Inhealth 8/1/2016

Health

HEALTHY LIVING IN THE INLAND NORTHWEST • FREE

Secrets to a

GREAT School Year PAGE 24

ALSO INSIDE: NEWS Medical Bill Blues PAGE 15

LIVING Wearable Tech PAGE 32

BEAUTY Skip the Shampoo!

PAGE 40

A U G U ST- S E PT E M B E R , 2 0 1 6

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Life-changing EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

Health

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

EDITOR Anne McGregor

annem@inlander.com

MANAGING EDITOR Jacob H. Fries CALENDAR EDITOR Chey Scott COPY EDITOR Michael Mahoney CONTRIBUTORS Lindsay Noll Branting, Wilson Criscione, Connor Dinnison, Isaac Handelman, E.J. Iannelli, Laura Johnson, Young Kwak, Linda Hagen Miller, Robert Maurer, Taryn Phaneuf, Mitch Ryals, Carrie Scozzaro, Paula Siok, Jake Thomas, Matt Thompson, John H. White, Lisa Wise PRODUCTION MANAGER Wayne Hunt ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Kristi Gotzian DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Kristina Elverum ADVERTISING SALES Autumn Adrian, Mary Bookey, Gail Golden, Janet Pier, Claire Price, Carolyn Padgham-Walker, Wanda Tashoff, Emily Walden SALES COORDINATION Kati Bronson, Camryn Barker, Tess Weaver DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Tom Stover, Derrick King, Alissia Blackwood Mead, Jessie Hynes DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Justin Hynes

Helping to slow disease progression.

Making health care more accessible.

Advancing solutions that reduce costs.

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

InHealth is published every other month and is available free at more than 500 locations 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.

spokane.wsu.edu SUPPLEMENT TO THE INLANDER

4 Health AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

INSIDE AUGUST - SEPTEMBER, 2016

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NEWS THE EMPOWERED PATIENT

Where There’s a Bill… 15

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Health 5

FROM THE EDITOR

Lunch date.

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

Get Empowered!

I

Everything takes on a whole new meaning when you become a parent.

With locations throughout Washington and Oregon, Unify Community Health serves hundreds of young families each year. We are now accepting new patients.

Unify Community Health enjoyparenthood.org

6 Health AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

n this issue, you’ll find the first installment of an ongoing series we’re calling “The Empowered Patient.” Often we hear the term “health care consumer.” But what does that really mean? When you purchase a good or service, you usually know what you’re getting and how much it will cost up front. You figure out what your budget is, and you can choose to shop around if the deal isn’t what you had in mind. But to what extent is this possible in health care?

We decided to start at the end, with the bill.

Wilson Criscione delved into the labyrinth of medical billing, the mysterious world of ICD-9 codes, obscure procedures and arcane terminology. What does it all mean? Who determines what you’re billed for and how much it will cost? Do mistakes ever happen?

If they did, how would you know? I think you’ll be surprised at his findings.

Another way to empower yourself is to become an active participant in the gathering of your own health statistics, and technology is ready to assist. The “wearables tech” industry is expected to grow more than 60 percent, to $25 billion, over the next three years, with brands like Adidas and Polo getting into the act. From diagnostic contact lenses to 24-7 heart monitoring that will contact emergency medical services if you become unresponsive, check out Linda Hagen Miller’s exploration of the many facets of this fascinating field.

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CHECK-IN JUST FOR KIDS

Prepping for Success

B

ack-to-school supplies can create a hefty bill for parents, especially for families with multiple children heading back to the classroom. That’s why area organizations step up each year to make sure every kid can start the year with fresh supplies.

The Salvation Army Spokane began setting up school supply donation bins for its BACKPACKS FOR KIDS campaign at big-box retailers around town in July. Last year, thanks to a combination of cash donations collected at area Cenex Zip Trip stores and supplies gathered from donation bins, they were able to distribute 5,200 backpacks to kids across the region.

Salvation Army Spokane Communications Director Jeff Wright says that while crayons, rulers and pencils are always needed, he encourages donors not to neglect things like calculators, hand sanitizer and binder dividers. Backpacks for Kids holds its distribution day on Wednesday, Aug. 17, from 8 am to 6 pm at the Salvation Army of Spokane headquarters at 222 E. Indiana.

Communities in Schools of Spokane County is teaming up with local TV station KREM 2 to host the TOOLS 2 SCHOOLS drive, setting up donation bins at all of the region’s Walmart stores. Other area companies, including Numerica Credit Union, Premera, Ecova and NAC Architecture, have teamed up to host donation bins at additional sites around the region, says CIS Program Quality Director Alise Mnati. The community can donate to the CIS drive through Aug. 20. Mnati says backpacks filled with supplies are scheduled for distribution on Aug. 24 and 25 during the respective schools’ back-to-school night sessions for local families. Details about the Tools 2 Schools drive can be found on KREM 2’s website.

Additionally, UNITY IN THE COMMUNITY collects and distributes back-to-school items for local kids, with an Aug. 8 deadline for donations. Kids and parents can qualify to get a backpack of supplies at Unity in the Community’s Multicultural Celebration in Riverfront Park on Saturday, Aug. 20. Find out more at nwunity.org.

— CHEY SCOTT

LIFE COACHING

Secret to a Longer Life?

W

e are experts in knowing what food, hydration and exercise will keep us healthy. However, one additional health-promoting behavior is just as essential. It is the quality of our relationships. Researchers have repeatedly proven that social isolation — a lack of robust, meaningful attachments Robert Maurer is a — is highly predictive of poor health and decreased longevity.

Spokane psychologist, The “cure” for social isolation and loneliness is, of course, consultant and author connection. However, it is not enough to simply be married or of Mastering Fear. have numerous Facebook friends. Real connection results in a feeling of being truly known and appreciated by others. One dramatic example of the power of connection is provided by cardiologist Redford Williams, who STAY CONNECTED followed 1,300 cardiac patients for five years after initial diagnosis. He found Email InHealth Editor Anne McGregor at that patients who were unmarried, annem@inlander.com. The conversation or reported that they had no one to continues on the Inlander Facebook page, and stay in touch with us at Inlander.com/InHealth.

confide in, experienced a 50 percent chance of dying within the five years, while those married or who had someone to confide in experienced a 17 percent death rate. Other studies found that those who reported feeling close to their parents while growing up experienced better physical and mental health than those without such relationships.

Connections that result in good health come from the feeling that you are valued by others, and not alone. This helps give the body its immunity and vitality. Family and friends are one way we can strengthen connections; however, this feeling can also be accomplished by joining a service organization, volunteering, attending religious services or spending time getting to know your neighbors or others. For good health and well-being, we need one another. Indeed, it may not be an accident that the word “wealth” starts with “we.”

— ROBERT MAURER

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

Health 9

CHECK-IN E-HEALTH

Herb Searching

T

he amazingly comprehensive and free “About Herbs” app, developed by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, helps both consumers and professionals decipher the benefits and risks of thousands of “botanicals, supplements, complementary therapies and more.” Search a substance or a symptom — it’s hard to find something they haven’t included. Find familiar herbs like arnica (“a few clinical trials suggest topical arnica is helpful for osteoarthritis and significantly reduces bruising compared with a a placebo…”) and more recent fads like yerba mate (“Regular use of mate is linked to increased risk of developing prostate, lung, bladder, esophageal and head and neck cancers.”)

There are also featured topics, such as acupuncture or electromagnetic field therapy. Advice for consumers is relatively easy to understand, and includes potential benefits, as well as interactions and caveats, but unfortunately not much about dosing. Switch to the “professionals” mode for a more extensive scientific report.

— ANNE McGREGOR

ASK DR. MATT

Safety Smarts

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

n the previous issue of InHealth, we examined safety issues for kids ages 1 to 5. This time we’ll look at the risks for infants and 5-to-19-year-olds. By considering data from the Centers for Disease Control, parents can size up the risks and take appropriate action, without unnecessarily taking all the fun out of being a child.

“Mind the airway” could be a parent’s motto for infancy. Up to the age of 12 months, suffocation is the number one cause of death, comprising 66 percent of fatalities. So to be safe, always be aware of your baby’s airway. Assure that the sleep environment is safe, without objects in cribs that could suffocate a baby who flips over while in the crib. Be careful about window-blind cords, wires, drawstrings, dry cleaning bags, garbage bags, etc. Also, make sure to secure furniture that could fall onto a baby; make sure toy chests are non-locking and have air holes. Make sure that slats on cribs, stairs and rails are less than 2⅜ inches apart.

For infants, being a motor vehicle occupant is the next highest

risk for death, at 8 percent. Drowning follows closely at 7 percent.

The takeaway for parents? Always use an up-to-date car seat, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions closely to make sure they’re installed correctly. Keep the car seats in the back, in the middle and rear-facing until age 2.

Be careful about water in all its forms: buckets, toilets, bathtubs, pools, even pet water bowls.

From ages 5 to 19, kids and motor vehicles are a dangerous combination, with 40 to 69 percent of deaths resulting from a car accident or being struck by a car, depending on age. Fires/burns and drowning are the other top risks.

So worry about the airway until they are 1; water, cars and fire until school age; cars (from both a passenger and pedestrian perspective) and water until they move out.

Even though this is a morbid topic, plan accordingly and get the most out of time and worry by taking an age-stratified approach to risk of death and injury. A great website to give you all kinds of specific safety issues sorted by locations (like bedroom versus yard) is kidshealth.org/en/kids/watch.

Have fun, but be careful.

— MATT THOMPSON

Advertise in the next INHealth • advertising@inlander.com • 509.325.0634 ext. 215

10 Health AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

CHARITY CORNER

Old Glasses, New Life

I

t may be hard to see, but what is an easily corrected loss of visual acuity in this country can leave people in developing countries almost completely reliant on family assistance just to survive. If you’ve experienced the delight of replacing old prescription glasses with an updated pair, you can help solve this problem by donating your used specs. Various humanitarian organizations accept used eyeglass donations and distribute them to those in need, dramatically improving their quality of life.

Spokane optometrist Brett Hagen is a proponent of eyeglass recycling initiatives. His office, Garland Vision Source, donates used prescription glasses to three organizations, including Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH), an international organization that sends teams around the globe, administering eye exams to individuals in need and distributing appropriate prescription glasses.

“When you take a person who’s a minus eight [prescription] and find a pair of glasses that’s a minus seven, you’ve just taken care of a vast

majority of their correction and just left them mildly nearsighted, and they’re ecstatic,” Hagen says. “When you dramatically reduce their correction, you dramatically reduce their dependence on those around them.”

Organizations such as the Lions Club are also on the forefront of the distribution effort. The club has many collection locations around the area: SPOKANE: Lion’s Low Vision Clinic, Heads Up Barber Shop, Corbin Senior Activity Center, America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses, Walmart Vision Center, Hussee Optometry, Spokane Eye Clinic, Sinto Senior Activity Center, Shopko on South Perry, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, East Central

PILL BOX

Heart Saver?

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

My husband has type 2 diabetes. He and I recently heard about a study which showed that one of the new diabetes medications not only reduced blood sugar but also reduced the rates of death due to heart disease. What is this medicine and is it something that should be recommended?

T

he results of this study, which was called EMPA-REG, produced findings that astounded the diabetes community. The medication, called empagliflozin (Jardiance), is one of several diabetes medications known as SGLT-2 inhibitors. Essentially, what these medications do is promote loss of

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“extra” sugar through the urine. The most exciting thing about the EMPA-REG study? It was the first time a blood-sugarlowering diabetes medication was shown to be associated with a reduction in deaths due to heart problems and a reduction in deaths due to all causes. This reduction in death in the patients treated with empagliflozin was more than that seen in patients who had other risk-reducing medications in their treatment, but weren’t treated with empagliflozin. Should this medication be recommended? Maybe, but your husband should discuss this with his provider. Like all medications, empagliflozin and other SGLT-2 inhibitors have side effects. Your husband’s provider can work with him to weigh the potential benefits and risks. That being said, this medication could potentially be appropriate for your husband.

— JOHN R. WHITE

Be Smart Around Lead, Play Clean!

Lead and other metals are found f und in the soil along the Coeur d’Alene fo d’A ’ lene River, ’A r r, its South Fork, and the Chain Lakes.

• Wash W sh hands and face Wa f ce before fa befo f re eating. fo • Bring water for f r all personal use. Don’t use �iltered fo � ltered river water. �i r r.

• Eat on a table or blanket in grassy areas.

• Limit children’s hand-to-mouth contact.

• Remove dirt on clothes, toys, pets, and equipment before befo f re leaving. fo Know your child’s blood lead level through simple blood testing Panhandle Health District: (208) 783-0707 Know how to reduce your child’s exposure to lead in soil Idaho DEQ: www.deq.idaho.gov/PlayClean

• Recreate in designated

areas and stay on trails.

• Wear dust covering over mouth and nose when riding off-road trails.

• Follow �ish consumption

advisories. It is best to eat �illets only.

• Do not harvest edible plants from �loodplain areas.

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

Health 11

CHECK-IN SUPERFOOD

Pomegranate Power

ATTRIBUTES: Ruby-red pomegranate seeds, called arils, are loaded with antioxidants and fiber, and are a good source of vitamins A, C and E. SUPER POWERS: Pomegranate, or various extracts or concentrated juices created from the fruit, have been implicated in reducing inflammation in people with arthritis and diabetes, and may have beneficial effects on cardiovascular health. A study published in July showed a substance derived from pomegranates, called urolithin A, increased running endurance by 42 percent in “aged mice.” A human clinical trial is underway.

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12 Health AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

WEAKNESSES: Virtually any promising study you’ll read on pomegranates contains the caveat “more research is needed.” Many studies have been done on mice; whether the results will translate to humans is still up in the air.

HOW TO USE IT: Pomegranate arils add drama to a salad, while a glass of pomegranate juice counts as a full serving of fruit. Create a sorbet by combining pomegranate juice with sugar-syrup to taste, and freezing it in an ice cream maker. To separate arils from pith without making a mess, cut pomegranate into the chunks, submerge chunks in a bowl of water and loosen the arils, which will sink to the bottom.

— ANNE McGREGOR

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BRAIN EXERCISE

Sudoku

RATINGS: Moderate (left), Diabolical (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.

Answers to all puzzles on page 44

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

4 7 5 8

2 7

3 5 4

1

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

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 23.

5

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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

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Str8ts

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.

6 9 7 2

4 5

3 5 4 3 6

9 4

8 7 9

3

9 7

1

2

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FOCUSED solutions CAN PRODUCE

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AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

Health 13

14 Health AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

NEWS THE EMPOWERED PATIENT

WHERE THERE’S A BILL…

…THERE’S A WAY How to make sure your hospital bill is fair and accurate — and to avoid overpaying

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

G

eorge Stumph is one of the lucky ones. After surgical procedures to his hip and shoulder last year, he didn’t have to worry about checking the hospital bills. Instead he left that to his wife, who works in health care.

“I usually hand it off to her because I find it confusing,” he says.

If left alone, Stumph, a 66-year-old Spokane resident, would probably be lost in his stack of hospital bills. Even for just one procedure, he says, there’s “a small book” of bills filled with

medical terminology he doesn’t understand. He would have no idea how to check for duplication or coding errors.

In fact, most people — even some involved in the health care industry — don’t understand their bills. And with insurance deductibles rising, causing more people to pay out of pocket, it has become increasingly important that a bill is accurate.

The problem, says patient advocate Dianne Walkup, is so many contain errors that can go unnoticed. ...continued on next page AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

Health 15

NEWS

“WHERE THERE’S A BILL...,” CONTINUED...

After hip surgery, George Stumph faced “a small book” of bills filled with medical terminology and codes.

“WHERE THERE’S A BILL…,” CONTINUED… Walkup, who is based in Tacoma but works with clients all over the state, says 90 percent of the bills she sees from clients have coding errors. More accurate statistics are hard to come by (keep in mind that Walkup’s clients already may suspect there’s an error). Some organizations estimate the real number of bills with errors could be anywhere from 10 percent to 50 percent. Regardless of the number, consumers are not likely to catch mistakes.

“Nobody understands their bills,” Walkup says. “Nobody does. They’re deliberately written so that you can’t understand them.”

WHAT’S IN A BILL, ANYWAY?

Let’s say you have some sort of medical procedure, like Stumph’s hip replacement.

The doctor will input the services you

16 Health AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

received into a computer system, and then it’s off to the hospital’s coders, who create the bill.

As a consumer, you’ll receive at least three things. First, a list of services that were performed as you leave the hospital.

This is not a bill. Later on, you’ll receive an explanation of benefits from your insurer.

This also is not a bill; it explains how insurance benefits were applied to that claim.

In between, you’ll probably receive the bill from your provider, with a list of charges for each service.

Ask patients, however, and they’ll be quick to point out that too often there’s more than just one bill.

“I don’t understand why we can’t have a consolidated invoice or bill recap so it’s just a one-time bill, instead of getting 15 pieces of mail,” Stumph says.

The reason this happens, says Renu Sinha, a thyroid surgeon with Inland Surgi-

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

cal Associates in Spokane, is because the doctors who see patients are not always a part of the hospital bill. An anesthesiologist, for example, might be part of a separate bill. Hospitals also sometimes outsource things like pathology and radiology.

“Sometimes even the bloodwork that you have done at hospitals are going to be sent out. So you might get a bill from somewhere in California if that’s the place that gets the lab,” Sinha says.

On the actual bill from the medical provider, there should be two different sets of codes for each procedure. One is called a CPT code, a five-digit representation of the specific medical procedure performed. The other is an ICD code, or a diagnostic code that represents what the procedure is for.

Both of these tell the insurance payer what the provider is requesting to be reimbursed for.

If CPT and ICD codes don’t match,

then insurers can deny the claim. For example, if Sinha inputs the code into the computer for a diagnosis of some tonsil problem, but the procedure she performs is a thyroidectomy, it’s likely to be denied.

Patient advocate Walkup says a common error is duplicating charges. If a patient gets a lab test done, sometimes the billing office will bundle all the charges from one test. But sometimes you’ll get charged again for each different test.

“Those are excess charges and most people don’t even catch them,” Walkup says.

Walkup, a former sonographer, says she doesn’t make a lot of money being a patient advocate. She’s in it to help people.

She remembers one client had a bill with coding errors all over that was refused by Medicare. In one day’s work, she ended up saving that client $48,000.

Sinha says all patients should be checking their bills for accuracy. Errors can be as simple as a provider, like Sinha, simply missing a number when inputting the code.

“There’s clerical errors that cause a lot of this from the provider end, and also from the coding end,” she says. “And I think we have to remember that, as

patients, we have to watch out for this. Just like when a Visa or MasterCard bill comes, you should look at it.”

INSURANCE ISSUES

Karen Vogel, another advocate in Washington who helps patients with billing issues, worked in the insurance industry for 30

If you don’t understand something — anything at all — ask. years. But roughly six months ago she decided to “switch sides and use my powers to help people understand their bills and the situation they’re facing.”

“The system is designed to confuse,” she says. “No matter how smart you are, everybody is in the same boat.”

Vogel echoes Walkup in that she often sees errors in coding and duplicate charges.

She urges patients to continue to ask questions. If you don’t understand something ...continued on next page

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

Health 17

NEWS “WHERE THERE’S A BILL…,” CONTINUED… — anything at all — ask, she says.

“Anything can be contested, especially if it’s the wrong code,” she says. “Every insurance company can audit the claims.

They’re all willing to do that.”

Melanie Coon, spokeswoman for Premera Blue Cross, says Premera processes nearly 15 million claims per year. Of those, 86 percent are never touched by a human. She says the system is configured to catch potential errors. The other 14 percent get stopped for some kind of edit — a member hasn’t paid their bill, or there’s some sort of error.

But the insurance company would have no way of catching a scenario in which a patient is billed for a procedure they never received. That’s up to the patient to find.

“The insurance company is not gonna find errors,” Walkup says. “I’m gonna find them.”

Becky Reith, director of operations for

“The insurance company is not gonna find errors.

I’m gonna find them.”

18 Health AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

Premera, admits they wouldn’t be aware of such a scenario if the member didn’t call Premera.

Reith says medical insurance has changed in the past 20 years. Consumers, she says, didn’t need to understand their benefits decades ago. But now that deductibles are increasing, and more people have insurance who never had it before, it’s become more necessary for patients to learn how to understand their bills. That means not only understanding the hospital bill, but also what your plan covers. She says she would hope that people start to understand their medical insurance coverage like they do their car insurance.

Adds Coon, “The more savvy people are and the more they understand what they’re getting, that helps bring down the cost of care for everyone.”

WHAT TO DO

The first thing a patient should do is ask the provider what the procedure will cost, says Robin Shapiro, co-founder and president of Allied Health Advocates, an organization that helps patients navigate the health care system. That’s a question that didn’t used to be asked, but she says

that more doctors are beginning to share decision-making with patients.

“It used to be the doctor examined a patient and would recommend a course of action, regardless of what the patient wanted,” she says. “It’s evolved into a shared model, where the doctor will use his or her background and skills, and also incorporate values and what they want.

Together they can come up with treatment.”

After a procedure, collect all the bills and a list of any medications. Keep track of what’s been done to you, maybe even have a notebook handy, and then compare that to the bills you collect, Shapiro says. If there’s an error on the bill, go to the billing source. There are databases online where you can look up ICD or CPT codes, so use those to your advantage. And it might be a good idea to have someone, anyone, help you go over the charges.

“Patients in general don’t really know what to do to be a patient. Nobody teaches us how to be a patient.”

Walkup says she would hope the system was more straightforward.

“You’re trying to get better. You’re try-

NE

W

PR

O

A GR

PRICE CHECK

G

etting information on the price of an upcoming medical procedure or test before you open the bill has been nigh on impossible, until last month. Since July, price information on 49 “medical events” such as an ACL surgery ($13,413 in Spokane, $16,778 in Spokane Valley) or a sleep study ($1,159 in Spokane, $977 in Spokane Valley) has been available online.

Using data from $860 billion of insurance claims, Amino, a big-data analysis start-up, has compiled costs at amino.com, and the firm offers an “out-of-pocket” calculator to estimate what you should expect to pay for a total procedure. The list of procedures is far from complete, but they promise more are on the way.

— ANNE McGREGOR

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ing to recover and you’re getting all these bills from here, there and everywhere,” she says. “To have all this dumped on them at the same time is just crazy.” n

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Health 19

NEWS

The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine in Spokane.

EDUCATION

The Ripple Effect WSU looks to take full advantage of the new medical school opening in Spokane

BY MITCH RYALS

T

he second public medical school in the state of Washington isn’t ready for students quite yet, but researchers from across the university’s other colleges are already working to build partnerships with the new addition. Washington State University recently announced the allocation of $30 million for joint research initiatives, at least $5 million of which will include contributions for the brand-new Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine in Spokane.

The money was awarded through the university’s Grand Challenges research initiative. The projects that will involve the new med school will explore a wide scope of medical and public health issues, including genetic editing, antimicrobial

20 Health AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

resistance, disparities in availability and quality of health care, and health impacts of the Smarter Cities Challenge.

Some specific details are still in the works, but each of the projects will benefit greatly with collaboration from the new medical school, says John Roll, Senior Vice Chancellor for WSU Health Sciences in Spokane and interim Vice Dean for WSU’s John Roll Research for the College of Medicine.

“All of these initiatives will help the entire university, kind of like a rising tide floats all boats,” Roll says. “They capitalize on our historic strengths in agriculture,

WSU PHOTO

veterinary medicine, social, computer and environmental sciences, and give us the opportunity to link them to human health, which is somewhat novel for WSU as a system.”

We reached out to a couple of researchers to talk about their projects. Here’s what they had to say:

W

e know resistance to antibiotics is a worldwide issue, yet to fully understand the problem, there is still work to be done. We know, for example, that using antibiotics too frequently and taking more or less than the prescribed dose facilitates resistance to antibiotics.

What we’re less sure of is how social and environmental factors play a role.

That’s where the Community Health Analytics Initiative comes in.

“The new angle we’re seeking is we’re trying to find a relationship between antibiotic resistance and living in rural communities,” says Behrooz Shirazi, director of WSU’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “This problem has been studied in hospitals and cities, but very little in rural areas.”

Research on antimicrobial resistance is only a piece of a much larger plan, Shirazi says. In the long term, he and his team

hope to use the nearly $5 million over five years as seed money to start a more permanent health analytics institute. The idea is to create a regional hub of information.

Professors and researchers from multiple focus areas, including mathematics, engineering, computer sciences, public health, health care and veterinary care, will contribute to efforts to understand a variety of issues through data analysis.

I

ndividuals and communities living in poverty can be subjected to disparities in access to and quality of health care.

Yet some who fit that profile prosper. Why? That’s what a team of approximately 12 WSU researchers aims to find out with this research collaboration addressing health disparities.

The idea here is to pull from expertise in basic biology, health care, public health and sociology and explore these disparities on multiple levels, says Paul Whitney, Associate Dean for Research in the College of Arts & Sciences.

For example, “We’re interested in the effects of chronic stress and nutrition on individuals’ health,” Whitney says. “So rather than a team that addresses health disparities in cardiovascular disease or the prevalence of diabetes among certain racial groups, we’re looking at specific foci and cutting across multiple conditions.”

The initiative was granted $4.1 million over five years.

Other projects benefitting from the research grant will focus on genetic editing and developing smart cities.

The Functional Genomics Initiative ($5 million over five years) will explore emerging science in DNA editing of plants, livestock and other large animals to look for ways to control diseases.

Specifically, this project will use a gene-editing technique known as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, which can manipulate DNA with precision.

As for the Holistic Approach to Developing Smarter Cities ($1.5 million over five years), researchers will monitor, predict and control energy and air quality in urban environments in order to note how those things impact human health.

“These projects are all so big, it’s hard to know where they’re going to go,” Roll says. “I think that they all have the potential to benefit multiple constituents in and outside of the university, and the opportunity to blend experts in health sciences with our historic strengths is exciting. I think they’ll bear a lot of fruit for people who need some help.” n

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Health 21

NEWS

INNOVATION

House Calls Get health care in the comfort of your own home, or practically anywhere else

BY E.J. IANNELLI

L

et’s say you’re at home sitting on the couch. You become aware that you’ve been scratching the same area on your arm. You lift your sleeve to reveal a blotchy red patch. Is it dry skin?

An allergic reaction? An insect bite?

So you reach for your smartphone to make a doctor’s appointment. But instead of dialing your GP’s number, you launch an app that quickly puts you in a confidential one-to-one video chat — think a private Skype or FaceTime session — with a medical professional. She listens to your explanation of the ailment, examines the physical symptoms and issues a prescription ointment for you to pick up later at your local pharmacy.

You’re billed about $40 for the service. A

22 Health AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

confidential post-visit summary is emailed to your inbox.

This kind of scenario has become known as a “virtual visit,” the latest form of medical interaction in the expanding and evolving field of telemedicine, which, as the term suggests, aims to bridge the physical distances that can act as a barrier to health care.

The advantages of virtual visits are fairly selfevident, convenience being foremost among them.

CHS’s Lynn Simon Virtual visits can be initiated from anyplace with an internet connection. The hours of operation generally extend well beyond working hours — around the clock, in certain cases,

and seven days a week. Wait times are typically five minutes or less.

“It’s hard to express the ‘magic’ of a virtual visit with a doctor without having done it yourself,” says Amanda Guisbond, Communications Director for American Well. Her Boston-based employer is the company that supplies the technological platform and resources leveraged by more than 40 health-care providers across the country for their own uniquely branded virtual visit services.

“I recently had a terrible sore throat and lost my voice,” Guisbond says. “I went onto our own Amwell app and had a video visit with one of our doctors. She actually had me put the video camera toward my mouth and looked down my throat, and she was able to determine that I had viral laryngitis. And I did it all from work.”

In addition to providing the technological backbone for virtual visits, American Well maintains an Online Care Group of more than 3,000 trained medical professionals certified by organizations such as the American Telemedicine Association.

Health-care providers who use American Well’s platform can then tap into this pool to supplement their own team of medical professionals who are available for virtual visits.

O

ne of those providers is Community Health Systems, a Fortune 500 nationwide medical network that includes Spokane-based Rockwood Health. They launched their sub-branded VirtualHealthNow service in the Inland Northwest last October as one of their “initial forays” into this burgeoning branch of telemedicine, explains Lynn Simon, M.D., President of Clinical Services and Chief Quality Officer at CHS. Simon notes that patient experience was important to CHS when rolling out the new service, which she views as one more option among “a portfolio of care delivery models.”

“You don’t see somebody in their pajamas,” she says. “It’s a professional service, and we want to assure the consumer that’s what they’re getting. When you log on, you can see the credentials of the provider. You can see what they look like — younger, older, male, female. You actually have the ability to select someone you might be comfortable seeing.

That’s an interesting opportunity and an advantage.”

Providence is another provider with a local virtual-visit offering. Their service,

called Health eXpress, was launched in the mistake of ‘calling in’ with something Portland in 2012 and extended to Washlike chest pains. ington state last year.

“There’s something magical about Jeffrey Collins, M.D., Chief Medical technology,” he says, “that heightens Officer for Providence Health Care, says people’s expectations and their imaginathat virtual visits have proven ideal for tion of what it’s going to be like.” He “busy people on the go” because they does note, however, that virtual visits are “don’t have to modify or disrupt their emerging to fill the niche no longer filled schedule for minor ailments.” by house calls. Their high-tech underpinAccording to Providence’s own data nings also mean that more comprehensive collected from post-visit surveys, 73 virtual visits are already possible outside percent of their patients have used virtual the home. visits in lieu of going to urgent care or “We’re exploring some opportuniseeing their primary care physician. A ties with employers and schools,” says good 12 percent have stated that they Simon. “We have the ability to deliver the would not even have seen a doctor had it technology through a kiosk that we could not been for the virtual visit service. A full place in a school to help the school nurse, 95 percent of patients would recommend or with an employer so that they could virtual visits to others. have a nurse on-site throughout the day.”

Yet virtual visits aren’t suited to every Guisbond adds that American Well kind of condition, and is even considering grocery Collins is forthright about stores as potential sites for their shortcomings: these kiosks, meaning that from the puzzle on page 13 “There are limits to patients can combine their the amount of informaweekly shopping with a 14 = A; 4 = C; 7 = R tion you can gather, for non-emergency medical example. You can’t really take someone’s consultation and an in-store pharmacy temperature virtually. And there can be pickup — while skipping the waiting room expectation gaps. Somebody might make in between. n

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Health 23

PARENTING

School Do’s Academic success begins outside the classroom

BY TARYN PHANEUF

eady for school? As the summer winds down, colorful supplies and new clothes may dominate kids’ thoughts as they prepare to embark on the school year. But students who really succeed have more than the right notebooks and pens. For better test scores, attendance and behavior in school this year, students mainly need just one thing: a parent or caregiver who’s invested in their education, from the breakfast they eat in the morning to the level of support they get in their hardest subjects to the time they go to bed at night.

“Every parent wants their child to do well in school and socially,” says Jenny Rose, president of the Spokane Education Association, who is on sabbatical as a thirdgrade teacher. “What’s going on at home is just as important as what’s going on at school.”

The scenario transcends demographics: regardless of other factors in kids’ lives, students with involved parents perform better in the classroom both academically and socially, according to a prominent review of research by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory in 2002.

R

“Involvement” can take the form of volunteering at school; it can also mean creating a home environment that is conducive to learning. Parents or caregivers may not be

at every meeting or fundraiser, but they can be involved in ways that fundamentally help kids succeed. To make it simple, some

24 Health AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

FOCUS Spokane educators distill it all into two objectives: communication and routine.

Communication

Kids are in school about 30 hours each week. That’s 120 hours each month that could be a blind spot if parents, teachers and students don’t work together to communicate what’s going on. It may seem simple or obvious, but having open communication with children and with

educators is the most important step for a parent or caregiver who wants to help their kids succeed in school.

“My number one thing is communication with the teacher,” Rose says. To her, it’s a good sign when parents want to get to know the teacher and find a way to stay in contact throughout the year, “because we spend so much time with their children.”

For working parents, getting regular facetime with the teacher can be hard to

GETTING ORGANIZED

D

oes your kid’s backpack look and smell like a gerbil cage, with homework and assigned readings wrinkled or shredded? Debbie Knutson, director of the Spokane tutoring service Education NW Resources, suggests that something as simple as an accordion file folder can improve a messy student’s organizational habits. The folder’s multiple pockets can compartmentalize documents for different classes or uses — separate spaces for handouts, in-progress assignments, homework to be submitted, and so on.

The key is to keep at it, day after day.

Knutson says it’s a great way to stay organized throughout the school day, so that when the bell rings and the teacher hands out an assignment with no three-hole-punch in sight, students already have a dedicated space for it.

If old-school methods aren’t your kid’s thing, smartphone or computer apps can provide helpful tools. One such product is Google Keep, a free program that allows students to create notes, lists and reminders. It can even transcribe text from a photograph uploaded to the app.

Knutson says that apps can help “in a way,” but students must learn how to program them to send notifications and set up a schedule early in the process for it to be beneficial. You have to organize your apps, in other words.

“Students have a lot of pressure on them,” says Knutson. It’s important to developing good organization early in the school year, she says, to ingrain positive habits.

— CONNOR DINNISON

accomplish, but they can still make their presence known. Many teachers are open to corresponding over email or checking in over the phone. Some teachers send out information or keep a website with updates about lesson plans and tips about how to reinforce lessons at home. In Spokane schools, parents can check on their middle and high school kids’ progress through the district’s PowerSchool system, which records generally up-to-the minute grades and attendance, as well as standardized test scores from the student’s whole career.

Elementary school teachers may employ convenient apps like ClassDojo, with cute red, yellow or green graphics that offer parents a window into kids’ behavior while at school.

Collaboration among all the adults in a child’s life provides a better chance that any problems will be addressed early, says Gonzaga School of Education Dean Vincent Alfonso. Additionally, a strong parent-teacher relationship reinforces to the child that he or she is being cared for — a stress reliever that shouldn’t be underestimated.

“When children learn that parent and teacher are working together, they feel safe and secure,” Alfonso says.

But it isn’t only the adults who should talk more. As students encounter difficult academics and new social situations, they’ll need help navigating their expanding ...continued on next page

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

Health 25

FOCUS “SCHOOL DO’S,” CONTINUED... world. So parents need to know what’s going on. The most basic way to know what’s going on is to ask them, Alfonso says.

“Kids need to feel comfortable talking to their parents about school,” he says.

This line of communication can be opened

JENNY ROSE: “What’s going on at home is just as important as what’s going on at school… kids need structure.”

through questions about what happened during the day, what they learned, who they interacted with, and how they’re handling it all. Some of the best conversations can take place in the car, where kids may feel more comfortable talking since they aren’t face-to-face with their parent.

Questions are key. Kids may not spontaneously report something that’s troubling them. Don’t assume there’s not a problem, Alfonso suggested. Establishing good communication early on teaches kids that they have an adult who will listen and care even as they grow up and their level of independence and way of communicating changes.

To feel comfortable opening up about school and life, Alfonso suggests that kids shouldn’t be punished for being honest.

That’s not to say they shouldn’t be accountable for their behavior, but using fear or punishment to achieve compliance is likely to backfire when the child (or teen) shuts down.

Communicating with kids goes two ways, he says. Alfonso suggests that parents should speak positively about school and be upfront with their kids about major decisions that will impact their lives. “Some

RESOURCES 4 To learn more about Spokane Public Schools’ special ed services, visit spokaneschools.org/Page/1642, call 509-354-7947, or email childfind@spokaneschools.org.

4 Khan Academy offers free online learning in a wide range of subjects for students of all grades, including test prep for graduating seniors. Visit khanacademy.org.

4 For crisis intervention and mental health community resources, call First Call For Help at 509-838-4428.

families may decide to move or change schools. You can’t just spring that on them last-minute. They need to take into account kids’ thoughts on that. I think that’s important,” he says. ...continued on page 28

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Health 27

FOCUS “SCHOOL DO’S,” CONTINUED...

Routine Success

Let’s start at the beginning: School-age children and teenagers need a lot of sleep.

Until age 13, experts recommend nine to 11 hours of sleep each night to promote mental and physical development. Teenagers need eight to 11 hours.

As every adult likely knows, getting enough sleep isn’t easy when you have too many demands or you’re too wound up to fall asleep at a decent time. It’s the same for kids, which is why developing a routine that isn’t overfilled and sticking to it is critical for helping them do well in school.

An effective routine creates stability, and stability is key for learning, Rose says experience has taught her. “My understanding throughout the years is kids need structure. You can tell the students in your classroom who don’t have structure.

They don’t have any kind of structure, so they’re all over the place. I don’t mean their behavior, I mean their learning,” she says.

“It doesn’t have to a really rigid structure.

There has to be some sort of structure.”

Besides sleep, a healthy diet goes a long

28 Health AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

way in setting up a student for a successful school year. Good nutrition is key for helping kids focus in school, says Douglas Wordell, a registered dietitian and the Nu-

trition Services Director at Spokane Public Schools.

“We’re not the cause and we’re not the sole solution of the obesity epidemic and

TEST-TAKING TIPS

T

he day of the big test is here. Preparation is over. Pencils are sharpened. The test is in your young student’s hands. Shaky, sweaty hands. And the mind goes blank.

For students with test anxiety, it’s an all-toofamiliar nightmare scenario, but one that can be managed with good old-fashioned courage, says Julie Walsh, owner and director of Think Smart Tutoring on the South Hill.

“Face those fears,” she urges. “The mountain they thought they had to climb isn’t so bad once they start.”

Education NW Resources’ Debbie Knutson concurs. “The better students know the material, the less anxiety they’ll have,” she says. She likens it to learning to play the piano. “You have to do it. You can’t just listen to it.

“They have to actively study, not passively,” she continues. That means doing sets of practice

problems, self-quizzing in the week prior to the test, using notecards and color-coding words to improve memorization, even tape-recording answers to practice questions and playing them back repetitively. “We all have to work our brains.”

But what to do when friends are going hunting for Pokémon after dinner? How can a kid possibly focus on studying? There’s no magic way to avoid work that needs to be done, tutors say, but kids can work smarter by prioritizing and eliminating procrastination.

“That’s huge,” Knutson says. Shut off the phone and the TV while working toward a small goal, with a small reward once it is achieved.

“I used to bribe myself with M&Ms,” she says with a laugh. A quick walk to hunt for Squirtle might do the trick for kids this fall.

— CONNOR DINNISON

nutrient problem, but we’re a place that can start making changes,” Wordell says. “From a fundamental state, you have to be wellnourished ... to be able to think.”

At Spokane Public Schools, improving nutrition includes educating parents. With more emphasis on whole foods and scratch cooking, schools are putting together recipes that also can be used at home. The

DOUGLAS WORDELL: “Kids who skipped breakfast aren’t going to be able to focus. You have to be well-nourished… to be able to think.”

meals made at school are put together on a budget, albeit for a much bigger “family,” and are designed to be prepared quickly, so Wordell thinks they can translate smoothly to a home environment.

Despite the plethora of elaborate and competitive cooking shows on TV, meals can be simple: Parents should shoot for the kinds of foods that pack in nutrients that help development and keep kids’ blood sugar relatively stable, so they don’t have the crash that accompanies sugary drinks and snacks.

“Start off with a good breakfast,” Wordell says. “Kids who skipped breakfast aren’t going to be able to focus.”

Having solid snacks available quickly is helpful, too, to boost a student’s mood or energy between meals. Instead of candy or chips, try nuts or dried fruit for easy-to-tote backpack snacks. Aim to have them eat fruits and vegetables at every meal, Wordell adds. They have vitamins and minerals that promote growth. Sugary drinks, even ones that may seem somewhat healthy like Gatorade or other sports drinks, have the calories to quickly curb hunger pangs, but don’t have nutrients of whole foods that

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VINCENT ALFONSO: “Kids need to feel comfortable talking to their parents about school.” help kids perform on a cellular level.

“They need to be getting those vegetables and fruits,” Wordell stresses. “It’s going to help them through their day and with their learning.”

While it’s true that food is fuel, it’s also culture. Studies show that family time — which often happens naturally during a shared meal — is key to developing relationships that help with academic success.

Meals together provide a natural opportunity to work on communication, too.

“It seems like a simple thing,” Wordell says. “But it’s significant.” n

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CONNECT WITH US

LIVING

375 102

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A new version of smart contact lenses can even measure your insulin levels.

ALISSIA BLACKWOOD MEAD PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

TECHNOLOGY

Health Care You Wear Real-time reporting on your health and fitness, 24-7

BY LINDA HAGEN MILLER

E

ye-popping and potentially lifesaving wearable fitness and health monitoring devices are storming into gyms, hospitals, swimming pools, physical therapy clinics, living rooms, even boxing rings. We’re talking contact lenses, shirts, strap-on monitors, tights, shorts, glasses, necklaces, bras and more that will provide real-time feedback and an array of data to help your body become all it can be.

With Star Wars-level accuracy, wearables allow athletes and coaches to fine-tune performance to the nth degree

with real-time feedback and imaging, producing an array of tracking statistics worthy of Olympic trials.

Medical wearables give physicians and therapists new diagnostic tools to monitor patients, streamline therapy, and follow patients’ daily routines like never before. There are wearables being tested, or currently on the market, that give people with medical conditions like diabetes and heart disease new ways to monitor their conditions and stay ahead of a catastrophic event.

Not all of the products reviewed

here are on the market today, but just stand back: A whole new, wearable world is rushing at us at warp speed.

Breakthroughs for Diabetics

Diabetic patients are keenly aware of the need to constantly monitor glucose levels in order to maintain correct levels of insulin. Traditionally, this meant lancing a finger, transferring a drop of blood to a test strip and waiting a few seconds for the results.

Alcon, a division of pharmaceutical ...continued on next page

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

Health 31

LIVING

St. Luke’s Douglas Weeks hopes the Shimmer monitoring system for gait rehab will fill a “large gap” in knowledge.

“HEALTH CARE YOU WEAR,” CONTINUED… giant Novartis, is working with Google Inc. to create contact lenses that will eliminate all of these cumbersome steps. “SMART LENSES” read the body’s glucose levels in the eye’s tear fluid, and via a wireless connection to a mobile device, send a message to the patient advising when glucose levels are low.

“In addition to giving the patient valuable real-time data,” says Brett Hagen, O.D., with Garland Vision Source, “another exciting thing is the potential for the contacts to correct the diabetic patient’s vision while meeting this important need.”

Hagen adds that smart contacts that will dispense medication to glaucoma patients are also in development.

Meanwhile, Spokane residents Adam Morrison and Kris Maynard have created GLUCOSE BOOST, a wearable, fast-response solution to the potentially devastating effects of a diabetic crash. Morrison, a former Gonzaga basketball star and two-time NBA champion, and Maynard, a Fairchild Air Force Base firefighter/EMT,

32 Health AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

are athletes and diabetics who have personally experienced the result of rapidly dropping blood sugar during sporting or normal life activity. So Morrison and Maynard have developed a necklace containing a supply of glucose gel that a diabetic can immediately access and rub on their gums when they experience a low-sugar incident.

“I look at this necklace as a type of medical alert with a solution,” Maynard says. “Confusion and panic can surround a low blood-sugar incident, and friends and family want desperately to help. Glucose Boost is easy to use, quickly available and potentially lifesaving.”

Maynard and Morrison have selffunded research and development of Glucose Boost, and are now looking for a company to help them bring the product to market.

Gait Monitoring

St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute and Washington State University School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences are currently using SHIMMER,

wearable sensors that monitor gait characteristics of stroke and multiple sclerosis patients.

Three 1- by 2-inch devices are attached to the patient’s ankles and lower back with elastic bands and Velcro straps to log velocity, acceleration and displacement in real time, while the patient goes through various lifestyle simulations at the St. Luke’s “community” — an expansive lab equipped with scaled-down replicas of everyday challenges for a stroke or MS patient, including a café, pharmacy, grocery store, the door to an STA bus, front cab of a sedan and an SUV; even the fuselage of an airplane, complete with seats.

The data is transmitted to the Shimmer’s onboard memory, and can then be downloaded and forwarded to the patient’s rehab team.

“This is a population that needs to maintain their mobility and their health,” says Douglas L. Weeks, Ph.D., director of clinical research at St. Luke’s Rehab.

“Before wearable devices like this, most stroke patients were not studied until

months after the incident, leaving a large gap in our knowledge about the specifics of what changed in their gait and activity patterns.”

Mind Control

Two years ago, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory unveiled an ARTIFICIAL ARM controlled by the wearer’s thoughts and equipped with sensors implanted in the fingertips that send signals back to the brain, allowing users to feel sensations. Funded by the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Modular Prosthetic Limb was showcased at this year’s DARPA Technology Expo in Washington, D.C. Testing continues, and researchers predict that the limb will be available to amputees in the next few years.

Advances in Lung Disease Monitoring

Computer science, engineering and electrical engineering research scientists at the University of Washington are currently developing SPIROCALL, a telephone device to measure lung function. Their target market is people with asthma, cystic fibrosis or other chronic lung diseases who

live in the developing world and have limited access to health care.

Even though these patients may not have a hospital within hundreds of miles, they probably have a mobile phone. To utilize the technology, patients take a deep breath and exhale as vigorously and quickly as possible into the phone’s microphone. The phone’s mic senses sound and pressure from the exhalation and sends the data to a central server, which converts the data into standard lung function measurements and reports back to the patient.

Smart Heart Monitoring

Currently on the market, the KARDIA, manufactured by AliveCor, allows the wearer to take a medical grade EKG (electrocardiogram) in 30 seconds, anywhere, anytime. The device attaches to the back of a smartphone or an Apple Watch, and when the wearer places their fingers on the device, it immediately produces a visible EKG on the phone’s screen. Realtime heart activity can immediately be shared with the caregiver and physician.

The Kardia also tracks heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dietary habits, sleep

and exercise patterns.

“Kardia and devices like it democratize medicine by putting health monitoring into the patient’s hands,” says Ken Hughey, owner of DigiCor, the Spokanebased distributor of Kardia.

Also on the market now, the iBEAT uses a smartwatch that functions as a heart monitor and an emergency response device to track heart activity around the clock. Minutes count in heart attacks, and quick action is known to save lives. When the iBeat detects a heart anomaly, it notifies the wearer within 10 seconds, and an alert is sent to their designated caregiver.

If there is no response from the patient or caregiver, emergency medical services are called. The device also can be activated manually in an emergency such as a car accident, home invasion or fall.

Monitoring EKG signals and tracking lactate levels are two functions not normally combined in wearables, but the CHEM-PHYS patch does both. Communicating wirelessly with a phone or computer, it records physical signals such as lactate levels in real time. Developed by nanoengineers and electrical engineers ...continued on next page

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Health 33

LIVING “HEALTH CARE YOU WEAR,” CONTINUED… at the University of California, San Diego, the flexible patch monitors both biochemical and electric signals. It’s a cutting-edge training device as well as a tool to potentially manage individuals with cardiovascular disease.

Coaching Wearables

Fitness wristbands like Jawbone and Fitbit provide immediate feedback on cadence, heart rate, calories burned, sleep patterns and more, but now sophisticated fitness coaching wearables that do much more are hitting the market at prices that put them in the realm of everyday fitness aids.

Notch Interface started selling its $400 FULL BODY SENSOR to athletes and physical therapists this year.

Wireless sensors attach to the body and use accelerometers, gyroscopes and compasses to record the user’s motion, then relay that information in real time to a paired smartphone. As the coach, athlete or physical therapist watches the 3-D image of the wearer, poor form and posture is immediately apparent so modification

The Kardia attachment to your Apple Watch can deliver an EKG in 30 seconds. can be addressed on the spot. Notch is also waterproof.

Into Your Psyche

Feeling a little down in the dumps? There’s a wearable for that. Products like the FEEL wristband use galvanic skin-response sensors to detect changes in skin temperature

The MyZone sports bra sends a signal to smartphones allowing wearers to view their heart rate. and conductivity to interpret your mood.

If the Feel detects a downward spiral, it offers suggestions for ways to brighten the direction of your day and your interactions with others. For example, if yoga previously helped you combat a stressful day, the Feel gives you a prompt that your attitude is hitting the skids and reminds

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you that yoga was helpful in the past. Or the app might offer breathing and meditation exercises to put you into a sunnier mood.

Smart Clothes

From shorts to shirts to bras, fitness clothing has pole-vaulted into a new era of monitoring, feedback and tracking.

Supercharge your pants with Lumo Run, shorts with sensors that record running metrics and provide real-time audio feedback via an app in your headphones.

Stride-by-stride, you can keep tabs on cadence, bounce, ground contact time, braking, pelvic rotation and stride length.

Cost: approximately $99.

Eventually you may be able to save time and energy before you start competing with HOTPANTS, developed by Adidas for professional cyclists to warm up their legs ahead of an event. Hotpants are not yet on the market.

Ever wonder if all that lifting is actually reaching the targeted muscles? With the ability to detect muscle activity in addition to heart and breathing rate, sensor-filled ATHOS shirts and shorts are ideal for weight training. Data is delivered via Blue-

tooth to your smartphone. Athos shirts are $199, shorts are $149 and full body suits are $547.

Another way to track muscle use is the RADIATE, a tight-fitting shirt that changes color wherever your body is releasing heat, letting you know immediately which muscles you’re working. It also gives you a good excuse to look at your reflection in the gym mirror. Shorts and shirts start at $99 each.

Hexoskin’s SMART SHIRT tracks heart rate, breathing rate and volume, steps with cadence and calories. It connects via Bluetooth to iOS and Android devices and works with third-party apps like Strava and Runkeeper. Approximately $399.

Sports bras have gone bionic with a variety of options. MYZONE SPORTS BRA connects via Bluetooth to smartphone, smartwatch, even a gym screen, enabling you to view your heart rate ($66). Victoria’s Secret (yes, that lingerie company) has developed the INCREDIBLE BRA ($75) with a built-in heart-rate monitor made from a wicking fabric that keeps you cool and dry. The BIONIC BRA, currently in development in Aus-

Developed by University of Washington researchers, the SpiroCall can measure lung function with a phone call.. tralia, will go one further, as it intuitively loosens or tightens for support and comfort, whether you’re running or having an after-workout latte.

Even luxury clothes manufactures are in the game. Ralph Lauren has developed the POLO TECH ($295) that monitors your heart and breathing rates; tracks calories burned, workout intensity and stress rate; and provides feedback via your phone or tablet. And if you’re not exercising hard enough to stay in your desired range, you’ll get an audible message to up your game. n

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Health 35

LIVING

LEFT: Chef David McCampbell in the Sacred Heart dining room with his recipe for grilled halibut: “I want to make the healthy option, the easy option.”

ABOVE: Sarah Rouk and Max Morgan at work in McCampbell’s busy kitchen. Local fruit is on offer whenever possible in the cafeteria. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

COOKING

Food as Medicine Changing the notion of hospital food

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

C

hef David McCampbell shares a story from his first month at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital about a woman’s special meal request — biscuits and gravy — for her husband, who had less than a day to live. Later, the woman arrived in his office.

“When I entered, the woman burst into tears, gave me a hug, and said, ‘Thank you.

My husband got one of his last wishes.’ I felt myself beginning to well up and said, ‘You have a big heart, it was the least we could do.’”

McCampbell manages the hospital’s food production: patient meals, the cafeteria, catering, healthy eating programs and more. “My life,” he says, “did not used to be about healthy eating, the healing proper-

36 Health AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

ties of food, promoting work-life balance or being in service to others, but it is now.”

On any given day, for example, Sacred Heart Medical Center’s cafeteria feeds upward of 3,200 employees and visitors.

On the day we visited, the rotating menu featured scratch-made jambalaya, Middle Eastern orzo salad, Korean ribs and adobo steak wraps. There were vegetarian and vegan options, three kinds of soups, a salad and yogurt bar, and to-go items like baked goods from Transitional Programs for Women’s New Leaf Café, a local charity.

Also available is something unexpected for a cafeteria: fresh, local produce.

“I want to make the healthy option the easy option,” says McCampbell, who prior to Sacred Heart worked at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland,

where the Health & Services Chief Executive, Alex Jackson, championed the “food as medicine” approach. (In 2014, Jackson became CEO of Providence Sacred Heart in Spokane.) McCampbell has also worked in the frenetic restaurant industry, including a stint as executive chef at Portland’s upscale Mint/820 and the (now-closed) Lovely Hula Hands, as well as at L’Espalier in Boston.

McCampbell still concerns himself with flavor profiles, mouthfeel and aesthetics, yet also ponders how a dish can be made flavorful with less fat, sugar and salt, or how he can incorporate a food item’s inherent healing properties. That means cooking from scratch, steaming or baking instead of frying, using leaner meats and being creative with spices and fresh herbs.

“Eating well to help cure or to prevent sickness is nothing new,” says McCampbell, whose food perspective has been shaped by a family history of heart problems and his own high cholesterol, which he mitigated with a revamped diet of increased fruits and veggies. “I’m not a scientist, but the idea of how molecules in food interact with our genes to support or interfere with our health fascinates me, and adds a powerful dynamic to being a chef,” he says. n

RECIPE

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FULL BAR

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Grilled Halibut with Citrus Fruit and Sweet Pea Quinoa with Mint SWEET PEA QUINOA WITH MINT 1½ cups white quinoa, rinsed and drained ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ½ cup fresh mint, stemmed and minced 1½ cups frozen peas, thawed 1 lemon, zest and juice Pinch kosher salt and pepper ½ cup pistachios, roasted (optional) 1) In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa with 2 cups water and bring to a boil.

2) Cover and cook over low heat until all of the water has evaporated and the quinoa is tender (about 15 minutes).

3) Uncover and fluff the quinoa, then transfer to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature.

4) In a separate bowl, combine oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

5) Add the peas, fresh mint, oil and both the juice and zest of one lemon to the quinoa and stir gently. Add pistachios (optional).

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6) Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate for 1 hour to let flavors blend.

GRILLED HALIBUT WITH CITRUS FRUITS

CRAFT COCKTAILS, 34 BEER TAPS 150 BOTTLED BEERS, 4 WINE TAPS

2 5-ounce halibut filets Extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper 1 each lemon, lime, half-orange,

peeled and divided into segments ¼ cup Italian flat leaf parsley,

stem removed, chopped 1) Preheat grill on high heat.

2) Drizzle the halibut filets with olive oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3) Oil the grill grates and place the filets on the grill. Gently press the fish down on the grate and cook for 5 minutes on each side, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.

4) Mix citrus with parsley and heap on top of grilled halibut just prior to serving.

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THE OLD BROADVIEW DAIRY AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

Health 37

LIVING

HEALTHY PLANET

Grower Jeremy Moberg believes we’re using too much energy on a crop that can be grown outdoors.

Not Green Enough?

Cannabis is legal in Washington state now; some want to make growing it safer and more sustainable

BY MITCH RYALS

Y

ou might be surprised to learn that producing just over two pounds of marijuana indoors has the same carbon footprint as driving across the country 11 times in a car that gets 44 miles per gallon.

“This is clearly a huge unattended problem,” says Evan Mills, author of the 2012 Energy Associates study that revealed this comparison.

Although it’s impossible to know exactly how much power indoor marijuana cultivation uses, the Northwest Power

38 Health AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

and Conservation Council estimated the potential long-term environmental impact, concluding that the region’s electricity use could triple to as much as 300 average megawatts — the equivalent of energy use for 220,000 homes — by 2035.

In 2013, a team of researchers from the University of California, Berkeley delivered an analysis to the then-Washington State Liquor Control Board, now the State Liquor and Cannabis Board, on theoretical environmental risks and opportunities for weed farms.

“The most important environmental cost of marijuana production in the legal Washington market is likely to be energy for indoor, and to a lesser extent, greenhouse growing,” the analysts wrote. One indoor grower in Seattle says his monthly energy bill is about $17,000.

Most growers prefer the controlled conditions of indoor grows, but more and more are advocating outdoor farming — especially in ag-heavy Eastern Washington.

Jeremy Moberg runs CannaSol Farms near Omak, one of the largest outdoor marijuana producers in the state, and he continues to be a vocal advocate for sungrown weed in a state where there are more than twice the number of indoor growers as outdoor growers. He hopes to change that.

“Why are we using our scarce electrical resources to grow a for-profit recreational drug inside that we can outside?” Moberg asks. “It makes no sense.”

Outdoor grows aren’t completely environmentally benign either. Moberg doesn’t grow any new weed during the

TOXIC TOKES? arijuana, like any crop, has issues.

There are mold infections, along with the usual insects to worry about. A ruined crop can easily cost a grower several million dollars. In response, the Washington and Colorado departments of agriculture are working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to allow a broader range of pesticides to be used to treat legal pot.

But the move has medical marijuana advocates and others worried that patients and consumers will be left with increasingly unhealthy pot.

“It’s a totally bad idea,” says Gil Mobley, a Missouri-based doctor who ran a medical marijuana business in Federal Way. Mobley

recently conducted independent tests; he says they show that recreational pot in Washington is laden with toxins.

Currently, there are about 300 pesticides and fungicides approved for use on marijuana in Washington state, says Erik Johansen of the state Department of Agriculture. Most of them, he says, are already widely used on a variety of agricultural products, and the toxicity of some is so low that they can be used in organic agriculture.

John Davis, executive director of trade group Coalition for Cannabis Standards and Ethics, says growers still struggle with spider mites, mildew, mold and other crop-ruining insects and fungi.

“Some of our growers are looking for additional arrows in their quiver to fight those problems,” says Davis.

Since 2004, Chris Van Hook has run Spokane’s Clean Green Certified program, which

gives a wide variety of agricultural products, including marijuana, a seal of approval that they’ve been grown without pesticides and in an environmentally and socially responsible way. He says that organic farming methods require more management but can still produce market-ready cannabis.

Joe Rammell of New Day Cannabis in Newport has created the Safe Cannabis Project, which labels crops with “trace” levels of pesticides (T) or no traces of them (N). His labels even feature QR codes that allow consumers to review the test results for themselvs.

Still, there are many, like New Leaf Enterprises’ Boris Gorodnitsky, who want flexibility.

“I’m all for organic,” says Gorodnitsky, who has 12 years of experience growing marijuana, “but the industry should have all the options available to any other industry.”

— JAKE THOMAS

winter, but he does run heaters, fans and lights to keep the mother plants alive in a greenhouse. In the spring, before it’s warm enough to plant outside, he also grows in greenhouses.

John Morris, an energy consultant in Portland, says the next step is to get a more accurate idea of how much energy indoor operations require.

“We definitely need more research, and

to build a platform by which growers and utilities can build energy-efficient operations,” Morris says. “There needs to be a lot more dialogue between growers and utilities.” n

M

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

Health 39

LIVING forego shampoo began to grow. Essentially, the argument was that commercial shampoos not only contain a lot of dubious chemicals, but that modern hair is simply over-washed. Too much scrubbing robs the hair and scalp of natural oils, resulting in thinning hair and unhealthy scalp conditions. “No ’Poo” devotees reported astonishing improvements in their hair after weeks without shampoo. Rather than being a greasy, smelly mess, hair became lustrous, thick and shiny.

M

HEALTHY BEAUTY

Adventures in DIY Shampoo Can you have a healthier head of hair by skipping off-the-shelf shampoo?

BY LINDSAY NOLL BRANTING

A

mericans love their hygiene routines; the majority of us shower daily out of habit or in fear of social ostracism. And those who don’t engage in this quotidian practice often protect their dirty secret by denying it.

While most of us are devoted to our regimental bathing, shampooing hair everyday is becoming less compulsory.

According to an ongoing poll on Quibblo.com, only 38 percent of respondents shampoo every day, and 27 percent every other day. But there’s a fringe group who eschew washing their hair altogether, and I desperately want to join their ranks.

40 Health AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

Before my admission becomes your permission to avoid me in small spaces, hear me out on the unscented pages of this magazine.

Did you know? Shampoo is a relatively new concept. Our English word is derived from the Hindi champo, a term referring to massage. The original Indian practice involved rubbing oil into the scalp, but later evolved to using soap. Not until the 20th century was liquid shampoo introduced to the masses, first by Hans Schwarzkopf in Europe, and then by Dr. John Breck in the United States.

But few years ago, a movement to

y journey to find a shampoo-less hair cleanser that didn’t leave my locks either damaged or disgusting was fraught with failures and then crowned with discovery.

I embarked on experiments with Google as my trusty guide. When searching for ways to wash my hair sans soap, the most common procedure I found was to employ baking soda and vinegar. The basic premise of this “No ’Poo” technique involves dissolving one part baking soda in three parts distilled water, cleansing and rinsing the scalp, and then rinsing again with diluted apple cider vinegar. But I didn’t try this method, because further research enlightened me to the importance of pH levels. Our hair prefers products with an acidic pH between 4.5 and 5.5.

If you are a fellow No ’Poo-er, exercise caution when using baking soda and vinegar. Baking soda is alkaline, with a pH level of 9, and lifts the hair’s cuticle layer, weakening the underlying salt bonds. Over time, hair exposed to this treatment may become brittle and break. Finishing with an acidic vinegar rinse does close the cuticle, but in the long run, it’s an exhausting ritual for hair.

So for my first attempt at ’poo-less hair, I relied on the popular Wellness Mama website to instruct me. Her favorite homemade shampoo is a concoction of castile soap and coconut milk, followed by an ACV (apple cider vinegar) rinse. For good measure, I perfumed mine with grapefruit essential oil.

Result? My children avoided standing within 5 feet of me for the next two days.

All agreed that I’d somehow recreated the scent of vomit. My son’s favorite pastime became tricking unsuspecting victims into inhaling a whiff of my mane, and then giggling nefariously at their reaction. My husband, also repulsed, threatened to occupy one of our guest rooms until I improved my aura.

In my desperate attempt to solve the ...continued on page 42

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Health 41

LIVING “ADVENTURES IN DIY SHAMPOO,” CONTINUED... problem on my next go-around, I threw myself into the comments section on wellnessmama.com, searching for others who shared my fate. What I found instead were cautions against using castile soap as shampoo, since its pH level hovers between 8.9 and 10.

M

y next foray into homemade hair care came in the form of oatmeal.

Many African American women swear by its benefits, so I decided to give it a shot. I watched several YouTube videos about how to make a rinse using colloidal oatmeal (a fancy term for finely ground oats). Avoiding the risk of another monetary loss and a potential failure, I decided to make it myself using my Magic Bullet processor. Maybe if I owned a Vitamix instead, this story would have ended happily.

Alas, I ground my oatmeal into the finest powder that Magic Bullet offered, then added plain yogurt and filtered water, and into the shower I ventured.

Following a vigorous head scrub, I recruited my reluctant daughter to help comb

out the resulting mess of tiny oatmeal bits interspersed throughout my unruly mop.

Lest you think this an easy task, let me assure you otherwise. I have a ton of hair.

A New York hair stylist once bestowed on me the nickname Mufasa during my brief stint as a Redken hair model. I gave up on homemade colloidal oatmeal.

At this point, some may wonder why I pressed on. I can only answer that I am as stubborn as a mustard stain on your favorite white shirt. So I dove into my next prospect: bentonite clay. I read that this

powder detoxifies hair, and also removes oil. Yes, please!

At nearly $13 for 16 fast-disappearing ounces — in addition to a fairly messy and involved application process — bentonite clay was not my long-term solution. The good news is that it worked fairly well, and I received several compliments from people not aware of my ongoing experiments. So I tucked it away for occasional use, or as backup if future trials required an emergency rescue treatment.

My mistakes were teaching me, though.

RECIPE FOR REETHA, SHIKAKAI AND AMLA SHAMPOO

G

ently boil 5 seeded soapnuts in 2 cups of distilled water for 20 minutes. Strain liquid into a glass or plastic bowl. (Keep your soapnuts! They can be reused several times before discarding.) Add 1 tablespoon each of shikakai and amla powders to the soapnut decoction. Allow this mixture to rest, covered, several hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth and transfer to an unbreakable container before applying it, in the shower, to dry scalp and hair. (Or wet, if you pre-

fer.) Massage it into the scalp, working the liquid from root to tip. Leave on for at least 5 minutes before rinsing. Shikakai can be drying, so coconut (or other) oil may be applied to the ends of your hair before washing in order to retain moisture. If desired, an ACV (apple cider vinegar) rinse may be used afterward in a ratio of 1 to 2 tablespoons per 8 ounces water. Rinse hair before drying and styling as usual. Any unused ‘shampoo’ can be stored in the refrigerator up to a week.

— LINDSAY NOLL BRANTING

The Save Date 14th Annual Fundraising Event

Thursday, October 6th at the Red Lion Inn at the Park Breakfast (7:30 am - 8:30 am) —&— Lunch (12:00 pm - 1:00 pm)

y It takes ou to complete the puzzle.

For more information about this event, including Table Captain opportunites, Sponsorships and Virtual Pledges, please visit:

help4women.org/people-who-care

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

42 Health AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

I began targeting my internet queries toward pH-balanced, relatively simple shampoo alternatives. I stumbled across soapnuts. At $11.95 for a half-pound bag that would last for months, the value was inviting.

Surprise! Soapnuts (or aritha/reetha) aren’t nuts. They’re the dried berries of the genus Sapindus, in the Lychee family of trees and shrubs. Soapnuts contain saponins, which are a natural surfactant (detergent). The people of India have used them for centuries in a variety of applications, including shampoo. They usually add other ingredients like shikakai, amla, neem oil, fenugreek seeds and herbs to make their decoctions more effective.

After playing with several recipes, I landed on one that works for me. And not a moment too soon! Not long ago, a family of wrens eyed my tresses as a possible nesting spot. Thankfully, as I was nearing the two-month mark of my journey, my hair was finally under control.

Once again, it is safe to stand near me without fear of odiferous reprisals. But I keep tinkering. So if someday my son asks you to sniff my hair, run. n

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Health 43

LIVING AUGUST - SEPTEMBER EVENTS 8 LAKES LEG ACHES | The 18th ride heads through West Spokane, Cheney and Medical Lake, offering 15-, 30-, 45-, or 75-mile routes, with the longest passing eight area lakes. Proceeds benefit the Sexual Assault Family Trauma Response Center of Lutheran Community Services. Sat, Aug. 6. $50-$60 (pledge rider options available, $225-$325). Starts at Group Health, 5615 Sunset Hwy. lcsnw.org/8lakesride (343-5020)

WEST PLAINS WUNDERWOMAN TRIATHLON | The women-only event includes sprint and Olympic distance courses, and raises awareness for women’s osteoporosis. Also includes free bone-density screenings.

Sun, Aug. 7. Olympic triathlon starts at 7:30 am, sprint distance at 8:15 am. $90-$100/individual, $155-$160/ team. Waterfront Park, Medical Lake. wunderwomantriathlon.com (953-9924)

LONG BRIDGE SWIM | Swim 1.76 miles across Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint in the 22nd annual openwater event, which helps fund swimming lessons for local kids and adults. Sat, Aug. 6, at 9 am. $25-$30.

Downtown Sandpoint, Idaho. longbridgeswim.org

CELEBRATE LIFE FUN RUN/WALK | Run, walk or ride across Sandpoint’s scenic Long Bridge for this 10th annual event that supports local families affected by cancer. Sat, Aug. 13, at 9 am. Sandpoint, Idaho. celebratelifefunrunwalk.org (208-255-9628)

STRIDES FOR STRONG BONES | The sixth annual osteoporosis awareness 5K walk/run also features a raffle, bone screenings and educational information.

Sat, Aug. 6, at 9 am. $15-$25. Waterfront Park, Medical Lake. wastrongbones.org (953-9924)

COEUR D’ALENE TRIATHLON | Races include an Olympic-distance tri (individual and relay team options), a scenic sprint and a duathlon. Sat, Aug. 13. $50-$110. cdatriathlon.com WALK WITH THOUGHT | A 5K walk-a-thon to bring awareness to the issues surrounding those living with traumatic brain injury and other neurological disabilities. Proceeds from T-shirt sales go to local nonprofit TBI Network to fund support groups, events and an annual brain injury camp. Sun, Aug. 14. $17. Mission Park, 1208 E. Mission Ave. walkwiththought.org

MIDNIGHT CENTURY | An annual, informal and unsupported 100-mile nighttime bicycle ride on dirt roads through rural areas around Spokane. Sat, Aug. 6, at 11:59 pm. Free; no registration required. Starts at the Elk Public House, 1931 W. Pacific. midnightcentury.com PADDLE, SPLASH AND PLAY | The third annual event hosted by the Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club lets families test canoes, kayaks of all types, stand-up paddleboards and more on the Spokane River. Bring a life jacket; Discover Pass also required for park access. Sat, Aug. 6, from 10 am-2 pm. Free. Riverside State Park, Nine Mile Recreation Area, 14925 N. Hedin Rd. sckc.ws

CLASS AND A GLASS | A guided yoga/pilates class under the vineyard tent, open to all levels and led by local instructors; also accompanied by live music. Entry includes one glass of wine in a souvenir glass. Fri, Aug. 19, from 5:30-9 pm. $35/session (ages 21+ only). Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. (927-8571)

PRINCESS PEDALFEST | The 2nd annual women’s biking event, open to all abilities. Choose from a 25-, 45- or 60-mile ride through North Idaho, with lunch.

Proceeds benefit Josie’s Warriors, which raises awareness of cystic fibrosis. Sat, Aug. 6, at 7:30 am. $55-$65.

Ride starts/ends in Hayden. princesspedalfest.com

IRONKIDS COEUR D’ALENE | A .5- or 1-mile fun run for kids ages 3-14, offering them the chance to feel the excitement of competition. Sat, Aug. 20, at 9 am. $15.

McEuen Park, 420 E. Front St. ironman.com BUBBLEBALL OLYMPICS | Each team chooses a country to represent; come dressed in traditional colors, wardrobe, etc. Registration deadline Aug. 11. Sat, Aug. 20. $70-$80. HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. hubsportscenter.org (927-0602)

HUCKLEBERRY COLOR RUN | Run or walk through the forest and get covered with color tossed by the forest urchins (no bikes this year) Includes 5K and 2.5K courses. Sun, Aug. 7, at 7 am. $25-$35; free for kids age six and under. Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Sandpoint.

DINNER UNDER THE STARS | Attendees enjoy dinner with live music, and can bid for local artisan goods in a silent auction. Proceeds from the eighth annual event support the Shared Harvest Community Garden. Sat, Aug. 20, from 6-9 pm. $25/person. Shared Harvest Community Garden, 1004 E. Foster Ave., CdA. kealliance.org/dinner-under-the-stars

YMCA KIDS TRIATHLON | The race offers three waves; the first is for ages 5-7 at 9 am, the second for ages 8-10 at 9:30 am, and the third for 11-14 at 10 am. Family teams may choose the distance/age category they want. Sun, Aug. 7, at 9 am. $15-$35. At Mission Park, 1208 E. Mission Ave. ymcaspokane.org (777-9622)

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

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LIVING WELL WITH DIABETES | An interactive, groupbased workshop for those living with diabetes, helping them learn how to deal with symptoms, eat healthy, exercise and properly use medications. Six-week sessions begin on Aug. 20, Sept. 15 and Oct. 11. No cost. Meets at CenterPlace Regional Event Center, 2426 Mirabeau Pkwy., Spokane Valley. Register at wellness.inhs.org IRONMAN COEUR D’ALENE | Athletes in the triathlon swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. Sun, Aug. 21. Starts at City Beach on the lake; ends along Sherman Avenue in downtown CdA. ironman.com HONORING CHOICES | A class is designed to help people through the process of advance care planning, covering how to understand and talk about your goals, values and beliefs for future health care. Offered Aug. 22 and Sept. 15. Free. INHS Community Wellness Center, 501 N. Riverpoint Blvd., Suite 245. wellness.inhs.org 2016 FREE STATE PARK DAYS | Washington State Parks and Rec allows visitors access to all state parks without needing a Discover Pass. Includes Riverside State Park, Palouse Falls and Mt. Spokane state parks. On Aug. 25 and Sept. 24. More details at parks.wa.gov SPOKANE TO SANDPOINT RELAY | The 200-mile, overnight relay race starts at the top of Mt. Spokane, and is open to teams of 4 to 12 runners. Aug. 26-27. $420$1,500/team. Aug. 14-15. Spokanetosandpoint.com NEWPORT BIAYAKATHON | A fast-paced kayak and bike race along the Pend Oreille River with proceeds benefiting the Pend Oreille County Youth Task Force, which works to prevent drug and alcohol use in area youth. Sat, Aug. 27, at 10 am. $25-$30. Starts in Oldtown Rotary Park, just across the river from Newport. biayakatahon.weebly.com PRIEST LAKE TRIATHLON | The annual event at the scenic North Idaho lake offers Olympic and sprint distance courses, with individual and relay options for both. Sat, Aug. 27. Starts/ends at Hill’s Resort, 4777 W. Lakeshore Rd., Priest Lake. priestlakerace.com (208-946-9543) FETCH: SCRAPS AMAZING RACE | Walk with or without your pet to find clues to the treasure. Pick up a pledge sheet and your registration is free. All walkers get a goodie bag. Sat, Sept. 10, from 10 am-2 pm. Riverfront Park, Spokane. scrapshopefoundation.org SPOKANE HEART & STROKE WALK | The annual walk/ run benefits the local chapter of the American Heart Association, and offers both a noncompetitive and a timed 5K race. Sat, Sept. 10. Starts/ends in Riverfront Park, Spokane. spokaneheartwalk.org

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MARCH FOR THE FALLEN | Sign up for a 5, 10 or 15K run, or the 15K march. The annual event honors all of Washington’s fallen military members, with proceeds donated to local veterans groups. Sat, Sept. 10, from 8 am-4 pm. $30. At Riverside State Park, Seven Mile Trailhead of the Centennial Trail. marchforthefallen.com CANCER CAN’T DINNER | The growing local nonprofit supports those in the region diagnosed with cancer, hosting its second annual dinner with an auction. Sat, Sept. 10, at 6 pm. $80/person. The Lincoln Center, 1316 N. Lincoln. cancercant.com (230-3525) SPOKEFEST | The ninth annual community cycling festival welcomes thousands of residents to downtown Spokane, for group bike rides, cycling safety tips, a bike swap and expo, and more. Volunteers are also needed to help run the event (register at spokefest.org/volunteers). Choose from a 1- to 2- mile family ride, or 9-, 21or 50-mile rides. Sun, Sept. 11, from 8 am-2 pm. $8-$25/ person. Riverfront Park, Spokane. spokefest.org COBRA POLO CLASSIC | The annual fundraiser features gourmet food, local wine, beer, and cocktails, paired with a silent auction, beautiful hats, a cigar and whiskey tent, and a lively game of polo. All proceeds support Ronald McDonald House Charities. Sun, Sept. 11, from noon-4 pm. $200-$230/person. Spokane Polo Club grounds, Airway Heights. rmhcspokane.org/events/21 EXPLORING THE WORLD OF FERMENTED FOODS | A cooking demo and nutrition education program presented by dietician and nutritionist Joan Milton. Participants will learn the benefits of consuming and cooking with fermented foods, and their impact on gut bacteria.

Thu, Sept. 15, from 5:30-7 pm. Free. St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute, 711 S. Cowley. inhs.org KIDICAL MASSIVE | Spokane joins thousands of kids all over the planet for a “Kidical Mass” ride. The familyfriendly afternoon ride of about 3 miles heads out from Kendall Yards and back on the Centennial Trail. Sat, Sept. 17, at 1 pm. Free. Meet at The Nest at Kendall Yards, W. Summit Parkway and Cedar. summerparkways.com GLOW IN THE PARK | The third annual fun run through downtown Spokane features runners in neon and glow sticks, with proceeds benefiting the Inland Northwest Boys and Girls Club. Sat, Sept. 17, pre-race events at 6 pm. $12-$39. Starts/ends at the Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls. nsplit.com BIKE MS | The “Cycle the Silver Valley” event is a ride through the beautiful scenery of North Idaho, to raise awareness and funds to support research and treatment of multiple sclerosis. Ride as an individual or as part of a team. Sept. 17-18. $75/registration; $250/fundraising min. Starts/ends at Silver Mountain Resort, Kellogg, Idaho. bikems.org (800-344-4867 x5) SCENIC HALF | The annual race winds through downtown Sandpoint and along the shores of Lake Pend Oreille. Choose from a full, half-marathon, a 10K or a 5K distance. Proceeds benefit the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce and the Community Cancer Services. Sun, Sept. 18. $25-$70/person. scenichalf.com CARING FOR KIDS LUNCHEON | The 20th annual event raises funds for Catholic Charities’ St. Anne’s Children and Family Center and the Morning Star Boys’ Ranch.

CHARITY CORNER

Blooms of Joy

S

hawn Chamberlain clearly recalls the first seeds of thought for her now blossoming nonprofit. Three years ago, when the owner of Coeur d’Alene’s Flower Bar Co. was volunteering in the gardens of the Hospice House of North Idaho, Chamberlain noticed a patient watching her work, a terminally ill mother whose family’s life was about to change.

“I wanted to do something, so I cut flowers and gave them to the nurse to give them to her,” Chamberlain recalls.

Since then she’s given out hundreds of bouquets and founded Full Bloom, a nonprofit that recycles cut flowers from weddings and other special events, bringing joy to patients in area hospitals and hospice care. Chamberlain says not a single bride she’s worked with at her for-profit floral studio has declined to donate their arrangements to Full Bloom after the event has ended.

“I am a florist, so I see the everyday celebrations that people buy flowers for,” Chamberlain explains. “But at the same time, I really feel like those that are in end-of-life care, that is a really vulnerable time for them, and if you add on top of that you’re far from family and you’re alone — that thought of them being alone really keeps my fuel running.”

Full Bloom hosts its annual fundraiser in August, a farm-to-table dinner served outdoors, on a street in Coeur d’Alene’s Riverstone development.

Each course for the family-style meal is prepared by a local chef, and all guests are asked to come dressed in white attire.

Full Bloom founder Shawn Chamberlain with her brother, Justin Bailey, at last year’s benefit. LISA WISE PHOTO The highlight of the event is when Chamberlain asks each guest to create their own unique flower arrangement using donated flowers, to be distributed to patients across the region the following day.

— CHEY SCOTT Dinner En Blanc • Fri, Aug. 19, at 6:30 pm • $100/ person • Outdoor event on Beebe Blvd. in Coeur d’Alene • thefullbloom.org • 208-665-3756

This year’s keynote speaker is author Mary LoVerde, whose talk is, “Don’t Miss Anything: Innovative Strategies for Staying Connected With What’s Really Important.” Tue, Sept. 20, at 11:30 am. $50-$100/person. DoubleTree Hotel, catholiccharitiesspokane.org (358-4254)

JDRF ONE WALK | The local event, a 5K awareness walk for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, raises funds to research treatments and potential cures for type 1 diabetes. Sun, Sept. 25, at 11 am. Starts/ends in Riverfront Park, Spokane. jdrf.org (459-6307)

HAPPY GIRLS RUN | The popular women’s series comes to Spokane for the third year, offering a course of varied terrain, yoga, music and race swag bags. Includes 5K, 10K and half-marathon routes. Sat, Sept. 24. $30-$85.

Riverside State Park. happygirlsrunspokane.com

INTO AFRICA | Partnering for Progress’ annual fundraiser dinner and auction takes on an African theme, as funds raised benefit the nonprofit’s work in Kopanga, Kenya, providing access to health care, education, economic development and clean water in that region of southwest Kenya. $65/person; $500/table of 8. Sat, Oct. 1. Mirabeau Park Hotel, 1100 N. Sullivan Rd. intoafricaauction.org (720-8408)

WILD MOOSE CHASE TRAIL RUN | The sixth annual event is a fundraiser put on by EWU’s Class of 2018 Doctor of Physical Therapy students, with three courses starting from Selkirk lodge, at distances of 5, 10 and 25 K. Sat, Sept. 24, at 8 am. $25-$45. Mt. Spokane Selkirk Lodge, Mt. Spokane State Park. (907-301-9356) END AIDS WALK SPOKANE | Washington State’s leading HIV/AIDS organizations have joined forces to promote their largest awareness and fundraising events.

This collaboration brings the Spokane, Seattle, and South Sound regions together to build momentum and awareness statewide that through a reduction in new HIV infections. Sat, Sept. 24, at 11 am. $20/person. Riverfront Park, North Bank Shelter. sanwalk.org

HOEDOWN FOR HOPE | The fifth annual benefit event for the Spokane HOPE School includes dinner, live music, dancing, auctions, raffles and more. Sat, Oct. 1, from 5-10 pm. $55/person. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. spokanehopeschool.org 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.

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

Health 45

LIVING

Last Chance For Gas are regulars along the Bloomsday course. From left, they are: Greg Schmidt, Robin Amend, Jim Brickey and Bruce Ellwein.

PAULA SIOK PHOTO

PEOPLE

In Harmony Any show that Last Chance For Gas plays is a donation of their time

BY LAURA JOHNSON

C

ombined, they say they have about 200 years of experience playing music. But that doesn’t mean the men of Last Chance for Gas are quitting their band any time soon. They’re having way too much fun.

There was the time they accompanied the Eastern Washington University cheer squad for a school pep rally. With a flash of red and white in front, no one likely noticed the musicians in back. But mostly, the cover band plays gigs for charity — everything from fancy galas to community benefits and church fundraisers. Last Chance for Gas does so for free, instead asking

46 Health AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

groups they entertain to donate to a charity of the group’s choice. To them, music is a ministry. They say they don’t care about making money through this outlet.

“Of course, we don’t want to undercut musicians. We know people are working for a living,” says bassist/clarinetist Robin Amend, who owns Amend Music Centers.

“We want to make sure that people realize that music isn’t a free thing. But what we’re doing is something different.”

Earlier this summer, the four-piece is goofing off at keyboardist/guitarist Greg Schmidt’s Cheney home, a cushy suburban two-story they convene at every Thursday

without fail. In this band practice space, facing one another in a circle, they can shed the responsibilities of the day and simply play.

Today, they begin as they always do — practices and shows alike — with Jackson Browne’s “Running On Empty.”

Amend and Schmidt, along with guitarist Bruce Ellwein, sing in three-part harmony, while drummer Jim Brickey keeps the time on an electronic kit. “I don’t sing,” he later says. Amend misses a note and laughter ensues. But they keep going, getting into the groove — especially Ellwein, who has a classical guitar background and

Grins & Giggles the soaring soloing skills to prove it.

“I’m lucky they let me in this group,” Amend says.

Last Chance For Gas started about five years ago at Spokane’s First Presbyterian Church with everyone but Brickey (who at 65 is the oldest, but still the one in charge of the group’s Facebook page).

“We were all backup singers in the church praise band. No one was a lead singer,” Amend says. “We thought we’d make a group where we’d all be a singer. It started as fun.”

Playing Bloomsday with various church groups, they soon branched out on their own. But finding a drummer proved difficult. They wanted an “old codger,” Schmidt says, a person who knew the rock ’n’ roll songs from the 1960s and ’70s and also the contemporary praise songs they covered.

Through a friend, they found Brickey.

Walking into that first rehearsal wasn’t so easy for the drummer.

“Six years ago, I had a bad accident, snapped my neck and was paralyzed from the neck down,” Brickey says. “My physical therapist asked, ‘What is the one thing you could do, if you could do it today, that would convince you that you were back to where you were before the accident?’ I didn’t hesitate: ‘Drumming.’”

While recovering at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute, Brickey had to learn to walk and feed himself. Along the way he got back to picking up the drumsticks.

“I got connected with these guys, and the first time I came to practice I was so discouraged. I knew how well I played when I was younger, and that was gone,” Brickey recalls. “These years playing have allowed me to gain my strength back.”

After saying all of this, the rest of his band is taken somewhat aback. He’s never shared much of his story with them.

“I could tell he was rusty that first rehearsal,” Schmidt says. “But the thing is, Jim nailed it. The drummer’s job is to keep the time, and he did that from the first day.

He may not have the coolest fills, but who cares?”

This summer, the four-piece plans to bring their infectious crowd-pleasers, like “Brown Eyed Girl,” “Jesus is Just Alright,” and “Margaritaville” to a handful of community fundraiser events. They say the important thing is to capture the essence of the song, not try to emulate it perfectly. In the meantime, they’ll keep on practicing.

“We take our music seriously,” Brickey says. “Not ourselves.” n Find out more about the band at Facebook: Last Chance For Gas

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On Stands August 30th

The insiders guide to the Inland Northwest AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

Health 47

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