Inhealth 4/6/2015

Fighting Hospital Infections

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| Walking the Slackline

Health

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HEALTHY LIVING IN THE INLAND NORTHWEST • FREE

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Regional Trips to Help Your Health Bloom

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EDITOR Anne McGregor

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MANAGING EDITOR Jacob H. Fries ART DIRECTOR Chris Bovey

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CALENDAR EDITOR Chey Scott

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CONTRIBUTORS Kaitlyn Anson, Chelsea Bannach, Anna E. Becker, Carla Brannan, Courtney Brewer, Jeff Ferguson, E.J. Iannelli, Jacob Jones, Lisa Waananen Jones, Linda Hagen Miller, Mitch Ryals, Carrie Scozzaro, Jake Thomas, Matt Thompson, John White, Daniel Walters, Sarah Wurtz PRODUCTION MANAGER Wayne Hunt ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Kristi Gotzian DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Kristina Elverum ADVERTISING SALES Autumn Adrian, Bonnie Amstutz, Bruce Deming, Gail Golden, Janet Pier, Carolyn Padgham-Walker, Wanda Tashoff, Emily Walden

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FROM THE EDITOR

collaboration innovation collaboration drives innovative health care

At INHS collaboration drives everything we do.

Through innovative health care technology, health education and patient care, more than 1,000 INHS employees are creating tomorrow’s health care today.

Anne McGregor is the editor of InHealth.

Email her at annem@inlander.com.

A Vacation Might Be Just the Ticket

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s it time to put down your smartphone and step away? And I mean really step away, like not even check your work email for days at a time. Sound scary? It’s something fewer people are finding a way to do. More than 40 percent of respondents in a recent American Psychological Association survey said they checked their work email during a vacation — sometimes hourly.

And “millenials,” younger workers who may feel they have less job security, report feeling guilty about taking a vacation at all.

Americans are taking about four fewer days off per year than they did in 2000, according to a U.S. Travel Association study — often forfeiting vacation time owed to them in the process. Less than 2 percent of American workers in the survey reported taking a whole week off at once.

Whether it’s the sheer novelty of doing something new that challenges our brains to function better, a reduced risk for stress-related illness or the improved productivity after time off, vacations aren’t just fun and games. That’s why I hope you’ll use our cover story on regional getaways to fuel your own creativity in finding time and space for rejuvenation. Whether you choose one of the getaways in Linda Hagen Miller’s feature that had me contemplating going AWOL, or you come up with something creative to fit your own time, budget and interests, don’t underestimate the power of taking a break.

To your health!

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CHECK-IN STAY CONNECTED You can reach InHealth Editor Anne McGregor via email at annem@inlander.com. The conversation continues on the Inlander Facebook page, and stay in touch with us at Inlander.com/InHealth.

How important to your health is taking a break or a vacation?

CALEB STAPP: The Christian concept of Sabbath is really helpful when done right. Taking one day a week to connect with God, get some extra sleep, and engage in renewing activities sure makes a difference in my life when I do it. And after several months of nonstop work or play, I feel the effects.

JON SKINNER: I vacation for mental health.

What’s your favorite place to recharge and rejuvenate?

SUPERFOOD

Raspberry Purée ATTRIBUTES: The raspberry, with its sweet-tart, sophisticated flavor, contains just 64 calories in a whole cup. There are more than 20 varieties of red raspberries, including several that originated in the Northwest. They also come in black, purple and even golden varieties.

WEAKNESSES: At least one study shows that organic raspberries have significantly more nutrients than non-organic, and berries picked at the peak of ripeness also have more beneficial nutrients. All that goodness can be expensive.

Luckily, these little gems grow quite well in the Inland Northwest, so you can cultivate your own or go to an area u-pick to get them at their best.

SUPERPOWERS: One cup of raspberries will supply more than half your daily requirement of vitamin C, along with a heart-helping, fat-busting, cancer-fighting abundance of antioxidants.

HOW TO USE IT: Toss a big handful of raspberries into a blender with banana, plain yogurt, orange juice and ice for a splendidly refreshing treat.

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REBECCA HIRSCHEL PRAHL: Priest Lake, definitely. Heaven on earth.

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Pain Reliever Worries

SHARON CHENEY: Oregon coast or the mountains on logging roads.

I recently heard that the painkiller acetaminophen (one of the trade names is Tylenol) is not really safe. I take it from time to time for headaches and other minor pains. Should I take something else instead?

ELAINE NERUD: I like to drive the Palouse.

CAITLIN SEVEY: Hiking in Liberty Lake or around Coeur d’Alene.

BEN RALL: The Spokane River back when it wasn’t polluted.

MARIA JENNINGS: Quinn’s Resort in Montana.

JAMES EVANS: All great spots up here in the Inland Northwest. 

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

N

o, acetaminophen is, under most circumstances, a very safe medication.

A recent study (which evaluated data from previous studies) in the UK reported a higher incidence of stroke, stomach ulcers or bleeding in patients who took large doses of acetaminophen for long periods of time. It is very likely that the people included in this study who took high doses for long periods of time had multiple medical conditions

that could have led to the observed problems (rather than acetaminophen being the culprit).

Overall, acetaminophen is probably the safest pain-relieving and fever-reducing medication available. Still, it should be taken occasionally and for short periods of time, unless your physician or pharmacist has instructed you otherwise. Also, you need to be very careful with the dose and never take more than is recommended on the label or by your health care provider. Lastly, this medication should be avoided if you have liver disease, and it is best to not consume alcohol when taking acetaminophen.

— JOHN R. WHITE APRIL-MAY, 2015

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CHECK-IN LIFE COACHING

Inner Spring Cleaning

A

re you in the middle of multiple projects to spruce up your outside space and create a sparkling, clutter-free inside?

How about cleaning out the thoughts and feelings that clog our minds and take our attention off of the current moment?

A little spring cleaning for our internal lives will help us feel lighter, return our focus to the present and lift our spirits so they are as shiny as our freshly cleaned windows.

What does decluttering our thoughts and feelings look like?

In my experience, we humans have an excess of junk we’re hanging onto from the past. These often show up as the “if onlys… ” If only I’d finished my master’s thesis. If only I’d kept off those

Carla Brannan is a certified professional life coach in Spokane.

20 pounds, or let go of the grudge with my cousin. We all have things we wish we’d done differently, and none of us can change the past. We can, however, let the past stay in the past and not allow it to haunt our current lives.

Consider asking yourself what you need to do to let yourself off the hook. It may be forgiving yourself and/or others. Perhaps there are conversations you need to have to clear the air or provide closure. Maybe it’s as simple as giving yourself permission to let it go.

The work that lies in front of you is not for the faint of heart; but you’re worth it! So, pull up your big-girl or big-boy pants, dig deep and free yourself to grow and blossom inside and out.

— CARLA BRANNAN

CHARITY CORNER

Art and Emotion

S

pending time in the hospital can affect a kid in a lot of ways. Feelings of sadness, as well as loneliness and just plain boredom, are common. Art therapy — in the form of visual arts and music — can decrease the stress associated with hospitals and procedures, helping patients recover faster and require less pain medication. But art therapists are not always available, and even when they are, they can usually work with just one patient at a time. That’s why Spokane chaplain Bill Miller and art therapist Ann Walker, who work together at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, have teamed up to develop Arts Ahoy, a program that they hope will deliver customized art therapy to kids anytime, anywhere.

Miller and Walker intend to create a series of video adventures featuring a costumed Miller as the captain of a ship, and Walker in the role of “Adventure Annie.” Together they sing and guide 5-to-10-year-old kids on a voyage to explore a single targeted negative emotion associated with a hospital stay, such as fear.

“It allows them to name their emotion, which

Art therapist Ann Walker and chaplain Bill Miller want to set out on a voyage to help sick kids. is the first step in having some control, and then process it in a way that is non-damaging and nonhurtful,” says Miller of the program. Accompanying the Captain and Annie on the video journey will be a trio of kids who have actually experienced health issues, and who will explain to young viewers how they coped. A real-life treasure chest of art supplies delivered to the patient’s bed will enable each child to create pictures illustrating the feeling explored in the video, which hospital staff can then

upload to a gallery on the Arts Ahoy website.

Ultimately, Miller says they would like to feature voyages exploring 12 emotions. Right now, though, they’re looking for funding to produce and test a pilot episode. A party to commence a Kickstarter campaign aimed at raising $45,000 will be held Thursday, May 7, from 5:30 to 7 pm at Hamilton Studio, 1427 W. Dean. RSVP at 850-2750. artsahoy.org — ANNE McGREGOR

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MENTORING

Running and Life Lessons

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cores of confident and healthy 8-to-12-year-old girls will be taking over the Negative Split 5K in April thanks to the nonprofit organization Girls on the Run. The 10-week afterschool program has been working with elementary schools in the area to promote healthy lifestyles and teach valuable lessons to elementary-aged girls to prepare them for high school and beyond. Coming up on the end of its second year in Spokane, the program has more than doubled in size to 71 girls from four elementary schools, a trend that Executive Director Lindsay Box hopes will continue in the future.

During the program, girls partner with volunteer coaches to train for a 5K, work on how to deal with bullying and peer pressure and develop healthy qualities like patience and gratitude.

“They’re learning how to respond to issues they’ll face in school, with peers and at home,” Box says. “We’re giving them the tools to act positively in life.”

Box, who started working for Girls on the Run eight years ago in Seattle, says that volunteering as a coach is one of the most gratifying experiences she’s had.

“The girls get really close to the volunteers,” she says. “Last week we talked about bullying, and they had to write down names of adults they would feel comfortable telling if they were being bullied. Most of them wrote down their coaches’ and their parents’ names.”

Box also recognizes the young ladies’ boost in confidence. When they start the program, most girls are able to say they can run a mile, but they’re unsure whether they could finish a 5K. “But then to see them when they realize they can actually run more than three miles, it’s a great experience,” she says.

Volunteer opportunities with Girls on the Run offer flexible time commitments.

Coaches help the girls train for the 5K one or two times a week and act as mentors and positive role models throughout the program. Each girl also is assigned a running buddy, who runs at her side during a practice 5K and during the real thing. Running buddies are also welcome to train with the girls throughout the program. While tuition for the program is $150, the organization works hard to provide scholarships for those in need. Find out more at gotrspokane.org.

— MITCH RYALS

Grant Elementary sixth grader Jada Richardson and mentor Sue Eymann loosen up before a 5K run. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

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CHECK-IN JUST FOR KIDS

Runners In Bloom

C

an’t get enough Bloomsday? Make a weekend of it. For the 10th year in a row, the day before the big run, kids from kindergarten through third grade can walk or run in the Marmot March.

The 1-mile, non-competitive mini-Bloomsday welcomes kids along with their adult companion. Mascots from surrounding schools and businesses will line the route to cheer on the participants and pose for pictures.

After registry, each kid receives a T-shirt and a paint set to personalize their shirts before the big march. Upon arrival, participants will notice a Soles4Youth bin. The new charity is accepting donations of new or gently used athletic clothing and shoes, in the hope that all area grade-school kids who want to participate in school cross-country programs won’t have to sit out because they don’t have the the right gear.

— COURTNEY BREWER

JEFF FERGUSON PHOTO

Race starts Saturday, May 2, at 9 am. Registration is $10 for each child; adult companions are free. Forms available online at bloomsdayrun. org/marmotmarch

ASK DR. MATT

Pregnant Moms: Please Give a Whoop!

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whooping cough vaccine, that is. B. pertussis is the bacteria responsible for causing this wretched illness.

Lasting up to a hundred days, sufferers move through numerous stages from bad Matt Thompson is to even worse, marked by episodes of a pediatrician at severe coughing that can cause them to Spokane’s Kids Clinic. vomit, pass out or even break a rib.

Thousands of cases are diagnosed each year in the United States, yet experts suggest there may be hundreds of thousands, if not millions of cases that go undiagnosed. These undiagnosed cases are mostly adolescents and adults with “a cough I just can’t kick,” who may not have even known they had the disease.

Infants are hit harder if they contract

whooping cough, or pertussis, as they may have difficulties with eating and getting enough oxygen. More than 90 percent of deaths from pertussis are in infants under 2 months of age who are too young to get the first vaccine.

It has become apparent that one of the best strategies for protecting these little ones is to surround them with vaccinated people, because in about 80 percent of infant cases, the person who gave the baby pertussis was a family member.

Unfortunately, the Tdap vaccine does not give lifelong protection; in fact, someone who has had pertussis can get it again just four to five years later. The

current acellular form of the vaccine is also not as effective as the form used in the 1950s. Fortunately, recent evidence has shown that having pregnant women receive a Tdap booster with every pregnancy, given between 28 and 36 weeks of gestation, can reduce the rate of infant infection. The fetus is able to get what could be best described as a trans-placental vaccination, reducing the likelihood of contracting pertussis during the most vulnerable newborn period.

So ladies: If not offered, please request that your OB give you a Tdap in your third trimester — you just might save your baby’s life, before they’re even born.

— DR. MATT THOMPSON

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BRAIN EXERCISE

2

Sudoku

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

3 9

Answers to all puzzles on page 45

2 8

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2 5 7 4 3

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

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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 two-letter clue, turn to page 22.

22

4 1

1

Codewords 9

1 7

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: Moderate 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.

7 6

4 6

9 3 8 5

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1 5

2 4 8

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NEWS

DENTAL HEALTH

Open Wide Why a healthy mouth may help keep the rest of you in good shape

BY JAKE THOMAS

A

t the Denny Murphy Clinic, operated by the Community Health Association of Spokane, receptionists call out the names of people sitting in the packed waiting room whose one common feature is their pensive expressions. As their names are called, they rise from their chairs and are ushered into the dental clinic, where staff do something that seems to have nothing to do with teeth: they take the patient’s blood pressure.

The clinic sets aside a certain number of appointment slots just for pregnant women and routinely sees people who need to have a dental exam before they can get a hip replacement.

All of these features of this clinic may seem unrelated to dentistry, and until recently would have been unheard of at a dental clinic.

Since ancient times, dentistry has been a profession concerned almost exclusively with teeth — with its own

schools, professional associations and regulations, all combining to reinforce the pervasive assumption that oral health is distinct from overall health and wellness. But that is changing.

WINDOW TO YOUR HEALTH

“When I went to medical school, we didn’t talk a whole lot about the mouth,” says William Lockwood, chief clinical officer for the Community Health Associa...continued on next page tion of Spokane.

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Now, he says, research is showing that separating the mouth from the rest of the body doesn’t make a lot of sense.

In a conference room at CHAS’ administrative offices, Lockwood plops down recent research papers demonstrating the multitude of ways the mouth’s health impacts overall well-being.

The biggest concern is periodontal disease, an inflammation of the gums that’s often caused by a basic lack of attention to one’s teeth. Periodontal disease has long been linked to heart disease, stroke and cardiovascular disease.

But new research is pointing to a nasty association between diabetes and poor oral health. A vicious cycle can be set up when dental infections allow the release of bacteria and inflammatory cytokines into the bloodstream. Those substances increase insulin resistance in the body, worsening

diabetes, or even provoking the development of diabetes in those already at risk.

“Your mouth is sort of a window into the health of the rest of your body,” says Mary Young, executive director of the Institute for Oral Health, a Seattle-based organization that conducts research on dental health. Research has implicated poor oral health in the development of pancreatic cancer, and the condition of your gums and mouth may also reveal signs of serious illness, such as leukemia, that may be first noticed by your dentist.

More superficially, “Your smile is really your first hello,” Young says. “And you can tell a lot about someone’s health and socioeconomic status if they don’t have a smile.”

SPOKANE’S TEETH

On a rainy Saturday morning, kids’ music jingles softly in the background at Mobius Children’s Museum in downtown Spokane as staff put finishing touches on this morn-

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Count me in!

Join your neighbors for Spokane Gives Week, April 25-May 3. It’s a time to celebrate and encourage volunteerism and other acts of service.

Make a difference! Find out how at

spokanegives.org For more information, please contact mayor@spokanecity.org

Jami Cary and her kids Rose and Justin work on toothbrushing at Mobius. SARAH WURTZ PHOTO ing’s special activities aimed at teaching kids and their parents about dental care.

While a Tooth Fairy flits about in a sparkly gown and wand, a big replica of the mouth is readied to provide lessons in toothbrushing, in this case with a giant brush. A chart shows parents the surprising amounts of sugar lurking in food geared toward kids — a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich checks in at 13 grams.

The event is part of the Mighty Mouth, a public service campaign by the Washington Dental Service Foundation with the message, “You are not fit if your mouth is not fit.” The campaign seeks to “put the mouth back into the body and stop the artificial separation of oral health from overall health.”

Foundation Deputy Director Diane Oakes says that Washington state is “pretty ...continued on next page APRIL-MAY, 2015 NEWS-MAIN2 inhealth 4-6-2015.indd 17

Health 17 3/26/15 3:40 PM

NEWS “OPEN WIDE,” CONTINUED... good” compared to the rest of the country when it comes to dental health. Still, a recent survey showed just 19 percent of respondents reported that their doctors had talked to them about the importance of oral health. Spokane, in particular, faces challenges. Drinking water in the county is not fluoridated, and a survey conducted for the Mighty Mouth campaign found that 58 percent of Spokanites have dental benefits, compared to 68 percent statewide.

That can lead to fewer people receiving dental care. Even people who have insurance, though, sometimes may be reluctant to seek help. For them, Oakes says dentists are trying harder than ever to create pleasant office experiences. “Going to the dentist today is not like it was 20 years ago,” she says, adding, “The longer you wait, the worse it’s going to get.”

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Dentist Elisabeth Warder (left) at the CHAS Denny Murphy Clinic.

SARAH WURTZ PHOTO

The future of integrating dentistry and traditional health care may be one-stop clinics, where dentists and doctors treat their mutual patients seamlessly. One pioneer in this approach is Minnesota-based Health-

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Partners. Dental Director David Gesko says he’s used to getting strange looks when he asks patients who’ve come in for teeth cleaning about their diabetes. “I love it when the light bulb goes on and they see I’m not trying to be meddling.”

HealthPartners offers insurance as well as providing a full range of health care services under one umbrella — where a dentist can just walk down the hall to connect a patient with a physician.

Under this arrangement, Gesko says, patients are in a better position to thrive.

For instance, research makes it clear that a healthy mouth will help diabetics manage their condition, so HealthPartners provides diabetic patients with additional teeth cleanings each year. HealthPartners dentists can also easily access patients’ medical records, noting conditions that might affect oral health. Some medications, for example, may cause dry mouth, which makes teeth more susceptible to developing cavities.

Locally, CHAS has taken a similar approach, operating 11 clinics that have both medical and dental facilities.

Says Lockwood, CHAS’ chief financial officer: “We are addressing the the global issues that might affect their health.” n

IMPACTING THE ER

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hether they avoid dentists because of fear or lack of insurance, a surprising number of people defer dentistry to such an extent that they land in the emergency room. A 2014 study in The Journal of the American Dental Association showed that between 2008 and 2010, there were more than 4 million emergency room visits in the United States for dental-related conditions, costing $2.7 billion. In Washington state, dental pain was the number one reason that uninsured adults visited the ER, resulting in costs of more than $36 million over an 18-month period, according to 2011 numbers from the Washington State Hospital Association.

Those statistics should be improving for those who lacked dental care because of the cost.

Washington state signed on to the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of Medicaid. Under the law, states can choose not to cover dental, but Washington’s Medicaid program, called Apple Health, does cover many services for adults, including exams, cleaning, fillings, extractions, fluoride varnish, and even dentures. Additional services are covered for children under 20, even including orthodontics, in some cases.

— JAKE THOMAS

‘

509.279.7007

spokanecenter.com

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NEWS

Ed Harrich, director of Surgical Services, uses newly installed copper-alloy faucet handles in a maternity room at Pullman Regional Hospital. JACOB JONES PHOTO HYGIENE

A Copper Touch In the fight against hospital infections, the latest innovation isn’t high-tech — it’s copper

BY LISA WAANANEN JONES

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epending on the light, you may not even notice it. But look closely, and the handicap access buttons that open doors inside Pullman Regional Hospital shine with an unmistakably rosy hue.

The handles on many drawers and cabinets show the same warmth. In bathrooms, the faucet handles patients touch are an intentionally vivid and noticeable shade of copper.

“It gives [hospital staff] a conversation point with the patients to say that we’re doing everything we can to decrease infections,” says Ed Harrich, director of surgical services.

What makes these new copper alloy

fixtures significant isn’t how they look, but what they do: Copper surfaces naturally kill the microbes that can thrive in hospitals. In an effort led by Harrich, Pullman Regional Hospital is the first institution of its size to install copper surfaces so widely in an effort to fight the spread of infections.

Nosocomial infections — those acquired in a health care facility — are a costly and deadly problem at hospitals across the nation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 25 patients nationwide has a hospital-acquired infection at any given time, with more than 700,000 patients affected per year. Officials have seen progress in the past decade as

hospitals improve sanitation practices, but outbreaks remain common.

On surfaces like plastic or stainless steel, microbes can linger for days or even weeks. Someone who comes into contact with an infection can spread this invisible “bioburden” to multiple surfaces, Harrich says, where it waits like “little booby traps” until the next guest or staff member unknowingly comes into contact. What makes copper so valuable is that it works around the clock without requiring anyone to change their behavior.

“Now, it doesn’t mean we decrease our handwashing — hopefully it puts more focus on handwashing,” Harrich says. “And we still clean like we’ve always cleaned with our anti-germicidals. But now you have this little helper behind the scenes.”

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he way copper kills microbes is complex and not yet fully understood, but documented accounts of copper as a health care tool date back to the ancient Egyptians. The ancient Greeks applied a copper powder to wounds, and many cultures have used copper vessels to hold drinking water. Modern organic farming makes use of copper sprays to

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fight plant diseases. At a level invisible to the human eye, copper weakens the membranes of microbes and then interferes with internal cell functions. Within a few minutes, even antibiotic-resistant bacteria like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, known as MRSA, begin to die.

Despite copper’s long history, it’s only recently been promoted for use in hospitals. In 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency registered five copper alloy products as the first proven antimicrobial metal on the market, approving the claim that these copper products “kill 99.9% of bacteria within two hours.”

Beginning the same year, a study funded by the Department of Defense and sponsored by the Copper Development Association looked at the effect of copper surfaces in intensive care units at three institutions in New York and South Carolina.

First, the study identified the surfaces with the greatest presence of microbes, which turned out to be bed rails, tables, IV poles, and nurses’ stations. Next, the study compared copper-outfitted rooms to standard rooms, and followed up on the rate of nosocomial infections. Rooms with copper showed an 80 percent reduction in bioburden compared to the standard rooms, and significantly fewer patients in copper rooms developed infections.

A few critics have pointed out that funding for most of the research about copper’s antimicrobial properties has come from the copper industry, but so far the results have been significant. One question is whether the distinctive appearance of copper affects the outcome by making staff and visitors more mindful of cleanliness — but on a practical level, that’s a useful effect, too.

Kyle Sexton of the Copper Development Association says it’s been key to gather enough evidence to convince the medical community, which isn’t going to accept an unproven technology. Two main barriers are the cost of replacing parts, especially in large hospitals, and getting buy-in at all levels of large institutions.

“There can be a lot of people you need to convince,” Sexton says.

He points to Purell, which was invented in 1988 but lost money for years before hand sanitizer become widely used in health care centers. (Bottles of hand sanitizer are mounted in convenient places on the walls at Pullman Regional.)

In the next few years, the Copper Development Association hopes to encourage more hospitals to embrace copper as a defense against infections, and copper surfaces could also be used in giant sports facilities, public transit and airports. A

study of Atlanta airport drinking fountains retrofitted with a subtle nickel-copper alloy found that the copper reduced surface bacteria by about 80 percent. Case studies for the Copper Development Association include the Ronald McDonald House in Charleston, South Carolina, where copper railings, handles and sinks protect children with fragile immune systems. Other institutions are trying copper on a trial basis, or in limited areas like fitness centers.

A

$10,000 grant from the Copper Development Association jump-started Pullman Regional Hospital’s copper installation, and Sexton says the hospital stood out as an ideal place to showcase the technology because of the staff’s enthusiasm for the project.

“We could really see the sincerity and dedication they had about patient care,” Sexton says.

Initially, Harrich imagined fully outfitting the hospital’s three operating rooms.

But after thinking about where the copper could have the most impact, the plan shifted to identifying the most important touchpoints throughout the hospital. There are now more than 600 touchpoints in-

stalled, which will double as all the cabinet handles are replaced.

Of course, bright copper tarnishes — just think of the Statue of Liberty or an old penny. (Pennies before 1982 are mostly copper; since then, they’re mostly zinc.)

The housekeepers at Pullman Regional Hospital felt that any tarnishing made it look like they weren’t doing their job, even if the copper was technically clean, so now they use Bar Keepers Friend cleanser every so often to keep the faucet handles shiny.

More companies are entering the market and prices are becoming more competitive, but it’s still difficult to find copper versions of all the necessary hardware. An Idaho company called Rocky Mountain Hardware custom-made Pullman’s distinctive copper sink handles from a mold.

Pullman Regional Hospital eventually aims to use copper for bed rails, patient tables and the arms of chairs. They have prototypes for light switches, and would like to replace door handles and metal push bars on doors.

“This goes beyond the dollar sign,” Harrich says. “This is about doing the right thing, and that’s why we’re in this business — to take care of people.” n

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NEWS

From its newly remodeled headquarters, Empire Health Foundation oversees $86 million in grants. SARAH WURTZ PHOTO PHILANTHROPY

Widespread Empire Basically, Empire Health Foundation is trying to make everything better

BY DANIEL WALTERS

W

ith the sale of Deaconess and Empire has purposefully embraced the Valley hospitals to Tennesseebroadest definition of wellness. The notion based Community Health is that health is affected not just by diet and Systems in 2008, a nonprofit was spun exercise, but by environment, education off: Empire Health Foundation. The goal? and traumatic experiences.

Nothing less than to “transform our seven That’s why, for example, out-of-school counties into the state’s healthiest region.” suspensions, something seemingly unreNearly seven years later, Empire Health lated to health, have become one of the Foundation’s presence seems to be everyfoundation’s targets: Because out-of-school where: In reforming foster care, in the suspensions increase dropout rates, and debates over a medical school in Spokane, dropping out of high school hurts a kid’s in the search for healthier school lunches, ultimate health outcome. in efforts to improve high school graduaAs Chiang walks through the foundation rates, and in mental health programs tion’s new office space, in the old Chamber and helping people in rural of Commerce building areas cope with aging. nestled between the Spokane “And we try to move the Club and the former Mafrom the puzzle on page 13 needle in each of those,” says sonic Temple, he points out 20 = S; 6 = Z Antony Chiang, the foundarecent renovations. From a tion’s president. chopped-up and dated interior, the remodel As the region’s largest health care has created a modern, brightly lit, openfoundation, with $165 million in assets, concept layout. On the floor below, the

CODEWORDS: HINT

foundation is in the process of creating a high-tech teleconferencing room, making it easier to hold meetings with far-flung board members or partners. “We just need to get all the AV equipment in there,” says board chair Sue Lani Madsen.

Not every office in the building is for the current 15 or so employees, though.

The building will also serve as an incubator for health-focused nonprofit startups, eventually bringing in about 30 additional employees.

“They’re all related to our health strategies,” Chiang says. One startup already in place, the Family Impact Network, focuses on the foster care system, helping Washington state measure the performance of child welfare contractors. Another, Better Health Together, guides local uninsured people through the sometimes-complicated health care exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act.

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“We are very conscious that we must not, and cannot, be partisan,” Chiang says.

In an era where health care is inextricably mixed with politics, avoiding politics can be tricky.

Also politically fraught is the statewide debate over Washington State University’s ambition to build a four-year medical school in Spokane. Empire Health partially funded an economic study to showcase the economic need for a four-year medical school.

“I actually think the conflict and competition is good for the region,” Chiang says. Now that WSU and the University of Washington are locked in an argument over the best way to provide medical education in Spokane, a four-year med school looks all the more likely.

Even before skeptics argued that the community first needed more residency slots to train medical graduate students, Empire Health was addressing that problem. A third startup, the Spokane Teaching Health Center, an alliance formed among the foundation, Providence Health Care and WSU, was able to acquire federal funds to add six new residency slots — the first new slots created in Eastern Washington in a very long time.

HEALTHIER SCHOOL LUNCHES

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ebooting school lunch into something more nutritious and palatable has been the vision of celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver. The idea hasn’t always been greeted with enthusiasm, though. “Thank you for trying to make my school lunch better, but you have ruined Taco Tuesday,” a second-grader from LaPlace, Louisiana, wrote to First Lady Michelle Obama.

How do you switch something easy and relatively appealing, like French fries, to something healthy? How, literally, do you make kids eat their broccoli?

In the past four years, Empire Health Foundation has partnered with the kitchen staff from 10 school districts to serve more than 1.6 million meals a year, every one of them made from scratch.

“Every summer before a new school district starts, they go to a culinary boot camp [to learn how to make big homemade food]” says Antony Chiang, the foundation’s president. “From chicken nuggets to herb-baked chicken, essentially.”

Done right, cooking from scratch can actually save money for schools.

“It’s the same number of people who actually are using their time to prepare the meals-fromscratch food,” Chiang says, although their activity

process. “I had an idea for using telemonitoring for someone who is discharging to home, to be able to check in with a doctor,” says Madsen. Otherwise, patients could face an hourlong drive just to see a doctor. Nearly a year into the trial, though, Chiang admits, “we Empire Health Foundation President Antony Chiang. SARAH WURTZ PHOTO haven’t moved any key needles for seniors.”

In other cases, the improvement is Chiang says the foundation’s projects clear. “If you look at the main reason are all evaluated as objectively as possible, why folks who are uninsured end up in and they look for measurable results almost the emergency room, it’s oral pain,” says immediately. The “Year in Review” is Chiang. To address this, Better Health crammed with bar charts detailing outTogether has started referring emergency comes: A big drop in uninsured residents room patients with oral pain to dental in the county. The leap in scratch-cooked experts. They’re able to treat them, and meals at area school districts. The deoften get at the underlying oral health cline in out-of-school suspensions at high issues. schools.

“Initial results? We’re going to save That’s not to say that every endeavor three times the ER costs to create that has met with success. A $4 million grant referral program. That’s a win-win-win, from an anonymous Midwest private founright?” Patients pay less, get better care, dation to address problems of “rural aging” and the cost of health care decreases. was partly directed to a hospital district in And the entire region, thanks to Empire Pullman, in an attempt to prevent hospital Health, gets a little healthier. n readmissions by improving the discharge

is different during the day.

Now the region’s biggest district will join in the program. Mark Oswalt, a nutrition services supervisor at Spokane Public Schools, is overseeing the district’s scratch-cooking program. Instead of frozen pizza trucked in from the East Coast, for example, school cooks will make pizza from scratch using local ingredients. Oswalt admits there are challenges.

“Every district has seen a drop in participation when they implement scratch cooking,” Oswalt says. “To get the students excited this spring, we’re going to be doing taste tests.” Cafeteria chefs are being cautious and selective, choosing items they feel kids are most likely to enjoy and preparing a couple of options for entrées each day.

Already, in the first four districts where cafeterias have converted to scratch cooking, Empire Health data shows a decline in obesity rates. Not only that, but job satisfaction has improved for the cooks.

“Imagine, for decades you’re just warming up a chicken nugget, and giving that to children,” Chiang says. “Now, when you serve that child, in that line, that’s food you cooked.”

— DANIEL WALTERS

Where is the nearest chinese restaurant?

What’s Who has When is happening karaoke our movie this tonight? playing? weekend?

The answers to life’s great questions.

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LIVING DESTINATION:

l a t e h H Six regional getaways to boost your well-being

BY LINDA HAGEN MILLER

Meadows and mountains near Nelson, B.C.

V

acations, especially active, exhilarating vacations, give back in many so many ways,” says Dr. Karen Wheeler, a Coeur d’Alene licensed, clinical professional counselor. “I’m a great believer in getting off the grid.” With favorite escapes like weeklong river trips, whitewater rafting, hiking, camping, downhill skiing and biking, Wheeler has perfected the art of leaving it all behind.

“Being outdoors, doing something new or challenging or energetic, gives our overworked brains a much-needed timeout from routines and obligations, allows us to play, something sorely lacking in our stressful lives,” she adds. “We start to see ourselves and others in a different perspective and reflect with thoughtfulness rather than react from stress and negativity.”

She cites a recent University of California-Berkeley study which revealed that awe-inspiring experiences like a robust hike, ziplining — even a beautiful sunset — allow awe, wonder and joy into our lives, creating a positive effect on our immune systems, even boosting our health and life expectancy.

Is it time to flex your adventure muscle?

Add a little adrenaline to your bloodstream?

Decompress your brain? Here are some breakaway options, all within a day’s drive of Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. …continues on next page APRIL-MAY, 2015

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pa

LIVING

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Rejuvenate with River Rafting Whether on your own or with family, ROW’s backcountry rafting offers thrills and reflection

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orld-wide adventure tour operator ROW has its roots firmly planted in Idaho and recently developed River Soul Journeys to take the wilderness rafting experience to an even deeper spiritual level. You’ll spend the day paddling a stunning Idaho backcountry river — alternating between adrenaline-pumping Class IV rapids and nap-inducing ripples — and the dusk stretching through yoga poses beneath a canopy of pine trees.

The three-to-five-day River Soul trips combine guided rafting with yoga, meditation, journaling and fly fishing — all without a cellphone or a responsibility in sight. It’s enough to put you in touch with your inner nature nymph.

If you’re unsure about whitewater rafting or want to bring the kids along, choose your river accordingly. On the Class II Grande Ronde trip, expect small, rolling waves with no obstacles to avoid. If your kids are teens or if you

want frothy rapids with big waves, holes and rocks to avoid, the Class IV Salmon, Snake and Rogue rivers supply plenty of punch.

Talented guides not only keep you safe on the water, they prepare gourmet meals and lead all classes. Camping gear is provided. Yoga, fishing, hiking and journaling activities are optional, and trips operate June through September.

Cost: $1,155 to $1,495. rowadventures.com, 800-451-6034

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We all know Someone A friend, a husband, a sister, a mother, a loved one. That’s the reality of cancer. At Cancer Care Northwest, our team is dedicated to providing the best comprehensive care, the latest technology, and the most experienced cancer specialists in the region. We’re here for you, every step of the way, so that your Someone gets the best care possible.

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LIVING

RIDE

Equine Escape Unleash your inner cowgirl at Red Horse Mountain Ranch

I

f your idea of a vacation involves combining a bit of adventure with a hearty dose of pampering, your ultimate getaway might be a ladies-only, weeklong escape at a guest ranch surrounded by 300,000 acres of Idaho Panhandle National Forest.

Red Horse Mountain Ranch, two hours east of Spokane and 10 miles from Harrison, Idaho, has been hosting wannabe cowboys and cowgirls since 2005.

But it’s ladies only during Women’s Week (Sept. 27 through Oct. 3 this year), when

girlfriends, sisters, mothers and daughters take over the ranch.

There are no bunkhouses at Red Horse. You stay in a modern cabin suite with pillow-topped beds, down comforters, private bathrooms and authentic log furniture. Your private deck overlooks grazing horses, tidy barns and the surrounding forest.

Wranglers will assess your riding ability, and you’ll be paired with a horse to match your skills. Riding instruction and tips are always available. If you get saddle-

sore, you can fish for trout in the stocked pond, shoot sporting clays or mountain bike through the backcountry. Or wake up that adrenalin junkie on the challenge course, where you can swing from a trapeze, tackle a 63-foot high climbing wall or whiz along a 300-foot zipline.

End the day with a gourmet sevencourse dinner, then head to the saloon for line dancing or cozy up to the campfire and laugh and share the way only women can. The cost is $2,391, all-inclusive. redhorsemountain.com, 888-689-9680

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Our Community’s #1 Choice in Hospice Care “I wish that people knew that hospice doesn’t mean you’re giving up on things, but that you’re actually choosing how you’re going to do things.”

– Dr. Val Logsdon, community physician

Serving patients and families since 1977 Comfort. Dignity. Peace of Mind.

509.456.0438 hospiceofspokane.org APRIL-MAY, 2015 LIVING-MAIN inhealth 4-6-2015.indd 29

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LIVING

a so k

Mineral Waters and Moss Hot springs on the Olympic Peninsula beckon after a day of wilderness recreation

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ticking up like a hitchhiker’s thumb west of Puget Sound, Washington’s Olympic Peninsula thrusts a mindboggling array of outdoor adventures your way. More than 900 miles of hiking trails meander through the peninsula’s Olympic National Forest and neighboring Olympic National Park. Peaceful inlets and lakes draw kayakers, and frothy rivers challenge whitewater rafters.

The best remedy for the sore muscles you’re bound to get from all

that hiking and paddling is a long soak in a natural hot spring. For the past 100 years, Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort has soothed the tense and the tired with three hot mineral pools where temperatures range from 50°F to 104°F. Stay at one of Sol Duc’s 33 cabins (starting at $172 a night) or the 17-site RV park. Hybrid and electric cars get a $14 earth-friendly discount. The resort is open late March to mid-October; book early, because summer is very busy.

You’ll find a less manicured hot tub experience at Olympic Hot Springs, where 10 natural pools are surrounded by ferns, moss, giant Sitka spruce and western hemlock. To reach the wilderness tubs, hike 2.5 miles from the Olympic Hot Springs trailhead near Port Angeles. Keep in mind that many folks at these pools take the word “natural” to its skinny-dipping conclusion. nationalparkreservations.com, 855-584-5293

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h i ke

Pathfinding and Pampering Get a total body reboot in the mountains near Nelson, B.C.

I

f you’ve ever wanted to remove yourself completely from the proximity of your well-stocked refrigerator — and your life — a luxury fitness boot camp might be the answer.

The terms “luxury” and “boot camp” are seldom uttered in the same sentence, but that’s exactly what you can expect at Mountain Trek, 45 minutes from Nelson, British Columbia. For the past 23 years, Mountain Trek has hosted men and women from around the world at their 35-acre holistic, educational health spa.

Choose from the May to October One-Week Reboot Program ($4,500, all-inclusive) or the Two-Week Renewal ($8,550, all-inclusive) to kick your metabolism into high gear, reduce stress, detoxify your body and mind and shed pounds. Ladies can expect to lose from 3.5 to 6.5 pounds; guys can drop eight to 10. The longer Renewal program promises to recalibrate your hormones and sleep timetable, as well as solidify healthy eating habits.

You don’t get all of these wondrous

results by sitting on your duff. You — along with no more than 15 other guests — work for it, starting with a nutrientpacked breakfast, followed by gentle yoga and a guided, four-hour-mountain hike. In the afternoon, it’s fitness and nutritional classes, another good-for-you meal, massages and the steam room. All activities are optional, but full participation gets maximum results. After all that exercise, you’re bound to sleep like a hibernating bear. mountaintrek.com, 800-661-5161 APRIL-MAY, 2015

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al

Hop on a Bike Adventure Cycling offers escapes for families and serious athletes

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ycra and helmets, sore buns and quads, wheels spinning over some of the country’s most gorgeous back roads — it’s an intriguing combination, one that Adventure Cycling has been orchestrating and guiding for nearly 40 years.

You don’t have to be prepping for the Tour de France to have a grand cycling adventure. With a wide sampling of destinations around the United States, distances,

number of days and difficulty levels, riders of every skill level and family combination can find a good match.

You might choose an “easy” vansupported family trip in Idaho or an “intermediate” ride through Big Sky country, maybe even the “advanced” Great Divide Canada mountain bike trek. Scroll through Compare Tours on Adventure Cycling’s website to narrow your options based on destination, length of trip, daily

mileage, difficulty and whether or not you want to camp.

A little about the rating system: Beginner trips are 25 to 45 miles a day, usually over flat terrain with few hills; Family trips are 20 to 30 miles per day; Intermediate riders will cover rolling terrain, climb hills and pedal an average of 40 to 60 miles per day. Longer distances, steeper grades and 60-plus miles a day typify Advanced tours. adventurecycling.org, 800-755-2453, xt. 3

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Your Treasure Map

to Retirement.

You might be surprised what you find. Rockwood South Hill features custom homes, duplexes and apartments nestled in a quiet, park-like neighborhood.

We are a locally owned nonprofit with a strong history of providing

innovative retirement living environments. The Summit, our new 11-story luxury apartment tower, is being constructed and will open in 2016.

Come join us for a bus tour and lunch presentation.

Please RSVP to Joanne at 509-536-6850 joanneb@rockwoodretirement.org 11am-1pm Community Center Thursday Thursday April 23rd May 21st

2903 E. 25th Ave. Spokane,WA 99223

800-727-6650

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LIVING

DIY

cul

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ooking for an economical outdoor getaway closer to home? Spokane Parks and Recreation has guided kayaking, biking, hiking, cross-country, snowshoeing and rafting excursions that pack a lot of wonder into a short amount of time. Or create your own adventure.

Just a few hours or an overnight away from home, and you’ll swear you’re in another time zone.

Spend the night at the Wallace Inn in Wallace, Idaho, ride the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes one day (road or mountain bike) and mountain-bike the Route of the Hiawatha the next for a dose of two of the nation’s most beautiful bike trails.

Pack a gourmet picnic lunch, drive 11 miles east of Coeur d’Alene and hike 3.3 miles to the top of Mineral Ridge for an eye-popping view of the lake.

Drive to Sandpoint and rent a kayak or stand-up paddleboard for a Lake Pend Oreille paddle. Add dinner at one of the city’s pubs or bistros, then spend the night at a Dover Bay cabin.

— LINDA HAGEN MILLER

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e

SPOKANE PARKS & REC: spokaneparks.org

freedom to grow

CULTIVATE

At Sakura Ridge Farm, city folk connect with the land

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ot all back-to-nature vacations need to involve working up a sweat or ranking your pucker factor on a scale of one to 10. Sometimes getting back to nature is as simple as going down to the farm.

Sakura Ridge Farm & Lodge, 15 minutes outside of Hood River, Oregon, is an 82-acre organic farm designed to house city-weary folks in a spacious lodge and give them the opportunity to participate in daily chores.

What better way to interact with a species in peril than suiting up in a beekeeper outfit and working the hives? The sheep need herding morning and night — so join the herder for a unique experience. Grab a basket and gather eggs for your breakfast, or pick your fill of blackberries, gooseberries, raspberries and currants. And if you’re lucky enough to be at Sakura in April, you can help bottle-feed the baby lambs.

After a day of chores or just wandering the gardens (that’s allowed, too), head to Hood River for dinner, then tuck yourself into one of Sakura’s five guest rooms, all with comfy beds, private bath, mountain or orchard views and the serenity of a farm at rest ($180 to $265). sakuraridge.com, 541-386-2636

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Health 35 3/26/15 8:29 AM

LIVING

Brad Fosseen fishes area waterways year-round. His gear includes a 22-foot North River fishing boat, fake squid lure and rod with Shimano reel.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

COOKING

Setting the Hook From catching to cooking, local fish can be a healthy choice

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

I

t’s no fish tale: Eating fish is healthy in numerous ways.

A vital source of protein, many species of fish also provide essential omega-3 fatty acids that the American Heart Association recommends for reducing risk of heart disease.

If you catch it yourself? The added bonus is fresh air and exercise, and the satisfaction of taking part in local and sustainable eating.

Farm-raised seafood has raised concerns over its effects on the marine environment and the use of chemicals. But that doesn’t mean locally caught fish are risk-free,

because local waterways in the Inland Northwest contain significant levels of pollution. “Since older and larger fish typically have higher levels of contaminants,” says Jim Vannoy, environmental health program manager for Idaho’s Division of Public Health, “eating smaller fish of legal size, trimming off fat and not eating the internal organs and skin, which tend to have higher levels of contaminants such as PCBs” is a good practice.

Idaho’s and Washington’s published guidelines for eating fish are sorted according to water body, fish species and consumer sub-groups (such as children

versus adults). Washington, for example, recommends a weekly limit of two to three portions of the kind of trout abundant in Liberty Lake, while Idaho suggests a monthly consumption of no more than 10 Kokanee like those found in Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Coeur d’Alene is just one of several places Spokane restaurateur Brad Fosseen likes to fish. He also enjoys taking part in derbies like one in Harrison for northern pike, sponsored by his brother-in-law’s Fins & Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service in Coeur d’Alene. “They’ll tell you anything you want to know,” says Fosseen,

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RECIPES

Infused Whole Salmon

This dish from angler Brad Fosseen takes the guesswork out of those pesky pin bones.

And the flavors infuse as they cook.

10 pound whole salmon, room temp 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pats 4 thick slices onion 4 slices orange, peel on 4 sprigs fresh dill Salt and pepper to taste 1. Gut the fish (excellent for compost!) and leave the skin on.

2. Salt and pepper the cavity of the fish.

3. Place the gutted salmon on a sheet of heavy tinfoil large enough to create a “boat” for the fish to cook in. You’ll leave the tinfoil open at the top, but need it to catch the liquid that will cook out of the fish.

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4. Lay the butter, onion, orange slices and dill evenly inside the cavity of the fish.

These will infuse a delicate, vibrant flavor in it as it’s cooking.

5. Fold the tinfoil over the fish but don’t seal it closed.

noting that for those learning how to fish, not knowing where to go, what bait to use and all of the other myriad details about fishing can lead to a frustrating experience.

Fosseen has been fishing most of his life and has particularly fond memories of salmon fishing on the West Coast with his grandfather. Summers meant fishing off the banks of the Spokane River in Post Falls for perch or catfish. Fosseen even studied fish — oceanography — in college, but he says, “I liked cooking better than school.”

While working at Seattle’s 74th Street Ale House, Fosseen teamed up with friend and fellow Lewis and Clark High School alumnus John Grollmus and another friend to launch their own pub. Since creating Moon Time in 1996, Grollmus and Fosseen have added The Elk and four more pubs in North Idaho and Eastern Washington.

Fosseen fishes year-round from his 22foot North River jet boat and especially enjoys eating Chinook salmon and northern pike. While he says he always enjoys being out on the water, even as an experienced fisherman Fosseen admits, “I don’t always catch a lot.” 

6. Cook fish in the oven for 45 minutes at 400 degrees until you see the protein start to break down (a light or whitish fluid). You can also cook on an outdoor covered grill set to medium-high heat.

7. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before opening up the foil.

8. To remove the bones, slide a spatula along the spine and lift gently to remove the spine intact.

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Blackened Fish

Use any kind of fish you catch for this Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife favorite.

1. Preheat cast iron skillet or griddle, preferably on outdoor grill, until very hot.

2. Dip thick (at least half-inch) fish fillets into melted butter and then into Cajun blackening spice mixture (equal parts black, white and cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme).

3. Cook in hot skillet about 2 minutes or until bottom is near black but not burned.

4. Turn fillets, drizzle with more melted butter, continue cooking about 2 minutes.

Serve immediately with dipping butter.

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Health 37 3/26/15 8:30 AM

LIVING

Sara Walch says says a tongue-clipping procedure improved son Sean’s ability to nurse.

SARAH WURTZ PHOTO

PARENTING

Tongue-Tied Does evidence support a procedure that may help some babies nurse more effectively?

BY CHELSEA BANNACH

A

fter breastfeeding her first son for two years, Sara Walch never doubted she was going to breastfeed her newborn.

But she knew within hours of his birth something wasn’t right. “No part of breastfeeding is supposed to be that excruciatingly painful,” she says.

The Spokane mom visited a lactation specialist, who quickly identified that baby Sean had a congenital abnormality called ankyloglossia, or tongue-tie. The condition occurs when the piece of tissue connecting the tongue is unusually short, thick or tight, restricting tongue movement. The tissue, called the lingual frenulum, typically recedes as babies grow, but if it doesn’t,

feeding difficulties, dental problems, cosmetic concerns and more rarely, trouble with speech can occur.

A simple procedure called a frenulotomy, in which the tissue is cut, can correct the condition. But disagreements persist within and among health-care specialties regarding the significance of the condition, as well as how to diagnose and treat it, leaving some parents wondering: to clip, or not to clip?

“Unfortunately, when it comes to breastfeeding, we don’t have double-blind, randomized controlled trials to guide our practice, and this could lead to disagreement in how to best diagnose and treat tongue-tie,” Melissa Morgan, a Spokane-

based International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, writes in an email.

Some tongue-ties appear severe, but may not require intervention if the baby is transferring milk well and breastfeeding is pain-free. In other cases, tongue-ties can threaten the ability to breastfeed. For the mom, symptoms may include nipple damage, recurrent plugged ducts or mastitis, and low milk supply, says Morgan. A baby’s symptoms can include low weight gain, excessive gas and reflux. The baby might clamp down to compensate for a poor latch, have weak suction, or make a clicking sound as the suction breaks.

“You can’t judge it just based on appearance alone. You have to look at the

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symptoms and the bigger picture of what’s going on with the individual,” says Morgan.

“From a breastfeeding perspective, not all tongue-ties need to be released.” Sometimes positioning changes are sufficient to achieve a deep enough latch to successfully breastfeed, Morgan says. “Many babies are able to nurse in the presence of restricted oral tissues just fine.” But if other interventions aren’t enough, release might be warranted, she says.

N

ervous about her weeks-old son undergoing a frenulotomy, Walch first tried other means: “I was trying to nurse him in all these crazy, crazy positions. I was like, I just can’t do this.

We ended up having it clipped and it was immediately better.”

Now she wishes someone had checked for the condition sooner. “My big thing is, I wish … a wider variety of practitioners would look for it,” she says. “It just seems like it should be part of the first well-baby checkup.”

But identifying exactly what constitutes a tongue-tie is surprisingly complicated.

Various diagnostic criteria have been proposed but remain controversial, and as a

result there’s little consistency in their use, says Dr. Charles Bower, chair of the Section on Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery of the American Academy of Pediatrics. As a result, estimates of the condition’s prevalence vary widely.

“That’s the classification problem we deal with,” Bower says.

While ankyloglossia can resolve over time, there is soft evidence that frenulotomies can improve breastfeeding, he says, and the most compelling reason for frenulotomy is difficulty nursing infants with very short frenula. Speech and cosmetic reasons are also considered. Many moms report a clear improvement in feeding following the procedure.

The procedure to release a tongue-tie is simple. Legend has it that in the past, midwives would use a sharp fingernail to cut the frenulum of newborns. But today, doctors use scissors or a laser for the quick in-office procedure. A doctor might numb the area with anesthetic, and acetaminophen can be administered afterward. The release can cause some discomfort, and complications, though rare, can include bleeding, infection, reattachment, and damage to the salivary glands under the tongue,

according to Bower. Although it’s simpler for newborns, it can be performed later in life, but general anesthetic may be needed.

Bower emphasizes the importance of carefully selecting experienced providers, as other conditions can present similarly: “Sadly, we see kids who have no short frenulum but other problems — nasal obstruction, problems with the larynx — where they have lots of difficulty swallowing, and if the only thing somebody knows how to do is clip a frenulum, that’s not going to help.”

A diagnosis of a posterior tie can add to the confusion for parents and may lead to over-intervention, he says. The tongue might appear normal because the tip isn’t anchored down, but is tethered further back. “I think that happens in some real cases,” Bower says of posterior ties, adding, “I think those are probably rare.”

Bower says while clipping tongue-ties can help with breastfeeding, “I always think there are opportunists who will capitalize on doing something interventional because it makes money. And so you’ve got this mixed breed of forces that are pushing in an area that scientifically is only moderately well-validated.” 

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LIVING

BOOMERS

Powering Up As you age, you probably need more protein

BY ANNE McGREGOR

M

ost everyone knows that babies and toddlers, teenagers and pregnant women have particular dietary needs, but less attention has been paid to figuring out how our nutritient needs change with aging. While the current

recommended daily allowance for protein is the same for a 19-year-old as it is for a 50-year-old, evidence from a growing body of research indicates that eating more protein-rich foods may be beneficial for preserving muscle.

“As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass — even when we stay active — and our bodies don’t utilize protein as well,” says Spokane dietitian Joan Milton. Digestion is not as efficient, partly due to decreased stomach acid, and the body just doesn’t create muscle tissue as readily as it used to. Older people also tend to eat less in general, further reducing the total protein in their diets.

New dietary guidelines are expected later this year, but Milton says she already recommends that her older clients increase their protein consumption by about 20 percent over the current recommended daily allowance. Katie Abrahamson, an Issaquah dietitian working in rehabilitation and longterm care, would bump that up by as much as 38 percent, to 82 grams for a 155-pound person.

“If someone wants to maintain or build muscle mass, especially if they are trying to lose weight, it’s important to be getting a little more protein in,” says Katie Nelson, a Spokane dietitian and certified strength and conditioning specialist.

Getting a serving of protein at each meal and in snacks is key. The meal where most people fall short is breakfast.

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Protein Calculator Recommended daily allowance: Weight in pounds x .36 = grams of protein per day. Consider adding an extra 20 to 35 percent if you are older than 55.

A traditional breakfast might be a bowl of cereal with milk, a banana and juice.

To bump it up, “Some simple changes may be having a hard-boiled egg with the cereal,” says Abrahamson, or adding a serving of cottage cheese with fruit or some Greek yogurt. And yes, eggs are back in style. “The latest research shows you can have the whole egg, and it is not going to significantly affect your cholesterol level,” she confirms. An added bonus: the protein in eggs is particularly easy for the body to use. A smoothie made with berries and a leafy green, such as spinach, with some powdered plant-based or whey protein thrown in, is another good breakfast choice, says Nelson. For lunch, she says to skip the drive-thru and head to the grocery store: “In a pinch, grabbing deli turkey and dipping it in hummus and avocado and having fruit and chopped-up vegetables” is a perfect choice. For snacks, Milton says,

3 oz. Chicken:

3 oz. Salmon:

1/2 c. Lentils:

1/2 c. Quinoa:

1 Large Egg:

1 c. Milk:

1 oz. Cheddar Cheese:

28 GRAMS

22 GRAMS

9 GRAMS

12 GRAMS

6 GRAMS

8 GRAMS

22 GRAMS

“A half-cup of nuts … would provide protein and some ‘good’ fat.”

Nelson cautions her clients, however, that just as important as getting enough protein is getting enough fruits and veggies.

“The thing I see with my clients over and over again — it’s all age groups, it’s active people, it’s nonactive people — they do not get in enough color, enough fruits and vegetables in their diet,” she says. “People are coming in at two to three servings a day, when really, to get the vitamins, the minerals and antioxidants we need, we need up to 10 servings a day. When we’re working out, we need even more than that to combat the inflammatory and the freeradical response we get from exercise.”

So how can you tell if your diet has adequate nutrients? Keeping a food diary and discussing it with a professional is a good place to start. Nelson also recommends body composition testing to determine

your lean body mass, which can help a dietitian fine-tune your dietary goals. At the doctor’s office, a physical exam can reveal loss of muscle tissue, called sarcopenia.

A simple blood test for serum albumin provides a window into the body’s level of protein stores, but Abrahamson says to interpret results cautiously: “The downside is it can be impacted by a variety of things — if somebody’s dehydrated, the albumin levels might look like they’re good, but when they start to drink more fluid, their albumin levels may be low.”

Making diet changes requires a certain open-mindedness, and Nelson admits that only about half of her clients are willing to change their habits. Those who do are rewarded with faster recovery from workouts, and in general, feeling better, she says: “There’s lot of options. People just tend to get stuck thinking in old or traditional ways.” n

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LIVING inhealth 4-6-2015.indd 41

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LIVING

EXERCISE

Walk the Line Slacklining offers a fun way to improve balance and strength

BY ANNA E. BECKER

W

hen college friends Adam Grosowsky and Jeff Ellington found themselves with free time at a camp in Yosemite Valley during the 1980s, they naturally began to experiment with their climbing gear. By rigging tubular webbing used for rock climbing between two large trees like a tightrope, Grosowsky and Ellington soon were experiencing the area’s lush meadows and granite cliffs in a new and interesting way — from above the ground. It didn’t take long for others to become intrigued by the novelty and challenge of balancing barefoot on a tensioned line.

“Slacklining” has since spread and evolved into a sometimes daredevil sport that has gained enthusiasts all around the world. Casey White was first introduced to the sport a year ago on campus at Washington State University by a friend and immediately fell in love with it.

“I liked how it was something new. It was difficult at first and made me want to conquer it,” White says. As someone who does not identify with the climbing community, White nonetheless found himself benefiting both physically and mentally from slacklining. He says he gains a sense

of peace and finds that slacklining helps free him from distractions.

“It helps you get to know your body, because the thing is, if you do something wrong, you have to know what part of your body to correct, and it kind of gets you in tune with your body really fast,” White says.

Heidi Peterson, a certified athletic trainer for more than 30 years with university and U.S. national teams, currently splits her days working with athletes at North Central High School and North Spokane Physical and Sports Therapy. Whether her client is a teen or in their eighties, Peterson stresses the importance of good standing posture and balance. While not everyone can walk a slackline, she says she has implemented exercises with similar effects to slacklining into many patients’ visits.

“Single-leg and double-leg balancing activities are something that we all should be doing more of,” Peterson says. Slacklining takes balance to another level, also helping to counteract poor posture and improve core strength. And you don’t have to slackline at dizzying heights to get the benefits of this unique exercise — the balance and strengthening effects can be obtained from

walking slacklines not far off the ground, reducing the chance for serious injury.

“Slacklining is a way of incorporating total body movements, core control, postural control, postural stabilizers and incorporating the feedback and feed-forward mechanisms,” says Peterson.

“It’s a fun activity and you’re building muscle at the same time,” says Lance Jackson, a 29-year-old slacklining enthusiast who has observed the progression and increasing exposure of the sport in the six years he has practiced it. “It works these stabilizer muscles that you don’t normally work on a regular basis.”

In fact, slacklining may be part of a push toward increased functional activity and less machine use in fitness training.

As more labor-saving devices have been incorporated into our everyday lives, Peterson says there’s been a decrease in “primal movements,” causing people to lose core strength, endurance and control.

Slacklining kits that include all of the gear needed to get started are available, or you can purchase items individually. Traditionally slacklining equipment has been comprised of carabiners, steel links and webbing, which varies by width and length.

Beyond the physical benefits, many slackliners appreciate the meditative-like state they experience while slacklining.

“When you first start, it’s really challenging,” says WSU student Greg Williams, who is in his second year of slacklining despite being afraid of heights. “It’s more of a mind concept… you have to tell your mind that you can do it.” n

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LIVING APRIL - MAY EVENTS BLOOMSDAY TRAINING CLINICS Get in running shape in time for the 39th running of the Lilac Bloomsday Run with hosted community training clinics, offering graduated conditioning and supported training courses. Meets on Saturdays at 8:30 am, through April 25. SFCC Gym, 3410 W. Fort George Wright Dr. bloomsdayrun.org (474-3081) SENIOR EMPOWERMENT RESOURCE FAIR An event to inform seniors and their families about available services and resources within the region, including hospice care, social work services, fun activities, seniorfocused housing, financial and counseling services. Fri, April 10, from 10 am-1 pm. Free. CenterPlace Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Pl. (926-1937) BABYSITTING BASICS This course is designed for youth ages 10 to 15 to prepare them to become successful babysitters, and includes instruction in infant care, CPR, discipline issues, safety and more. Offered Sat, April 11 and Sat, May 9 from 9 am-2 pm. $40; online registration available. St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute, 711 S. Cowley. inhs.org (232-8138) FINISH STRONG FITNESS GAMES A women’s fitness competition, open to teams of two members, each competing in five events. The event is the culmination of a 12-week fitness challenge that began in January at participating local gyms. Fri-Sat, April 10-11. $75/ team registration. Hosted at the Spokane Women’s Show, April 10-11. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. nsplit.com/fitness-games SPOKANE WOMEN’S SHOW The annual womencentric event celebrates 10 years, offering the familiar informational presentations and vendors relating to women’s health, beauty, fashion, cooking and more.

New this year, the show is partnering with the Negative Split 5K and the new Finish Strong Fitness Games. Fri, April 10, from 4-9 pm and Sat, April 11, from 10 am-6 pm. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. spokanewomensshow.com YWCA SPRING FLING This 10th annual champagne brunch and silent auction fundraiser is hosted at Anthony’s restaurant and supports local programs and services of the YWCA of Spokane for women and children. Sat, April 11 from 10 am-12:30 pm. $50/person.

Anthony’s Restaurant, 510 N. Lincoln. ywcaspokane. org (326-1190) NEGATIVE SPLIT HALF MARATHON The annual, locally organized race gets a new date and route, including a 5K option. Sun, April 12, at 9 am. $75/half, $35/5K. Route starts/ends at Kendall Yards. nsplit.com WOMEN & CHILDREN’S FREE RESTAURANT SPRING TEA The ninth annual spring tea fundraiser benefits the nonprofit’s in-house and outreach programs, offering a four-course tea lunch service, silent auction, vintage fashion show and more. Sat, April 18, from 11:30 am2:30 pm. $45-$75. Red Lion Hotel at the Park, 303 W. North River Dr. wcfrspokane.org (324-1995)

SEMINAR

Sports 101

U

-District PT of Spokane — the “PT” stands for physical therapy, performance training and personal training — is a hub of physical activity. Acclaimed for being the exclusive provider of strength and conditioning training for the Gonzaga University athletics department, U-District PT also serves a lot of Spokane’s youth athletes.

Its staff have noticed that kids and their parents could use some help navigating the increasingly intense world of youth sports.

That’s why they’re hosting a free “Sports Summit,” says physical therapist and event organizer Christine Cronin. “The conference is geared towards coaches, parents, and the youth athletes themselves.” There will be interactive events as well as presentations by seven local experts, including pediatrician Matt Thompson, who will discuss the importance of healthy sleep habits, and former Zag basketball standout Mike Nilson, M.A., who will address nutrition.

There also will be sessions on concus-

CHOCOLATE & CHAMPAGNE GALA Lutheran Community Services Northwest’s annual gala features tastings of champagne and chocolate and a gourmet dinner, with silent and live auctions. The evening also highlights the local nonprofit’s work with victims of child abuse, with proceeds benefiting the Sexual Assault and Family Trauma Response Center. Sat, April 18, at 6 pm. Mirabeau Park Hotel, 1100 N. Sullivan. lcsnw.org/spokane (747-8224) HEAR ME RUN SPOKANE A 5K run benefiting the Spokane HOPE School, the region’s only early learning program for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Sat, April 18, at 9:30 am. $30/adults, $17.50/ages 6-12, free for kids age 5 and younger. Riverfront Park, 705 N. Howard. hearmerunspokane.com (863-7097) STEPS FOR AUTISM The first annual fundraiser and awareness walk benefits the work and programs of the Northwest Autism Center. Sat, April 25, from 8 amnoon. $25/person. Mirabeau Park South Shelter, 13500 E. Mirabeau Pkwy. nwautism.org (328-1582) MARCH FOR BABIES This annual, team-based 3-mile walk/run supports March of Dimes’ programs for babies born prematurely or with a compromising health condition. Sat, April 25 at 10 am, registration begins at 9 am on race day. Entry by donation.

Gonzaga University, Jundt Art Museum, 202 E. Cataldo. marchforbabies.org (328-1920)

sions, and a relatively new topic for youth sports, ACL injuries. Cronin herself will tackle the rise of early sports specialization, noting that the traditional idea of a “threesport athlete” is on the way out. That has resulted in therapists seeing more injuries in young players, generally due to overuse, as they practice one sport year-round.

— KAITLYN ANSON Sports Summit • Sat, May 16, from 9 am-1 pm • U-District PT • 730 N. Hamilton • udistrictpt.com • RSVP at 458-7686

UGM GATHERING: A FRIENDRAISER The annual Union Gospel Mission fundraiser has a new name for 2015, and over dinner, attendees can hear stories of how the mission has helped break the cycle of homelessness, abuse and addiction in the community. Tue, May 5, at 6:30 pm, in Coeur d’Alene (CdA Resort) and Thu, May 7 in Spokane (Mirabeau Park Hotel; ). Spokane event offers a noon lunch ($300/table of 10 only) or a 6:30 pm dinner. Dinner tickets $35/person or $300/table of 10. uniongospelmission.org (535-8510) CASK & KEG AUCTION The 13th annual fundraiser benefits the Spokane Valley Firefighters Benevolent Association, and includes a night of fine wine from Arbor Crest Winery, food and an auction. Fri, April 24, from 5:30-10 pm. $50/person. Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. svffba.org (789-3019) RACE FOR THE CURE Spokane hosts the 10th annual fundraiser and awareness walk, with a 1-mile survivors walk and a 3-mile walk/run through downtown Spokane. Proceeds benefit the mission of Susan G. Komen’s Eastern Washington affiliate. Sun, April 26, at 9 am. $15-$35 registration. Starts at Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. komeneasternwashington.org (315-5940) CATHOLIC CHARITIES GALA The theme of 2015’s gala, “Selflessness in a ‘Selfie’ World,” examines how to best use social media to spread the word of our good works.

Fri, May 1, at 6 pm. $100/person. Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post. catholiccharitiesspokane.org (358-4259) …continues on next page APRIL-MAY, 2015

CAL-DIR-PEEPS inhealth 4-6-2015.indd 43

Health 43 3/26/15 8:27 AM

LIVING APRIL - MAY EVENTS BLOOMSDAY For the 39th running of the Lilac Bloomsday Run, supporting the Spokane HOPE School. The 12K run is set for Sun, May 3, at 9 am. Starts and ends in downtown Spokane. bloomsdayrun.org SPOKANE HERBAL FAIR An herbal remedy and natural healthcare expo, hosting local herbalists and herbal companies showcasing their products and services, with demos and workshops for the public. Sun, May

10, at 11 am. Corbin Senior Center, 827 W. Cleveland. tinyurl.com/spokane-herbal TOUR DE CURE A cycling event to raise funds to support diabetes research and prevention. Includes a post-ride massage, vendors and live entertainment.

Routes offered at distances of 4, 10, 25, 50 and 100 miles. Sat, May 16, starting at 7 am. $200 minimum fundraising goal per team. Northern Quest Casino, 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights. diabetes.org/ spokanetourdecure (624-7478)

SK BALL The annual barn dance fundraiser includes a Longhorn BBQ dinner, live music, dancing, beer/ wine/cocktails, mechanical bull riding and more, with proceeds benefiting the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Spokane. Sat, May 16, from 6 pmmidnight. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana. rmhcspokane.org KIDICAL MASS BIKE RIDE Kids and their families are invited to join a fun, safe bike ride of about 3 miles, cycling on anything that rolls: bikes, trailers,

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• Personalized health care at its finest • Most major insurance plans accepted

Linda S. Harrison, MD Susan K. Lehman, DO

KEEPING FAMILIES HEALTHY - ONE VISIT AT A TIME

OPPORTUNITY MEDICAL, PLLC

16201 E. Indiana Ave., Suite 2300 | 509.924.8721

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Xtracycles, bakfiets, tandems, folding bikes and trikes all are welcome. Sat, May 16, at 1 pm. Free. Ride winds through the Chief Garry neighborhood, beginning at Chief Garry Park, 2515 E. Sinto. summerparkways.com WOMEN HELPING WOMEN FUND The 23rd annual luncheon features a keynote presentation by kidnapping survivor, humanitarian and author Amanda Lindhout. Proceeds benefit a number of local charitable organizations serving women and children. Mon, May 18 at noon (doors open at 11:30

am). Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. whwfspokane.org (328-8285) LUNCH & LEARN “Be Active Your Way” is a class focusing on finding exercise activities that you enjoy doing so you’ll stick to it. Thu, May 21, at noon. Free.

INHS Community Wellness Center, 501 N. Riverpoint Blvd., Ste. 245. inhs.org WINDERMERE MARATHON This USATF Certified and Boston Marathon qualifier race offers both full

and half-marathon distances. Proceeds benefit the Windermere Foundation, which assists local lowincome families. Sun, June 7, at 7 am. $90-$115. From Liberty Lake to Riverfront Park along the Centennial Trail. windermeremarathon.com  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 E-mail: calendar@inlander.com.

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

from page 13

Codewords AWF B E R OM A M H Y E A MO C L P L A O S S U S E I R A C

U L E V I I X M A N I A A E R G N A MU E G Y K E R S K T I Y B O Y L A P L A N I N J T S O Q U E T Y

N C I S T I Z Z E I N I S H U R E O K

E D R R A W I N N Y I L E L E D E E D

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

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

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

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

9 5 8 7 1 4 2 3 6

2 6 1 3 8 5 9 4 7

6 4 9 2 5 1 3 7 8

3 1 2 8 7 9 5 6 4

5 8 7 6 4 3 1 9 2

7 3 5 4 9 8 6 2 1

1 9 6 5 2 7 4 8 3

8 2 4 1 3 6 7 5 9

1 9 3 6 7 2 8 5 4

7 2 8 1 5 4 3 6 9

5 4 6 3 8 9 2 7 1

2 8 5 4 6 1 9 3 7

9 7 1 8 3 5 6 4 2

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*regular rates apply after 6mos

www.movemorespokane.com

Family Mental Health Therapist This masters level position works with students ranging from kindergarten to 12th grades at various locations. The students are dealing with social, behavioral, and mental health difficulties.

Duties include individual, group, and family work. This is an 8 hour per day, year round position. All positions are benefitted.

Please visit our website at www.spokaneschools.org for specific job descriptions and application instructions. EOE

Hi, I’m Julia Marcyes.... I sell homes... Our team lives and works in the Spokane area. We believe in this community, its people and its future. Through consistent service to you, we will do everything to make your experience in Real Estate a positive one. We are determined to help you achieve a high quality of life tailored to fit your individual needs. Your relationship with us will always remain a top priority.

Julia Marcyes 509.701.1634

Julia@JuliaSellsHomes.com

juliasellshomes.com

If you want something different from what you’ve always had, you have to do something different than what you’ve always done.

One-on-one yoga instruction in a class setting.

509.995.5505 ashtangaspokane.com

Divorce Counseling Negotiating Life Changes Individual & Couples Counseling Grief, Anxiety, Depression, PTSD Addiction & Abuse Recovery

509-220-1564 1212 N. Washington Ste 206 APRIL-MAY, 2015

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LIVING

Pure Vida founder Shawn Kingsbury helps recovering addicts discover meaningful activities.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

PEOPLE

Reframing Rehab Shawn Kingsbury builds active living into recovery

BY E.J. IANNELLI

T

alking over the sporadic, jackhammer-like charge of an air compressor, Shawn Kingsbury is giving a tour of Pura Vida Recovery, the “active, sober community” he founded as a nonprofit last year. It’s housed in a brick building on North Monroe, just six blocks from where he grew up.

Here is the meeting space. Back here are the offices. Over here is where the lockers will be. This — a spot with workout equipment and a huge industrial tire propped against a wall — is the exercise room. Some of the infrastructure already exists in nascent form. Some of it is under construction at this very moment.

The work-in-progress atmosphere of Pura Vida speaks to its rapid implementation based on an idea that Kingsbury, 38, hatched in a halfway house in Maine less than two years ago. It also highlights the evolving nature of the program itself,

founded on three pillars — “volunteerism, education and physical activity” — that Kingsbury felt were essential to his longterm recovery from alcoholism.

What brought Kingsbury to this point isn’t vastly different from other stories of addiction. He started drinking heavily in high school. He drank himself out of college. He excelled in Army basic training until weekend benders became an option.

He moved to New York, then Seattle, L.A. and Maine in the hopes of outrunning old friends, old habits, old scenes.

“Ultimately,” he says, “alcohol destroyed everything I ever cared about.”

Although he amassed clean time on the back of detox clinics, faith-based recovery and 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, it rarely amounted to anything substantial. After several relapses, he wound up at Serenity House in Portland, Maine, where, to counter the mounting

“negative vibe” inside the house, he piled his six roommates into his truck and took them on a hike.

“On that winter day,” he says, “there was this camaraderie and convening with nature that really solidified my desire to stay sober and my connection with these guys. That’s when I started to ask, How do I help other people do new things in their life?

“That transitioned to the YWCA a few blocks from our house. The young guys wanted muscle, and I knew how to work out, so I started taking them to the gym with me. And right there, on this small strength floor, all these guys from other sober houses would come into this gym, and there was open, free conversation about our recovery: What are your struggles today? What are your victories?”

I

n December 2013, Kingsbury packed up his canine sidekicks Azul and Amor and drove back to Spokane with the intent of starting Pura Vida.

“I got a job here working construction, and I had no clue how to start any of this.

I reached out to people in recovery circles and started a Saturday morning hike. Then I started taking people to the gym with me, just like I did over in Maine. The more I reached out, the more people fell in love

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with the idea and got behind it.”

Jodi Menne is one of them. She first encountered Pura Vida in a newspaper write-up. “I hadn’t even finished reading the article before I e-mailed Shawn and asked, ‘Can I be of help?’”

Seven years ago, Menne, now 45, resolved to quit drinking, but she had trouble finding a solution in 12-step programs.

“I didn’t feel like the people at AA understood me,” she says. “In their defense, I wasn’t trying, either.”

“The thing that saved me back then was that I was an athlete. Running was my recovery. I went from drinking 30 beers a day to running 20 miles. If there was a program that I could have gone to and been active, it would have been a life-saver.”

After connecting with Kingsbury earlier this year, Menne, a professional personal trainer, established the Women of Pura Vida support group along with several yoga classes. At the start of each session, the participants check in with one another on their emotional states. Then the workout begins. “That’s the huge difference,” she says. “We’re active, we’re moving.

We’re not just sitting and then going outside to smoke cigarettes and drink coffee.”

Whereas Menne’s yoga classes hit upon two aspects of the mind-body-spirit trinity, Chris Jensen’s mindful writing workshop at Pura Vida addresses another pair.

“This approaches writing as a form of meditation,” he says. “One of the core exercises is that we meditate for five minutes, then we free-write for 10 minutes. It’s about letting the thoughts flow. It’s especially helpful for people who are really new to meditation, and who find that practice abstract and difficult.”

Jensen, 38, is a recovering meth addict.

His story echoes that of Kingsbury, whom he met in a 12-step meeting between short, white-knuckle stints of clean time and difficulty escaping a familiar scene. “I felt like I was trying to eat my vegetables in a candy store. I couldn’t latch on to a recovery program that was working for me.”

He says that Pura Vida’s writing workshop helps him develop meaningful sober relationships and remain “accountable” — just as it does for those who oversee and participate in its film and photography workshops, dead-lifting training, hikes, paddleboarding excursions and musical jam sessions.

“In a lot of traditional approaches to

recovery, early in sobriety they want you to perform service, but it’s very limited service,” Jensen says. “They ask you to make coffee or greet people at the door. They’re functions that help engage someone in the community, but they’re not vital. I feel like I’ve found my people and my purpose here.”

As the Pura Vida program calendar and community grows, Kingsbury is busy searching for additional donors to help sustain the quality and reach of its services.

Right now there are around four scheduled activities per day — including Spokane’s first Crystal Meth Anonymous group — available free of charge. The only requirement is at least 48 hours of sobriety.

“Everyone’s equation of what’s going to keep them sober is different,” Kingsbury says. “There’s no one set. It just doesn’t work that way. For some people, it might be the mindful writing class and yoga and a hike. For others, it might be the high-intensity training, a couple AA meetings, and the volunteerism program. That’s why we want to offer an array of sober activities.

We want to keep it open and welcoming for people to figure out what that equation is.” n

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I BELIEVE here I can give kids the care they deserve.

Dr. Carl Garabedian / Pediatric Cardiology PHC Team Member

PROVIDENCE PHYSICIANS: One coordinated system.

Aligned with the region's premier hospitals. And unified by a mission to put patients first. Find your doctor at phc.org

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