 am-2 pm. Free. CenterPlace Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Pl. (926-1937)

SPOKANE BIKE SWAP & EXPO Community members can sell their used bikes and gear, shop for used bikes and visit booths hosted by local vendors. Donate a bike and get free admission. Sat, April 9, from 9 am-5 pm. $5/admission. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana. spokanebikeswap.com

STEPS FOR AUTISM The second annual community fundraiser and awareness walk benefits the work and programs of the Northwest Autism Center, the Isaac Foundation and the Autism Society of Washington’s Spokane Chapter. Sat, April 16, from 8 am-12:30 pm. $20/person. Mirabeau Park Meadows, 13500 E. Mirabeau Pkwy. nwautism.org (328-1582)

NEGATIVE SPLIT HALF MARATHON The annual, locally organized race is back, offering half-marathon, 5K and 10K distances. A portion of proceeds benefit the Spokane HOPE School’s programs and services. Sun, April 10, at 9 am. $30-$85. Route starts/ends at Kendall Yards. nsplit.com

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS 8 2 6 7 3 4 9 1 5

7 4 9 8 1 5 6 2 3

3 5 1 6 2 9 8 7 4

5 6 7 2 8 1 3 4 9

2 1 3 4 9 6 7 5 8

4 9 8 3 5 7 1 6 2

6 8 2 1 4 3 5 9 7

44 Health APRIL-MAY, 2016

9 7 4 5 6 8 2 3 1

1 3 5 9 7 2 4 8 6

Sudoku Moderate (left), Tough (below) 4 3 6 9 5 8 1 7 2

2 7 9 3 1 4 5 6 8

8 5 1 2 6 7 4 9 3

6 4 2 5 8 1 9 3 7

7 9 5 6 2 3 8 4 1

1 8 3 7 4 9 6 2 5

5 2 4 8 7 6 3 1 9

9 6 7 1 3 5 2 8 4

3 1 8 4 9 2 7 5 6

YOUR ROLE IN SUICIDE PREVENTION A training to teach youth how to talk with and support friends or peers at risk. Learn about stress and its negative effects on the body; symptoms of depression and how it is different in youth; why youth knowing how to help each other is so important in preventing suicide and more.

Tue, April 19, from 6:30-7:30 pm. Free and open to the public. Spark Center, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. sparkwestcentral.org (279-0299) CHILDHOOD VACCINATION CLINICS Make sure your school-aged children are up to date on their staterequired vaccines, including chickenpox, which is now required for K-12 students by fall 2016. The Spokane Regional Health District and local districts offer free vaccine clinics on the following dates/locations: Farwell Elementary, April 19, 3:30-6 pm; North Central HS, April 25, 3:30-6:30 pm; Rogers HS, April 26, 3:30-6:30 pm; Ferris HS, April 27, 3:30-6:30 pm; Shadle HS, April 28, 3:30-6:30 pm and Shaw MS, April 29, 3:30-6:30 pm.

FERRANTE’S ADOPT-A-ROOM FUNDRAISER The 6th annual fundraiser donates all profits from Ferrante’s for two days to support Ronald McDonald House Charities of Spokane’s Adopt-A-Room program. April 19-20, from 11 am-9 pm. Ferrante’s Marketplace Cafe, 4516 S. Regal. (443-6304) HUCKLEBERRY’S GOODWILL DRIVE The Monroe Street store is collecting items for Goodwill Industries of the Northwest. At Goodwill, 85 cents of every dollar funds programs that help build independence for individuals and families. April 22-23, from 10 am-4 pm. Huckleberry’s Natural Market, 926 S. Monroe. (624-1349) PROVIDENCE HEALTH & FITNESS EXPERIENCE A fresh version of the 11th annual event offers a weekend full of health and lifestyle information, entertainment, educa-

Codewords

Str8ts 6 7 4 9 5 8 7 6 6 7 8 9 3 4 6 5 4 2 1 8 5 3 6 4 7 2 3 7 8 3 2 1 6 7 4 5 2 8 4 5 2 3 1

1 2 1 3 7 8 6 7 2 9 5 6 4 5 3

3 2 5 8 7 6

P O P U L I S T

I P E C R Y E E A R S N I P E Z A X L Y F R M O P E V O L N J UM P E D S N E WA G E R O A E I R MO D E L L E

I T I Q U E H U T A S I A N Z A M R E E Z E E L K E D U O M O B A T E S E E E A R S MA N S P E D F O L D

tion and more. April 22-24: Fri, 4-9 pm; Sat, 10 am-6 pm; Sun, 10 am-3 pm. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. spokanewomensshow.com

CHARITY CORNER

FINISH STRONG FITNESS GAMES A men’s and women’s fitness competition, happening inside the Health & Fitness Experience, offering competitive divisions for novice, advanced and elite athletes. Open to individuals and teams. April 22-24. $5-$100, prices vary based on event and division. Spokane Convention Center. nsplit.com/fitness-games

L

MARCH FOR BABIES This annual, team-based 3-mile walk/run supports March of Dimes’ programs for babies born premature or with a compromising health condition. Sat, April 23, at 10 am, registration at 9 am on race day. Entry by donation. Gonzaga University, Jundt Art Museum. marchforbabies.org (328-1920) SPRING YARD CLEANUP Catholic Charities of Spokane organizes a volunteer cleanup for community members to help the elderly and disabled tidy their yards.

Sat, April 23, from 8 am-1 pm. Meet at St. Aloysius, 330 E. Boone. catholiccharitiesspokane.org (459-6172) KNOW YOUR NUMBERS Get immediate results with a biometric health screening, measuring cholesterol, blood glucose, height, weight, waistline and blood pressure. Open to all ages. $45/person. Tue, April 26.

Register online. INHS Community Wellness Center, 501 N. Riverpoint Blvd., Suite 245. inhs.org (232-8138) GAMBLING FOR GOOD The event benefiting the programs of Communities in Schools of Spokane County, using “funny money” to play blackjack, roulette and dice tables. Sat, April 30, from 5:30-9:30 pm. $50/ person. Northern Quest, 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights. spokane.ciswa.org or bidpal.net/cis.

MARMOT MARCH The 11th annual kids’ run preceding Bloomsday is a 1-mile, noncompetitive walk/run/jog for kids in third grade or under. An adult must accompany a child through the course; strollers are welcome.

Sat, April 30, at 9 am. Riverfront Park, route TBA. $10/ child. Register at bloomsdayrun.org/marmot-march.

Locked Up for a Cause ast year, a Catholic sister headed off to jail. It’s nothing to be alarmed about; this particular nun didn’t do anything illegal. In fact, she was simply aiding those less fortunate: the women and children served by the local nonprofit Transitions.

For the second year, Transitions is hosting its “Jailed and Bailed” fundraiser, which recruits around a dozen community leaders and volunteers who allow themselves to be locked up for a morning. Participants bring their cell phones and work to raise bail of $1,000 each to get out jail. All of the money raised benefits Transitions’ programs and services to end homelessness and poverty among women and children in Spokane. Last year’s debut event brought in $9,500, which went toward the operating budget of Women’s Hearth, Transitions’ downtown Spokane shelter. Annually, more than 1,400 women are served there, accessing meals, showers, phones, computers, classes and other resources.

“This event really expands our reach, because [participants] are calling people throughout the country [for donations],” explains Mary Tracey, the nonprofit’s development director.

Jailees can sign up through May 3, Tracey says. If you’re interested in posting bail during the

CATHOLIC CHARITIES GALA The 2016 event, “Be the Light,” features a keynote presentation by Iraq War veteran Scotty Smiley, who survived an attack by a suicide bomber and has overcome great odds in his life as a wounded vet. Fri, May 13, at 6 pm. $100/person. Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. catholiccharitiesspokane.org (358-4254)

BOWL FOR KIDS’ SAKE Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Northwest’s annual fundraising campaign culminates with a bowling party. May 6-7; times vary. nwbigs.kintera.org/2016BFKS (328-8310 x 239)

WOMEN HELPING WOMEN FUND The 24th annual luncheon features a keynote presentation by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best-selling author Sheryl WuDunn, whose work has raised awareness of the challenges facing women today. Proceeds benefit a number of local charitable organizations serving women and children. Mon, May 16, at noon (doors open at 11:30 am).

Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. whwfspokane.org (328-8285)

WOMEN & CHILDREN’S FREE RESTAURANT SPRING TEA The 10th annual spring tea fundraiser benefits the nonprofit’s in-house and outreach programs, offering a four-course tea lunch service, silent auction, vintage fashion show and more. Sat, May 7. $50-$85. Davenport Grand Hotel. wcfrspokane.org (324-1995 x. 303)

SK BALL The annual barn dance fundraiser includes a Longhorn BBQ dinner, live music, dancing, beer/wine/ cocktails, mechanical bull riding and more, with proceeds benefiting the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Spokane. Sat, May 21, from 6 pm-midnight. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center. rmhcspokane.org

BABYSITTING BASICS This course is designed for youth ages 10 to 15 to prepare them to become successful babysitters, and includes instruction in infant care, CPR, discipline issues, safety and more. Offered Sat, May 7 and Fri, June 24, from 9 am-2 pm. $40; online registration available. St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute, 711 S. Cowley. inhs.org (232-8138)

KIDICAL MASS BIKE RIDE Kids and their families are invited to join a fun, safe bike ride of about 3 miles, cycling on anything that rolls: bikes, trailers, Xtracycles, bakfiets, tandems, folding bikes and trikes all are welcome. Sat, May 21, at 1 pm. Free. Ride winds through the Chief Garry neighborhood, beginning at Chief Garry Park, 2515 E. Sinto. summerparkways.com

BLOOMSDAY For the 40th running of the Lilac Bloomsday Run, the local charity being supported is the Salvation Army of Spokane. The 12K run (7.46 miles) is set for Sun, May 1, at 9 am. bloomsdayrun.org

fundraising blitz, contact Transitions to be placed on a call list.

— CHEY SCOTT Jailed and Bailed at Transitions • Wed, May 11, starting at 8 am • Event at Transitional Living Center • 3128 N. Hemlock • help4women.org • Day-of donations: 509-328-6702

TOUR DE CURE A cycling event to raise funds to support diabetes research and prevention. Includes a post-ride massage, vendors and live entertainment. Routes offered at distances of 4, 10, 25, 50 and 100 miles. Sat, May 21, starting at 7 am. $25/registration; $200 minimum fundraising goal per team. Northern Quest Casino, 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights. diabetes.org/spokanetourdecure (888-342-2383 x 7232) COEUR D’ALENE MARATHON The third annual event, starting and ending in McEuen Park, offers a scenic route, with distances of 26.2 miles, 13.1 miles and a 5K race. The marathon is a Boston Marathon qualifier, and proceeds benefit the North Idaho Centennial Trail Foundation. Sat, May 29. $20-$100. McEuen Park, 319 E. Front Ave., CdA. cdamarathon.com WINDERMERE MARATHON This USATF Certified and Boston Marathon qualifier race offers both full and halfmarathon distances. Proceeds benefit the Windermere Foundation, which assists local low-income families.

Sun, June 5, at 7 am. $90-$115. From Liberty Lake to Riverfront Park along the Centennial Trail. windermeremarathon.com n The calendar is a free service, on a space-available basis.

Mark submissions “InHealth Calendar” and include the time, date, address, cost and a contact phone number.

Mail: 1227 W. Summit Pkwy, Spokane, WA 99201; or Email: calendar@inlander.com.

APRIL-MAY, 2016

Health 45

LIVING end of a white rope, which leads out of the house and through the backyard to the trap’s metal gate. When the time is right, Griffith pulls the end of the rope as hard as he can. Then he hears a crash, which means the gate has shut and the turkeys can’t get out.

The crash startles the turkeys, but after a second they stop caring. There’s still food on the ground. It’s not until the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife shows up that they really start to worry.

T

WILDLIFE

An estimated 250 wild turkeys call Spokane’s South Hill home. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Trapping Turkeys After a report that turkeys gave a toddler salmonella, Spokane residents are taking new measures to reduce the rampant turkey population

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

T

he turkeys sometimes mock John Griffith. On their daily walk through the neighborhood, as he watches from his house, they assemble in his front yard and begin doing whatever it is a rafter of turkeys does — pooping, eating or conspiring against humans.

“All of the above,” Griffith says.

In his backyard is a turkey trap. Maybe the turkeys have figured it out. They’ve already lost 12 of their own in that cage of metal bars, chicken wire and netting.

46 Health APRIL-MAY, 2016

Maybe they know that this house, in the South Hill’s Cliff-Cannon neighborhood, is trouble.

Still, the turkeys must venture inside the trap sometimes; Griffith’s backyard is literally covered with evidence — feathers and turkey droppings. It’s only a matter of time before Griffith catches them again.

If Griffith looks out his kitchen window and sees turkeys inside the trap, he carefully gets down on his hands and knees, crawls into the sunroom and grabs the

here are a couple of ways to wrangle a turkey into a box, says Candace Bennett, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife conflict specialist. Neither is particularly easy. The first is to ambush the turkey into a corner, gather its wings and tuck its head down.

The other option, which takes more skill, is to wait for them to jump, then grab their feet, causing their wings to relax.

In addition to causing potential property damage, Bennett says that turkeys may pose a health risk. In 2008, a South Hill parent reported their toddler contracted salmonella after the child played in grass covered in turkey droppings. While the Department of Fish and Wildlife could not confirm that the turkeys were responsible, there are some concerns that they may cause similar problems, Bennett says.

Last year at least 57 Washingtonians, including many children, got sick from contact with live poultry. Over the past four years, 211 people got sick from salmonella through contact with these animals, according to the state department of health. Birds can carry salmonella germs on feathers, feet and beaks. The germs also get on cages, coops and areas where the birds roam.

But these cases mostly came from people who raised chickens or ducklings.

Bennett says there have been no more reports of wild turkeys spreading salmonella to humans in the city since 2008.

The 12 turkeys caught in the trap behind Griffith’s house were not killed. Instead, the Department of Fish and Wildlife dropped them off outside of the city, somewhere near Kettle Falls. Bennett says those 12 turkeys are a small dent in the overall population in Spokane. There are as many as 250 turkeys now on the South Hill, she says, and the number keeps growing.

Wild turkeys are not native to in Eastern Washington. They were brought here in the early 1900s by the Department of Fish and Wildlife for hunting purposes.

Sometime in the past decade, however, there was a drop-off in wild turkey hunting

in the area, Bennett says.

Seeing turkeys within city limits, especially a city as big as Spokane, is uncommon. Bennett says Spokane just happens to have favorable conditions for turkeys. It’s easy for them to migrate into the city, there are few predators, and the tall pine trees are ideal for roosting at night.

Using any projectile — including firearms, paintball guns or bows and arrows — to injure or kill turkeys is illegal within city limits. Killing a turkey by other means (strangling it, for example) is illegal unless it’s for personal safety. So South Hill residents are limited in their ways to address the turkey population, she says.

This spring, for the second straight year, Bennett will lead residents on a turkey egg hunt in which the eggs will be coated with corn oil, so they don’t hatch. Yet the population still grew after last year. Much of that is because last spring’s weather was perfect for ground-nesting birds to have a good hatch year. This year is projected to be another good season.

When it comes to turkeys, Bennett says she’s heard different things from the community. Some say they don’t want any in the city, while others say they want to see even more. A majority say they like seeing some turkeys, but the current population is out of control.

G

riffith remembers when he saw his first turkey in Spokane. He thought it was amazing.

Then the winter came, and there were more, and then eventually they became a nuisance. Griffith tried everything to shoo them away, including shooting at them with Nerf guns. When a neighbor saw that, Griffith thought he was about to be scolded, but instead they said, “Good, we hate those f---ing things.”

The turkey trap set up in Griffith’s backyard, with the help of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, took a couple of weeks for the turkeys to get used to before Griffith trapped any. Bennett and Griffith also have discussed creating a decoy trap to lure more turkeys.

But turkeys — and this may be hard to believe — are smarter than people think, Bennett says. They know where to hide their nests. They learn what is and what isn’t a real threat.

And when they’re in the middle of the road, taking their time, seemingly unaware of the car honking at them from 4 feet away? That’s just laziness, says Bennett.

“They’re only going to expend as much energy as they actually need to.” n

Be Informed.

Live well.

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APRIL-MAY, 2016

Health 47

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