Kids and Mental Health
15
| Saving Your Skin
32
| The Power of Green Tea
Health
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HEALTHY LIVING IN THE INLAND NORTHWEST • FREE
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grat d n a g n i ing, giv 1
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JUNE - JULY, 2016
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE INLANDER
WHAT DO ALL THESE BUSINESS PEOPLE HAVE IN COMMON? Phillip Haugen
Northern Quest Resort & Casino Chief Operating Officer
Michael Roos
Former NFL Player & Founder of The Michael Roos Foundation
Jack Heath
Washington Trust Bank President/COO
Jim Hayford
Kim Plese
Plese Printing & Marketing Owner
Kathy Payne
Eastern Washington University Head Coach, Mens Basketball
Northwest Farm Credit Services Senior Vice President Human Resources
They all support The Boys and Girls Clubs of Spokane County.
Kim Plese - President, Board of Directors • Jack Heath - Advisory Board Member Kathy Payne - Board Member • Michael Roos - Supporter • Phillip Haugen - Advisory Board Member Jim Hayford - Board Member
Check out www.bgcspokanecounty.org for events, to donate, or to get involved. Plese Printing & Marketing is a proud supporter of Boys & Girls Clubs of Spokane County. Plese Printing and Marketing is a proud supporter of The Boys and Girls Clubs of Spokane County. Plese Printing & Marketing 4201 E. Trent Ave • Spokane, WA 99202 (509) 534-2355 • www.pleseprint.com
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Health
SPOKANE • EASTERN WASHINGTON • NORTH IDAHO also at inlander.com/inhealth 1227 W. Summit Parkway, Spokane, Wash. 99201 PHONE: 509-325-0634
EDITOR Anne McGregor
annem@inlander.com
MANAGING EDITOR Jacob H. Fries CALENDAR EDITOR Chey Scott COPY EDITOR Michael Mahoney CONTRIBUTORS Chelsea Bannach, Rajah Bose, Steve Dawson, Tess Farnsworth, Linda Hagen Miller, Annie Kuster, Young Kwak, Lindsay Noll Branting, Robert Maurer, Taryn Phaneuf, Carrie Scozzaro, Matt Thompson, Daniel Walters, John H. White PRODUCTION MANAGER Wayne Hunt ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Kristi Gotzian DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Kristina Elverum
No one fights cancer alone. We are truly grateful and humbled to have recently received the 2016 Community Partner Award from the YMCA of the Inland Northwest. We work with the YMCA and Camp Reed to help facilitate Camp Goodtimes, a weeklong summer camp for Inland Northwest children battling cancer. We work together so no child will have to fight cancer alone.
ADVERTISING SALES Autumn Adrian, Mary Bookey, Gail Golden, Janet Pier, Claire Price, Carolyn Padgham-Walker, Wanda Tashoff, Emily Walden SALES COORDINATION Kati Bronson, Camryn Barker DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Tom Stover, Derrick King, Alissia Blackwood Mead, Jessie Spaccia DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Justin Hynes BUSINESS MANAGER Dee Ann Cook CREDIT MANAGER Kristin Wagner PUBLISHER Ted S. McGregor Jr.
Upcoming Events:
July 29-30, 2016
GENERAL MANAGER Jeremy McGregor
Benefitting:
InHealth is published every other month and is available free at more than 500 locations throughout the Inland Northwest. One copy free per reader. Subscriptions are available and cost $2.50 per issue. Call x213. Reaching Us: Editorial: x261; Circulation: x226; Advertising: x215. COPYRIGHT All contents copyrighted © Inland Publications, Inc. 2016. InHealth is locally owned and has been published every other month since 2004.
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For more info., please visit showcasegolf.com SUPPLEMENT TO THE INLANDER
4 Health JUNE-JULY, 2016
INSIDE JUNE - JULY, 2016
Suzette Alfonso
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ON THE COVER | DAVE KELLEY/JESSIE SPACCIA DESIGN
CHECK-IN PAGE 9
PAGE 11
LIFE COACHING 10 SUPERFOOD 11
PAGE 12
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Health 5
FROM THE EDITOR
We treat all of you.
Do you have a story idea? Share it with Editor Anne McGregor at annem@inlander.com.
Reach Out, Feel Good
I
Whether you’re nine days old or ninety-nine years young, our network of clinics provides comprehensive medical, dental and social services for all members of your family.
Unify Community Health Mission Avenue | 120 W Mission Ave West Central Community Center | 1603 N Belt St Northeast Community Center | 4001 N Cook St
www.yvfwc.org 6 Health JUNE-JULY, 2016
t’s easy to feel put-upon by the seemingly endless details of our daily lives. Frustrations mount, and suddenly we’re just not happy. “I need some me-time!” is a common outcry. But beware that it might not provide the oomph you’re looking for. A study published this spring looked at nearly 500 subjects who were assigned to one of several groups. Some performed acts of kindness for the world or others, from volunteering to picking up litter; some performed acts of kindness to themselves, like taking a day off; and a control group was advised to just go on about their regular lives. Afterwards, subjects filled out questionnaires on their well-being. The participants who “helped out” showed improvements in “flourishing” — with improved positive thoughts and decreased negative emotions. The other groups had no gains. The authors say, “People striving for happiness may be tempted to treat themselves. Our results, however, suggest that they may be more successful if they opt to treat someone else instead.” Our cover story features local folks who have gone to great lengths to lend a hand. But there’s plenty to be done right here in the Inland Northwest. Next time you’re feeling “in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,” as Shakespeare so perfectly stated, consider reaching out instead of looking in. Go to spokanecares.org to be matched to a volunteer opportunity. Or just treat someone to a cup of coffee. It’ll do you good. To your health!
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Health 7
While INLANDERS might be the first to lend a hand in times of need, we’ll likely be the last to ask for one. That’s because we’re self-reliant islands of ingenuity. All 700,000 of us.
We’re entrepreneurs, summit chasers, inventors, chefs, musicians, politicians and drifters—each flying his or her own flag. And we need one paper with the guts to salute them all. Because the more informed we are, the more independent we become.
CHECK-IN GRAND OPENING
Bargains for a Cause
L
onging to remodel, but not excited about the cost? Habitat for Humanity is ready to assist. They don’t just help worthy local families become homeowners. “We’ve got a store that is packed full of really cool new and used materials, from antique furniture to appliances to lots of lumber and tools,” says Michelle Girardot, CEO of Habitat for Humanity-Spokane. Even better, “All of our product is 50 to 75 percent off market value,” she adds. The store, which marks its 16th anniversary this year, is settling into a brand new, centrally located and larger home at 1805 E. Trent, just west of Napa. While the store sells items donated by the public, it also receives brand-new inventory from local and national big-box retailers. “It is basically a pretty nice way for those big retailers to make space on their own floors, by donating stuff to us,” Girardot says. Over the years, the store has raised more than $2.5 million, all of which has been used for Habitat home building in Spokane. Bargain hunters can sign up for a “weekly deals” email blast offering info on new things that will be sold that weekend, and coupons for even better bargains. “Our product goes pretty fast,” Girardot says. For the crafty, classes at the store offer volunteers the opportunity to learn how to upcycle — revamping an old light fixture into something trendy or turning an antique dresser into a sink vanity. Donating those upcycled items helps the store raise even more funds for homebuilding. Donations can be made at the store, or schedule a free donation pickup by calling 535-9517. Store hours are 10:30 am to 6 pm Tuesday through Saturday. For more information and to sign up for the newsletter, go to habitat-spokane.org. — ANNE McGREGOR
STEVE DAWSON PHOTO
ASK DR. MATT
These You Can Worry About
W
hen it comes to safety in our lives, there are some pretty obvious measures we should all follow: Don’t use real candles on your dried-out, brittle Christmas tree; Don’t use your hand as a cutting board; Don’t store your throwing knives Matt Thompson is a in the baby’s crib. pediatrician at But safety-proofing for kids is a bit of a moving target. Some Spokane’s Kids Clinic. parents are seemingly oblivious to all the possible ways their children could be maimed or killed, and others are paralyzed with fear, killing all the fun along the way. Maybe science can help. I find looking at Center for Disease Control database reports of leading causes of unintentional injury and death to be the most helpful. Between 2005-08, for children STAY CONNECTED 0-19, by far the greatest number of Email InHealth Editor Anne McGregor at deaths are transportation related. annem@inlander.com. The conversation Next come drowning and suffocation, continues on the Inlander Facebook page, and poisoning and other injuries (each 10 stay in touch with us at Inlander.com/InHealth. times less than transportation); fires or
burns; and falls. However, the risk for each of those fatalities varies by age, so I think that’s a good way to guide our paranoia and efforts to ensure the safety of our children. Here are the numbers for one to five-year-olds: Drowning is No. 1 at 27 percent. Next comes being hit by a car at 15 percent, fire or burns at 14 percent, motor vehicle occupant at 13 percent and suffocation at 8 percent. What does that mean for parents? Be paranoid with bathtubs, kiddie pools, big pools and lakes. Use life jackets liberally and make sure they keep your kid afloat, should he or she lose consciousness. Assume your 1 to 5-year-old will run into traffic every chance they get. Hold hands in parking lots — they are too short to be seen. Get a backup camera and assume there is a child behind your car when backing out of the driveway — try backing in for a safe, quick getaway like a cop at Starbucks. Have the discussion about matches, and hide them. Be paranoid about campfires and fireworks. Make sure smoke detectors work and are in place. Make sure car seats are always used and used properly. Next time we’ll look at safety precautions for teens and kids under the age of one. Till then, have fun but be safe. — MATT THOMPSON JUNE-JULY, 2016
Health 9
CHECK-IN GOOD READ
Finding Levity in LIfe
“I
f you don’t like dark humor, you don’t want to read this book,” Spokane author Gail Goeller declared at a recent Auntie’s Bookstore reading. Coming of Age With Aging Parents: The Bungles, Battles and Blessings is Goeller’s personal, poignant and surprisingly humorous account of the years she and her husband John spent caring for their elderly relatives. The recently reissued, expanded 2015 edition (first published in 2004), contains fresh content and new chapters that chronicle John’s own battle and eventual demise from Alzheimer’s, along with Goeller’s struggle to adjust to widowhood. Each section of the book chronicles elder-care dilemmas that will have you nodding in agreement, laughing out loud and wiping tears from your eyes. Chapters include resources, caregiver questionnaires and coping strategies. In one of the darkest yet funniest chapters, “Rub-A-Dub-Dub, Grandma’s Stuck in the Tub,” Goeller describes when her 92-year-old grand-
mother, too weak to lift herself, had to spend 34 hours in lukewarm water until a neighbor noticed her newspapers lying on the porch and called 911. As paramedics wheeled puckered Grandma to the ambulance, they noticed she’d scrawled “At least I got out clean” on the tiles in soap. Our aging parents — and our aging selves
— are subjects most of us avoid like poison ivy. Coming of Age takes us by the shoulders, points us toward the inevitable, and assures us that, really, it will all be OK. — LINDA HAGEN MILLER Available at Auntie’s and on Amazon.com
LIFE COACHING
Does Success Equal Happiness?
R Robert Maurer is a Spokane psychologist, consultant and author of Mastering Fear.
esearch assures us that optimism and joy are essential in achieving exceptional health. So while we are improving our diets and exercising more, how can we also develop positive habits for happiness? Our first step is to separate happiness from success. Humankind’s most common self-deception is the belief that we will finally be content when we are successful. Seeking physical well-being, loving relationships, and fulfilling work are certainly worthy goals; however, as a path to happiness, they are limited. The reason? Almost any success leads us to want more! When we obtain one goal, our brains hunger for another. As a result, our goalposts for success are constantly moving, with happiness — and good health — always just out of reach.
If achieving our goals doesn’t guarantee happiness, what does? Our second step is to change our internal monologues. We can gain mastery of our messages to ourselves — the source of true happiness — by turning the conversation toward gratitude. This becomes easy when we realize that we’re never responding to a situation, but instead to the conversations in our head about it. To begin, try these two powerful strategies: For 21 days, write out or share with a friend, “Three things I am grateful for…” Follow up by giving specific thanks to one person each day for a month. Be patient and try not to expect instant results. It takes time to train your brain to look for abundance and goodness — the new measures of success in your life! — ROBERT MAURER
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10 Health JUNE-JULY, 2016
SUPERFOOD
Charming Chard ATTRIBUTES: Chard is a summer staple, with its rich, green leaves unfolding from edible stems in lively colors ranging from red to orange, yellow or pink. Quick to mature, chard seed can be sown up until 40 days before the first frost date, meaning there’s probably still time to toss some seeds in among flowers or vegetables in your own container gardens. Resow every 10 days to keep the harvest coming. SUPER POWERS: Chard is an excellent source of Vitamins A,C, K and the B-complex vitamins, and it’s high in potassium. Recent findings show a compound in chard may help control blood sugar. WEAKNESSES: Chard has a limited shelf life in the fridge, so it is best to use it within three or four days. HOW TO USE IT: Chard can be eaten raw, or tossed into soups. For a quick summer side dish, try this recipe from Food Network Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr. Chop one bunch of chard leaves into one-inch ribbons and stems into ½-inch pieces. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large skillet, add a pinch of red pepper flakes and two cloves of minced garlic. Add chard stems, and then a few minutes later, add leaves and a splash of white wine. Cook till leaves are wilted. Season with sugar, and salt to taste. — ANNE McGREGOR
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Health 11
CHECK-IN
CHARITY CORNER
A Pour for Dr. Manz
C
ancer patients at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane can be confident they’re receiving some of the best care in the region when undergoing treatment there. But being in the hospital, even if the care is top-notch, still isn’t what anyone would wish for — patients would give just about anything to be healthy and back at home. So to ensure its patients are as comfortable as possible while receiving chemotherapy and other cancer care, proceeds from Providence Health Care Foundation’s 8th annual fundraiser gala at Arbor Crest Wine Cellars — The Pour —
this June will fund the purchase of state-of-theart oncology unit beds and other equipment to increase patients’ comfort. “Sometimes patients are in the hospital for a very long time, and we want to give them the comforts of home,” says Kathy Maurer, Providence’s director of special events. “And one of those things is a comfortable bed.” Held every June on the picturesque grounds of Arbor Crest’s historic estate overlooking Spokane Valley, the event raised a record $100,000 last year to fund programs and services at Providence. One of those beneficiaries supported by the gala each year is Providence’s Behavioral Education Skills Training (BEST) day treatment program for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. The BEST program offers support for families, schools and children to manage and treat behavioral and emotional problems affecting all facets of the child’s life. At The Pour, guests enjoy wine tasting and passed appetizers before being seated for a four-course, gourmet dinner with wine pairings. All wines featured are from more than a dozen wineries from Washington state. “We’re very excited to use this venue to introduce some of the newer wineries in town people may not know about,” Maurer says. While the popular event is already sold out for this year, Maurer says guests who are interested in attending can still reach out to her to get on a waiting list. She adds that tickets for next year’s event will go on sale in January. The Pour was started in 2008 to honor the legacy of Dr. Michael Manz, a child psychiatrist at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital who founded the BEST program and passed away in 2006. An avid wine connoisseur, Manz also owned Spokane’s Mountain Dome Winery with his family. — CHEY SCOTT The Pour • Sat, June 18, at 5:30 pm • $175/ person (sold out) • Ages 21+ • Arbor Crest Wine Cellars • 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. • thepour.info • 474-2819
Time for Pain Meds? My husband had knee replacement surgery and just came home yesterday. His surgeon prescribed a narcotic pain medication (oxycodone) and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication (celecoxib, aka Celebrex). My husband is in pain but does not want to take his pain medication until he is in excruciating pain. What should he do?
M
any people, and rightly so, are worried about addiction issues surrounding the use of narcotic pain medication. In cases such as your husband’s, however, the best approach is to use the narcotic pain medication on a scheduled basis for the first few days, so that he is not “chasing the pain.” Adequate pain management is important for wound healing, and also, obviously, for comfort. He does not need to be worried about addiction issues if he is follow- John R. White chairs WSU-Spokane’s ing the doctor’s orders for the Department of short-term use of narcotic pain Pharmacotherapy. medication. On the other hand, narcotic pain medications have myriad side-effects and should be discontinued as soon as the more severe post-surgical pain has abated. Initially, the management of his pain should probably include several other modalities, including ice packs, elevation of the leg and the use of the Celebrex. Together, these modalities should get him through the first days/weeks of his recovery. One word of caution: Patients with a history of alcohol or drug abuse should make sure that their prescriber knows that this has been an issue with them. The informed prescriber can then develop a pain management regimen specific to that patient which will reduce the likelihood of further abuse or addiction problems. — JOHN R. WHITE
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12 Health JUNE-JULY, 2016
PILL BOX
BRAIN EXERCISE
2
Sudoku
8 6 1
1 9
RATINGS: Gentle (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.
2 4 8 2 3 4 8
Answers to all puzzles on page 36
PUZZLES BY JEFF WIDDERICH & ANDREW STUART www.syndicatedpuzzles.com
7 3 7 8 8 9 5
3 2 4
Each letter has been replaced by with a number. Using the starter clues, work out the words that must go in each cell on the codeword grid. Some well-known phrases and names may also be found. For a three-letter clue, turn to page 18. 19
11 6
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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
• Wash W sh hands and face Wa f ce before fa befo f re eating. fo • Bring water for f r all personal use. Don’t use �iltered fo � ltered river water. �i r r. • Eat on a table or blanket in grassy areas. • Limit children’s hand-to-mouth contact. • Remove dirt on clothes, toys, pets, and equipment before befo f re leaving. fo Know your child’s blood lead level through simple blood testing Panhandle Health District: (208) 783-0707 Know how to reduce your child’s exposure to lead in soil Idaho DEQ: www.deq.idaho.gov/PlayClean
2 6 1 4
7 1 9
2
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2 8
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.
5 7 6 9
4
2
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1
3 2
1
Be Smart Around Lead, Play Clean! Lead and other metals are found f und in the soil along the Coeur d’Alene fo d’A ’ lene River, ’A r r, its South Fork, and the Chain Lakes.
9 5 1
6 4 3 9
1 4
2 8
Codewords 15
2 6
9
7
3 9
5
• Recreate in designated
areas and stay on trails.
• Wear dust covering over mouth and nose when riding off-road trails.
• Follow �ish consumption
advisories. It is best to eat �illets only.
• Do not harvest edible plants from �loodplain areas. JUNE-JULY, 2016
Health 13
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14 Health JUNE-JULY, 2016
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NEWS
KIDS HEALTH
Overwhelming Need Getting help for kids with mental health issues frustrates parents and health care providers BY TARYN PHANEUF
H
er son has had many meltdowns. He’s put holes in the wall, letting loose the aggression and irritability that mark a child with oppositional defiant disorder. But when he threatened to hurt himself and his sister, she didn’t know what to do. “He was too big for me to try to hold down,” says Molly, whose name was changed to protect her family’s privacy. “I took him into the doctor’s office. [The doctor] said we needed to take him over to the hospital.”
The emergency room has become the default destination for kids, from children to teens, needing urgent mental health care in Spokane. When faced with a crisis situation, school officials, police, parents and primary care doctors send kids to the ER, where they can be evaluated by a variety of mental health care professionals and then referred to inpatient or outpatient care. The Spokane Regional Health District’s 2008 Healthy Youth Report (the most recent research available) found …continued on next page
JUNE-JULY, 2016
Health 15
NEWS “OVERWHELMING NEED,” CONTINUED... one in four local youth reported being depressed for two weeks or more in the previous year, and 15 percent seriously considered attempting suicide. According to Mental Health America’s 2016 report, more than half of Washington youth experiencing a major depressive episode did not receive any mental health services. With more than a quarter of teens in Spokane County experiencing depression, and many other mental health and behavioral issues not even tallied, the system is frighteningly overburdened, parents and doctors say. The consequences are both immediate and far-reaching. Kids in crisis can spend days — sometimes weeks — in the emergency room, waiting for an open inpatient bed. Parents fight waiting lists and limited programs for ongoing care that suits their children’s needs. Some, including Molly, say that kids who move past the crisis stage can fall through the cracks. Pediatricians describe dropping everything to help a family facing a crisis. They’re trying to advocate for patients who are maneuvering through a fragmented and inefficient system. Constantly faced with children and teens in desperate need of care, hospitals end up bearing the costs of a clogged ER and too few staff. “Everyone gets sent to the emergency room,” says Dr. Christian Rocholl, who works in pediatric emergency services at Sacred Heart. To him, this constitutes a “health care crisis.” “The mental health issues in Spokane and the Inland Northwest have really blossomed over the last few years to the point of where it’s challenging to see medical patients in the emergency room,” he says. “We’re working at a limited capacity because we have, at any given time, half or two-thirds of our rooms being used for people waiting for mental health resources.”
COMING UP SHORT
During the state legislature’s shortened session that ended in March, physicians with the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics converged on Olympia to present statistics and request funding for improving mental health care for kids. Generally, the pediatricians preached early detection and intervention. Twenty percent of children are affected by a behavioral health disorder — a catch-all term that includes mental health disorders. But only 20 percent of those children get the care they need.
16 Health JUNE-JULY, 2016
SMART HELP FROM A SMARTPHONE
L
engthy waits for treatment for mental illness are common. And sometimes people are reluctant to even seek help. MoodTools is a smartphone app that offers immediate assistance. Comprised of six evidence-based tools, it offers tactics to “combat depression and alleviate negative moods,” according to the recent Duke University grads who developed it. The free app, created in collaboration with mental health professionals, includes a depression self-test and symptom tracker, a Thought Diary that incorporates Cognitive Therapy principles, a Safety Plan to help prevent suicide, suggestions for activities and links to helpful websites, including TED talks and guided meditation. Designed mostly for assisting with clinical depression, the app’s developers note that while it is not a substitute for traditional therapy, it may also help people suffering from anxiety, PTSD, OCD and seasonal affective disorder.
— ANNE McGREGOR “Early diagnosis and evidence-based treatment is critical to help ensure healthy development and prevent problems at home, school and with peer groups throughout childhood and into adulthood,” according to WCAAP. “Pediatricians are in an ideal position to identify mental health needs early and collaborate with families and mental health professionals to support the best possible outcomes for children.” This priority was overwhelmingly supported by WCAAP members, doctors who see patients needing mental health care every day, says Dr. Lelach Rave, a pediatrician in Mukilteo, between Seattle and Everett, who is also the legislative chair of WCAAP. Specifically, WCAAP supported funding for a program that integrates behavioral health and primary care by expanding a program at the University of Washington called the Partnership Access Line, or PAL — a phone-based consultation system for pediatricians. The argument was that the state needs PAL Plus (as the expansion was named) because better integrated care is, so far, the best way to address unmet mental health care needs. With specialized care resources in short supply, families have to depend more on their primary doctors for access and support. Those physicians need help to step up to the plate. In the end, the state passed legislation for a limited pilot program, but in “a very diluted form,” Rave says.
Legislators readily acknowledged the need for care — and the state’s stake in providing it. Nearly half of children in the state rely on Medicaid for insurance, and these children have higher rates of serious health problems. Additionally, research by the National Institute of Mental Health shows that half of all lifelong cases of mental illness start around age 14. Objections included the state’s tight budget, but also some more specific hesitations. “I think there was also some trouble with pathologizing children,” Rave says. She has a hard time understanding the discomfort, especially because there is little trouble diagnosing children with other diseases, such as diabetes. Nonetheless, “there certainly is stigma,” she says.
ON THE FRONT LINES
Whether anyone is willing to call it what it is, everyone agrees that the system needs work. Hospital and emergency department staff look forward to more space and try to recruit psychiatrists to address the needs that come in. While not every patient needs inpatient or emergency care, that’s still where most are sent. Schools, law enforcement and primary doctors who encounter a child or teen threatening to harm themselves, or acting out or fighting, generally refer that young person to the ER to be evaluated by hospital’s psychiatric triage counselors. Rocholl says he’s gone to Sacred Heart
administrators, looking for ways he can reach out to the community to point them to resources outside the emergency department, but progress is slow. Adrianne Loetscher, the clinical nurse manager of Sacred Heart’s adult and adolescent inpatient psychiatry, says counselors or telepsychiatrists assess each patient who comes into the ER in crisis. They help determine whether a person needs inpatient or outpatient care — or if they can just go home. If admission is the best option, the next question is where to put them. Sacred Heart has 24 beds for teens in its inpatient psychiatric unit. Children are always admitted to Kootenai Behavioral Health Center in Coeur d’Alene. “Demand is high and we frequently have patients waiting for inpatient psychiatric admissions,” Loetscher says. So where do they wait? In the emergency room. For days or sometimes weeks at a time, Rocholl says. The hospital employs social workers, therapists, counselors, registered nurses, psychiatrists and psychologists to work with families. It also works with other behavioral health providers to try to plug the holes in the system, Loetscher says. Frontier Behavioral Health operates First Call for Help (509-838-4428), a 24hour crisis intervention hotline. Through …continued on next page
HELP FOR PARENTS
I
t’s not easy helping a child facing behavioral or mental challenges. Parents and caregivers of these kids can find much-needed support and help at a family-to-family program run by the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Spokane. The NAMI Basics course covers everything from diagnosis and treatment to how to work with schools. “People take the course because they’re going to help their children by learning all they can about it,” says Ron Anderson, vice president and program director for NAMI Spokane. And there’s lots of support available because all the instructors have experienced life with a child who has or could have a mental or behavioral illness. “The underlying factor is how to take care of yourself… because without them, their children’s care won’t be nearly as good,” Anderson says. “We help them understand what they can fix, and what they can’t fix.”
— TARYN PHANEUF
Visit www.namispokane.org or contact Ron Anderson at 509-590-9897 or office@namispokane.org. The 15-hour course is free, offered in the fall, and occurs over three Saturdays.
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to other agencies for counseling. In both scenarios, there are often discouraging waiting lists. Meanwhile, Sacred Heart is trying to recruit more child and adolescent psychia-
THE TERROR AND THE FIGHT
OVERCOMING STIGMA I n Washington, pediatricians pursuing public funding to better integrate behavioral and primary care ran into legislative resistance related to diagnosing children with serious mental health disorders and prescribing medication and treatment. In a sense, that resistance might mean kids who need care won’t get it. But they also have a point. “I think the concern of putting a label on a kid is a real one. It has ramifications… It definitely has an affect on people’s ability and interest in accessing care,” says Annabelle Gardner, a spokesperson for Young Minds Advocacy in San Francisco. “It’s not as black and white as, ‘Well, what matters is that we need to get these kids care,’” she says. “In reality, there’s a lot of things that matter in a kid’s life. It’s not fair for a system to decide what matters more.”
trists for inpatient services. “Mental health is not just hospital care,” Loetscher says. “Behavioral health patients and their families need a strong network and a variety of services.”
Many kids in the mental health system already have other labels attached to them, like “foster youth” or “delinquent.” The labels can impact the way they see themselves and the choices they make as a result. And in some cultures, a diagnosis of mental illness carries considerable baggage. In one attempt to normalize mental health care as part of routine medical care, pediatricians have embraced a new standard of care requiring them to begin screening patients for depression at age 12. From contraception to sports injuries, pediatricians have a lot of ground to cover during visits with their patients, says Dr. Lelach Rave, a pediatrician in Mukilteo. Adding in depression screening can help reveal issues that aren’t as obvious, but shouldn’t be ignored. “Hopefully we’ll be catching more kids who need help,” Rave says.
— TARYN PHANEUF
Three years after a cryptic photo caption on social media uncovered her daughter’s battle with depression, Andrea finds herself constantly fishing for details. “I ask her every day, ‘Is the heaviness there today?’ Every day I pick her up [from school] praying she’ll have had a good day,” says Andrea, whose name was changed to protect her family’s privacy. “I’m just trying to find an answer.” But an answer is hard to find. Her high school-aged daughter doesn’t know why she cut 54 lines into her forearm with a razor blade. “I think teen depression sneaks up from the smallest things. I can’t pinpoint what triggers it for her, from the puzzle on page 13 and she can’t either,” An14 = E; 18 = V; 6 = S drea says. While she has a remarkably open relationship with her daughter, Andrea remains
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terrified of what could happen. She’s seen counselor after counselor and been through inpatient and outpatient programs. Along the way, she’s run into waitlists and insurance problems. Molly and Andrea each noticed that options after a crisis are limited and of short duration. Those later down the line can be even less attentive. Rave sees it with her patients, as well. Long waitlists bar struggling patients from getting into acute care programs, which are based on who signs up first. “There’s just not enough [assistance] to go around,” Rave says. Andrea’s daughter “graduated” from one program in the summer. By Christmas, she needed help again. In February, Andrea called the crisis line after she found her daughter crying, holding her bleeding forearm. “I knew she shouldn’t be [dismissed], but they have so many people who need to get in,” Andrea says. Regular counseling visits also have been interrupted as doctors shuffle their schedules to accommodate crises as they arise. “Then it’s three bumps later, I’m calling, ‘I don’t want to be bumped. My kid needs
Dr. Christian Rocholl says kids with mental health issues constitute a “health care crisis” for Sacred Heart’s pediatric emergency services. that weekly touch in,’” Andrea says. Molly’s son, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder, or ODD, went through an inpatient program at Sacred Heart for kids with behavioral problems, called the BEST (Behavioral Education Skills Training) Program, which offered her family a chance
to catch its breath but ended too soon, in her opinion. Since then, she’s spent a lot of time educating herself and finding ways to address her son’s behavioral disorder on her own. She notes, “You have to be really, really bad or you don’t get any help. You have to fight extremely hard just to get listened to.”
JUNE-JULY, 2016
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LIVING “Voluntourists” use vacation time to offer assistance around the world and in the United States BY LINDA HAGEN MILLER
C
ombine a volunteer and a tourist and you get a “voluntourist.” Voluntourists provide dental and medical care, mentor young men and women, build houses, clear trails, play with orphans, teach practical skills, monitor sea turtle nesting grounds and much, much more. A 2008 survey of 300 organizations that market to voluntourists found that in a year’s time, 1.6 million people used their vacations to do good deeds. Altruists get it, since they’re the folks already working in local soup kitchens and writing checks for children in third-world countries. Overworked realists don’t. Why would you pay somebody for the “privilege” of swinging a hammer or rocking a baby during your vacation? Indeed, the movement is
not without critics. In Hoping to Help: The Promises and Pitfalls of Global Volunteering, Judith Lasker outlines the downside of medical volunteer programs, noting that some medical teams are not committed for the long haul, that their presence can undermine local medical programs and that short stays may have no significant long-term impact. Other critics say voluntourists may set up orphans up for attachment disorder, take jobs away from locals, or offer unrealistic expectations and promises, dropping in and dropping out. Read on to learn about five voluntourism organizations (and Inland Northwest travelers) that take the starch out of those criticisms. Each organization has a track record of establishing long-term commitments, working side-by-side with their local counterparts, consulting closely with local leaders and and adjusting programs when necessary.
JUNE-JULY, 2016
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LIVING
BUILDING A “CASTLE” IN THAILAND F DETAILS
Habitat for Humanity runs service trips from Armenia to Zambia. Lodging and meals are provided by Habitat, and volunteers pay airfare and contribute anywhere from $1,580 to $2,160 to Habitat. habitat.org/gv
22 Health JUNE-JULY, 2016
or some people who combine volunteering and vacationing, the destination has a lot to do with the journey. Not Arlene Patton. World travel didn’t even make her bucket list. “Throughout my career I focused on building communities and affordable housing,” she says. That career included working with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for nearly 25 years, where a shining accomplishment was helping citizens and government officials turn impoverished communities in Anchorage, Alaska, into safe neighborhoods. Once she retired in 2007, making the transition from HUD to Habitat for Humanity was natural for the Yakima-raised handywoman, who is no stranger to tools, physical challenges and hard work. “I support Habitat’s mission to provide decent, safe and affordable houses for those in need,” Arlene says. And she likes the sweat equity rules that require home recipients to help out on the build: “It’s a hand up, not hand out.” As president of the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity-Spokane, Arlene joined a Spokane team that traveled to Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2009 as part of a massive Global Habitat build led by Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. In one week, 3,000 volunteers from across the United States and
around the world built 82 homes in the povertylaced mountainous region of northern Thailand. Smiling Thais, their hands folded in the prayer position of “sawadee,” stood along the road saying “thank you” every day as the Habitat vans passed through villages. The homes Habitat was replacing were meager shacks constructed of scavenged tin, wood and cardboard. Open sewage ran past the front door. “This is a very poor part of Thailand, and it gives you a deep appreciation of living conditions in the United States. Really, we have nothing to complain about here,” Arlene says. The Habitat teams labored in temperatures topping 100 degrees with rudimentary tools, building 20-by-20-foot cement block houses. “The teamwork among virtual strangers was amazing,” Arlene says. “All day long, you could hear the chatter of people getting to know each other. It was a beautiful team effort.” She is still in contact with several members of her build team, as well as Pathit Krilsanawan, who worked alongside “his” Habitat team to build a house for himself, his wife and their baby. On the day his new home was turned over to him, Pathit struggled to tell his team how much the house meant to him: “It may not be very much to you, but it is a castle to me.”
BREAKING THE CYCLE IN GUATEMALA M
onday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Today a child will be abandoned in Guatemala. Every four days with tragic regularity, children are left on the streets of this Central American country. Sixty percent are infants. Some are cared for by older children or street families; many die. Lisa and David Gencarella of Post Falls knew little of this when they traveled to Antigua, Guatemala, in 2007 to adopt twin girls. What they saw at first was a 13th-century Spanish colonial town with brightly painted buildings, picturesque ruins and Mayan women wearing elaborately embroidered traditional clothing. They lived in Antigua for six months finalizing the adoption of their daughters, and while there met Lilly Ferrer, a Guatemalan woman whose mission was creating a safe haven for teenage mothers and their babies. “My family always knew that we would give back to Guatemala — the country we fell in love with while living there,” Lisa says. She returned in 2009 to support Lilly and work in the orphanage. In 2012, the Gencarellas and Charles and Kelly Secker, a couple who share their passion for vulnerable children, created Called For His Purpose, a nondenominational, faith-based nonprofit founded to provide financial, material and spiritual support that would eventually help Lilly open Esperanza y Futuro (Hope and Future). “The goal at Esperanza y Futuro is to break
the cycle of abuse and abandonment,” Lisa says. “The girls learn healthy habits for themselves and their babies in a safe, loving atmosphere where they can heal physically and emotionally. Many are illiterate, so they attend a private Christian school or are tutored at the orphanage. Training programs teach the girls marketable skills like cooking, sewing, flower arranging and cosmetology.” Today the facility houses 28 children and their teen mothers. “Lilly is truly the heartbeat of Esperanza y Futuro,” Lisa says, “and you rarely see her without one or two children in her arms. It is a beautiful sight!” Lisa travels to Guatemala three to four times a year with volunteer teams who spend time with the children and their mothers, delivering books, clothing and supplies. Many volunteers then tour Guatemala or nearby Costa Rica or Belize. Baeley Hathaway, a junior at Boise State University, was 14 years old the first time she joined Lisa and traveled to Esperanza y Futuro. “The main thing I do is build friendships and be a safe and gentle friend,” Baeley says. “I credit these amazing children for the way I am striving to be a woman who facilitates compassion and empathy in every interaction. They taught me that the most valuable thing I can do with my life is give love and validation to others, and that no matter what, healing is possible — love is all around us.”
DETAILS
Called For His Purpose volunteers pay for their flights, lodging and meals, approximately $1,000 to $1,500 depending on airfare. calledforhispurpose.org
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LIVING
LENDING A HAND IN KENYA
“I
t gets under your skin,” Wayne Krafft says, describing his work developing safe drinking water systems in Kopanga, a small village in Kenya. “You establish relationships with the people, see their needs, work with them, and get to see real results.” In 2010, Krafft, his wife Patti and their 16-year-old son traveled to Africa with Partnering for Progress (P4P), a Spokanebased nonprofit that has been taking teams of volunteers to Kopanga since 2007. The Kraffts returned in 2015 and are headed back this July.
NE
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As world travelers who avoid five-star hotels and relish getting to know locals, the Kraffts were not strangers to third-world living conditions. Even so, the poverty of rural Kenya was disconcerting. Wayne walked the villages mapping springs, streams and wells with a Kenyan who works with P4P, and saw women drawing their drinking and cooking water from a pond next to a teenager washing clothes and a mother bathing her infant. Cows grazed and defecated just up the slope. P4P and Wayne, a chemist who works for the Waste 2 Resources Program at the
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24 Health JUNE-JULY, 2016
Washington State Department of Ecology, recognized that digging wells was only a start. On his return trips, he worked with local high school science students and educators, testing water and letting the kids see what pathogens looked like in a petri dish. “Telling people your water has germs is one thing,” he says, “but letting them actually see how many germs are in their water, and then explaining all the diseases that come with drinking dirty water, really brings it home.” Patti, a nurse practitioner at Columbia Medical Associates in Spokane, says that on
her first trip to Kenya she saw about 100 patients a day in a small clinic. “People would walk for miles — days — to see the mzunga (foreigners) and our goal was to help as many as we could and teach them about healthier lifestyles,” she says. “Over the years P4P has been in Kenya, we’ve changed our efforts toward a community health focus. We consulted with the Ministry of Health to determine their priorities — HIV, malaria, diarrhea due to unclean water, malnutrition and sanitation. We are training community health volunteers and work with health care providers to improve their diagnostic skills. In
the process, I’ve learned a great deal about treating local diseases from my Kenyan counterparts.” When the Kraffts’ friends and family members express bewilderment at their continued devotion to Kenya, they offer two explanations. They describe the Kenyans as kind and grateful people who laugh and sing and welcome them, and they try to put into words how much they value doing something worthwhile as a couple. “Working together to solve complex problems is rewarding, and it’s important to understand what matters to the people you’re trying to help,” Wayne says.
DETAILS
Partnering for Progress organizes two volunteer teams a year. Approximately $2,400 covers airfare, entry visa, lodging and meals for nine days. partnerngforprogress.org
JUNE-JULY, 2016
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LIVING
FIGHTING POVERTY IN RWANDA
D
r. Hal Goldberg and his wife Sandy sum up Rwanda’s tragic history in a few short sentences when they tell Blaise’s story. Five young men rallied around the 30-year old as he recuperated from open heart surgery in a hospital bed in Kigali. There was no family to visit him — they had all been murdered in the civil war that swept Rwanda in 1994, killing an estimated 800,000 people in three months. Like thousands of desperate, terrified children, Blaise ran and hid in the jungle. Those five boys who gathered around his hospital bed were with him then, and their bond of
survival knit them together in an unbreakable brotherhood. The 1994 genocide also decimated Rwanda’s infrastructure: 75 percent of the nation’s medical profession was either killed or fled the country. In 2008, Hal, a cardiologist at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, was invited to the King Faisal Hospital in Kigali to determine the feasibility of taking medical teams from Spokane to Rwanda to perform open-heart surgeries. Sandy did not go on the initial trip, but subsequently became enmeshed in the organization that was to
become Healing Hearts Northwest. Cardiac diseases kill thousands in Rwanda. Rheumatic heart disease, nearly unheard of in the developed world, is the result of untreated streptococcal infections which cause the body’s immune system to attack its own heart valves, leading to RHD and a slow and painful death. “Rheumatic heart disease is a disease of poverty,” Hal says. Struck by the severity of the need and what they believe is a moral obligation, Hal and Sandy formed Healing Hearts Northwest in 2010. Since then, the Spokane-based
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Serving patients and families since 1977 Comfort. Dignity. Peace of Mind. 509.456.0438 hospiceofspokane.org
26 Health JUNE-JULY, 2016
RAJAH BOSE PHOTOS
nonprofit has sent surgical teams to King Faisal Hospital, where they have performed 81 openheart surgeries, repaired numerous congenital heart defects and implanted several pacemakers. Nightmarish logistics include shipping 6,000 pounds of equipment and coordinating travel for as many as 50 people. Once on the ground, the work is exacting and stressful, as the teams perform from 16 to 18 surgeries in two weeks. “Our goal is to establish an independent and sustainable open-heart program in Rwanda,” Hal says, “through teaching, mentoring and training the Rwandan medical staff.” In their downtime, HHNW volunteers explore
the vibrant capital city of Kigali, go on safari and visit the famed “Gorillas in the Mist” sanctuaries. However, Hal bristles at the term voluntourism in connection with HHNW. Indeed, very little of what HHNW does sounds touristy. “Our volunteer staff is literally exhausted at the end of the day,” he says. When the Goldbergs talk about the resilience and spirit of the Rwandans they have worked with and treated in the beauty of the lush, mountainous nation, as well as the gorilla tracking and safaris, it is clear they have formed strong and lasting attachments. When Rwandans ask “Where are you from?” they answer “Spokanda.”
DETAILS
The Healing Hearts Northwest time commitment is two weeks and volunteers pay their own airfare (about $2,000). Meals and hotel rooms are provided by the Rwandan government. HealingHeartsNorthwest.com
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JUNE-JULY, 2016
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LIVING
TRAILBLAZING CLOSE TO HOME W
DETAILS
REI volunteer vacations in North America are seven to 10 days long and range from $990 to $1,495. Latin America trips are $2,995 to $4,095. Airfare is not included. rei.com/ adventures/trips/volunteer-vacations.
28 Health JUNE-JULY, 2016
earing a bright red T-shirt with Get Dirty stamped across the chest, Steve Fenick explains that it’s one of a big stack he’s earned by volunteering with the Spokane REI to clear, build and maintain area trails and parks. “My stack’s bigger,” jokes wife Cindy, beginning the friendly competitive banter that defines their 12-year marriage. The two outdoor enthusiasts have volunteered locally with REI, Washington Trails Association, the National Ski Patrol, Spokane Mountaineers and other groups on projects that utilize their skill sets to the max. Both are now retired, but Steve, 57, worked as a general contractor, and Cindy served in the Air Force for 23 years, retiring as a major after supervising enlisted men and women in the aircraft maintenance division. He’s built just about everything, and she’s supervised just about everybody. “I was working for REI where I learned about REI Adventures and their partnership with Conservation Volunteers International,” Cindy says. “We had been to Yosemite several times, and thought this would be a great opportunity to do projects that would help preserve and sustain this most beautiful national park.”
In September 2013, they joined a team of 35 people, ranging in age from the late teens to early 70s, for a week-long experience. They camped a few miles from the worksite, and a cook crew served hearty food. During the day, they broke into smaller groups to rebuild fences and walls, clear trail hazards, limb trees and reroute trails. Free time found them swimming, exploring trails and overlooks, and ending the day with campfires and s’mores. “The biggest challenge,” Cindy says, “is learning how to utilize different people’s skills. Not everyone thinks, works, organizes or visualizes the same way or speed, so the group leaders have to learn how to use each person’s attributes so everyone feels they’re contributing.” At nearly $1,000 per person, the cost caused both Cindy and Steve to think twice about spending the money to do the same type of volunteering they do at home at no cost. “We could have gone to Hawaii for what Yosemite cost,” Steve says. “If you can incorporate sightseeing or visiting before or after the workweek,” Cindy adds, “then it’s worth it, and we’d do it again.” n Photos provided by our local voluntourists.
VETTING VOLUNTOURISM
M
ake sure your trip will be a help and not a hindrance. Check out potential organizations at the International Volunteerism Resource Center (idealist.org), a clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities. CharityNavigator.org tracks the financial health of charities.
RAISING MONEY
V
oluntourists pay their own way, and trips can cost thousands of dollars. Here are some ideas from Habitat for Humanity to help cover the cost of a trip: • The Power of Ten: Ask 10 friends to donate $10. Then ask those 10 friends to ask 10 friends to donate, and so on. Before you know it, you’ll have more than enough! • Share on social media: Share your participation with your networks. Provide updates so others will know how much money you’ve raised and how much more you need. • Host a brunch/lunch/dinner: Invite friends to come and dine, and ask for a minimum donation to attend. Speak about your involvement and why it is important.
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* Non-deposit investment products and services are offered through CUSO Financial Services, L.P. (CFS), a registered broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC) and SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Products offered through CFS are not NCUA/ NCUSIF or otherwise federally insured, are not guarantees or obligations of the credit union, and may involve investment risk including possible loss of principal. Investment Representatives are registered through CFS. STCU has contracted with CFS to make non-deposit investment products and services available to credit union members.
STCU Investment Services. stcu.org/investing
(855) 802.3416 | (509) 755.7970 | (208) 619.5220 investmentservices@stcu.org
JUNE-JULY, 2016
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LIVING
Chef Dave Adlard and his cozy Candle in the Woods.
ANNIE KUSTER PHOTOS
COOKING
Kitchen Adventurer Chef Dave Adlard combines fitness, food and a flair for teaching BY CARRIE SCOZZARO
D
ave Adlard doesn’t wait for opportunity to knock; this two-time Ironman participant — he did his first at age 50 — creates his own doorways. A selfdescribed adventurer whose background includes mountaineering, saber-fencing, writing and coaching, Adlard embodies the advice he shares with students: “Make a life and the living will follow.” For Adlard, life includes fitness and food. As a 15-year-old growing up in Canada, Adlard was smitten with Nadia Comaneci, the former Romanian gymnast who captured the world’s attention in the 1976 Summer Olympics. Although active
30 Health JUNE-JULY, 2016
in soccer, curling, fencing, cross-country and badminton, Adlard didn’t want to do gymnastics; he wanted to coach. Two years later he’d found a mentor at a local gym. Forty years later, he’d built a career that included coaching and running gymnastics camps and tournaments, as well as creating fitness DVDs for kids. Adlard’s path to high-level cuisine was similar. He’d been interested in cooking at a young age. As an adult, to immerse himself in the process, he apprenticed to a master chef who he says told him he had a lot of native ability, but “not much craft.” Not only did Adlard develop his craft, as
an athlete and coach, he challenged himself to come up with healthier alternatives to the chef’s delicious yet rich recipes. Although friends encouraged Adlard to open his own restaurant upon moving to Coeur d’Alene, he and wife Lisa opted instead to convert their rural North Idaho home into a dinner venue. They’ve operated Candle in the Woods since 2002, accommodating groups averaging from eight to 18 people. Candle in the Woods offers high-end, prix fixe meals, often paired with wines from their 4,000-bottle collection. Although the food is gourmet, the service is family-style, with an emphasis on relaxing, conversing and creating lasting friendships. One of their greatest joys, he says, is meeting people, especially through the dinners they donate to charity every year. Adlard has also stepped in to guest cook at local restaurants, including Angelo’s Ristorante in Coeur d’Alene, and took part this spring in the inaugural Chef’s Week PNW, joining chefs Adam Hegsted, Molly Patrick and Travis Dickinson to create a seven-course tasting menu. Although officially retired from coach-
BEST NEW RESTAURANT
RECIPE
Bluefin Tuna Tartare with Fruit Salsa
CRAFT COCKTAILS, 34 BEER TAPS 150 BOTTLED BEERS, 4 WINE TAPS
At less than 200 calories per serving and containing plenty of protein, this is a beautiful and delicious small-plate starter or shared appetizer. It can be made 1 to 2 hours ahead of time and kept chilled. 3 ounces fresh-frozen bluefin tuna, partially thawed 1 avocado, cored and halved (overripe will break apart, so look for a firm one)
HOURS:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (recommend olive oil mayo; “lite” mayo also can be used)
Mon - Thurs 11am-10pm • Fri 11am-11pm Sat 8am-11pm • Sun 8am-10pm
1 lemon, halved
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THE OLD BROADVIEW DAIRY
Lemon pepper Paul Prudhomme “Cajun style” blend Pinch of kosher or pink Himalayan salt Small slice of fresh mango or pineapple, small dice ½ small jalapeño, cleaned, small dice Pinch of cilantro or Italian flat parsley, finely minced 1) Dice fruit into pieces a quarter-inch or smaller and place in non-reactive bowl. Add jalapeño, the juice of half a lemon, the minced cilantro or parsley and mix gently. Salt to taste, mix again and set aside.
partly frozen); spoon half of the mayonnaise mixture over it, sprinkle with a small amount of the Cajun-style seasoning and mix gently. 4) Dice avocado into quarter-inch pieces and place into a separate bowl; spoon the remaining mayo mixture over it, sprinkle with lemon pepper and mix gently.
2) Mix mayonnaise and juice of lemon in a small bowl.
5) Place ring mold onto plate or serving platter. Fill with avocado mix to just under the halfway point and level out. Drain salsa if overly runny, then spread salsa on top of the avocado and even out. Fill the remainder of the mold with the tuna mixture, pressing down gently and smoothing out. Carefully remove mold.
3) Dice tuna into one-third-inch cubes and place in a small bowl (it will be easier to dice if still
6) Serve at room temperature with toast points, naan or crackers.
ing, he’s still active in gymnastics — he’s the meet director for the annual Great West Gym Fest — and still involved in teaching. In addition to adult cooking classes for the Culinary Stone, Adlard recently worked with owner Sandra Gunn to create the Culinary Kids Academy, a six-week class for children ages 7 to 13. Kids learn basic knife skills and kitchen etiquette, sauces, baking, sautéing, and meal prep and service.
The classes, says Adlard, have been so successful that he’s creating a second-level class. “There’s a bit of a renaissance going on right now,” says Adlard. “Food is in.” n InHealth Online! See additional recipes from Chef Adlard for Crème Brûléestuffed Poached Pears with Lowfat Crème Anglaise Sauce and Mixed Fruit Galette at inlander.com/inhealth
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LIVING
PARENTING
Bare Necessities Taming the miseries of summer skin woes BY CHELSEA BANNACH
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ummer isn’t completely carefree. Brilliant blue skies and balmy breezes also can bring on a host of troubles for our little ones’ exposed skin. Increased sun exposure means adequate protection is essential, says Spokanebased pediatric dermatologist Dr. Andrea Dominey. “This is important because we know that repeated and prolonged sun exposure, whether it is through sunburns or suntans, can result in the formation of skin cancer, and we also know that ultraviolet A will age the skin,” she says. The first line of defense against sunburns is to cover up with loose clothing, a brimmed hat, and sunglasses. Kids should stay in the shade when possible, and limit sun exposure during the peak intensity hours. Sunscreen also can be applied to children older than 6 months. Some medications can make people more susceptible to burns, or cause a sunburn-like reaction. Antibiotics such as tetracycline or doxycycline often are the culprits when it comes to sun sensitivity, but “even things like Ibuprofen and Aleve
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can make you more sun sensitive,” Dominey says. A cool compress can soothe a burn, but in more severe cases, medical attention may be needed, she says. Call a doctor for extensive blistering, fever or signs of infection; pain management, IV fluids and antibiotics may be needed. And forget getting a so-called base tan to protect from getting a burn — it’s a myth. “You do not want to have a tan or a burn, whether it’s from natural sun or a tanning bed,” Dominey says.
ITCHING
Swimmer’s Itch — the common name for cercarial dermatitis — is caused by the larva of a small aquatic parasite that is excreted in the waste of waterfowl such as ducks and geese, and in some aquatic mammals like beaver and muskrat. It sounds icky, and unfortunately it’s common in lakes and ponds throughout the Northwest, but kids can still swim safely by taking some preventive measures. “If you go in the water, you want to go ahead and rinse off and towel off vigor-
ously,” Dominey says. If a child swims in infested waters, the parasite can burrow into the skin as the water begins to evaporate. Symptoms develop within five minutes to an hour after leaving the water, according to the Spokane Regional Health District, and may include a sharp burning and itching in the affected areas. Small reddish pimples, surrounded by areas of redness, appear within 12 hours. Itching usually subsides in a week, but can last as long as 30 days. In the meantime, as with many summertime skin ailments, calamine lotion and an antihistamine such as Benadryl can ease the itch. Urticaria, or “hives,” is a fairly common malady that causes raised, itchy welts. A lot of different things can cause hives, including the sun, heat, cold and exertion. “Those are what we call physical hives,” Dominey says. “Then you have hives that are caused by allergens.” In the case of hives, Dominey says that doctors usually recommend antihistamines. To prevent future cases, the physical trigger may need to be identified. Heat exhaustion and heat rash are not uncommon in the summer, either, says Dominey. Babies are especially susceptible to heat rash, which is caused by blocked sweat ducts trapping perspiration. The bumpy red rash is typically found on the neck, shoulders and chest, and in skin folds and creases.
Heat rash usually clears up on its own, but it could be a warning sign that baby is overheated. To prevent heat rash and heat exhaustion, Dominey says, “minimize exertion during the warm hours, stay hydrated and wear loose clothing.” Poison ivy and oak release an oil called urushiol, causing contact dermatitis, an allergic skin reaction resulting in a painful, itchy, red rash with bumps and blisters. What’s even worse is that the oil can spread. Adequate coverage from clothing and boots are best for protection. Dominey says that indirect exposure can occur from things like camping gear and pets that have come in contact with the plant. “As you continue to touch those items, if you’re not careful to wash it off or remove it, then you’ll be re-exposed to it,” she says. Cool compresses, calamine lotion and antihistamines can provide some relief.
BUGS
Ticks and mosquitoes aren’t just an annoyance — they can be vectors of disease. Different types of ticks carry different diseases, says Steve Main with the Spokane Regional Health District, which runs a campaign urging people to take precautions against bites in the spring, summer and early fall, when ticks are most active. “Fortunately, they’re pretty rare in our area,” Main says of tick-borne diseases. Relapsing fever, transmitted by softbodied ticks, is the most common — though it still affects few. Soft-bodied ticks don’t embed in the skin, but they do bite. Early symptoms mimic the flu, and medical treatment is recommended. The vector for Lyme disease, the deer tick, hasn’t been found in this part of the state. Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tick paralysis cases have been reported here, but Main says those cases are very rare. To reduce tick activity, Main says homeowners should trim their trees and shrubs, keep their lawns mowed, pick up leaf litter, and move brush piles away from the house. A mulch or bark barrier around the home also helps, and children’s play structures should be located away from long grass or shrubs. “They don’t jump or fly,” he says. “They kind of move their bodies to the tips of the grass blade and wait for you to brush by.” Main says when hiking, cover up with clothing and stay on the trail. “We encourage everyone to hike with
their friends and to check each other fairly frequently to make sure there aren’t ticks,” he says. “If you shower right after your hike, it really reduces the chances that a tick will embed in your skin.” Repellents also offer good protection, he says, but parents should read the label and never let young children apply it. If a tick does embed, find the first-aid kit, grab the tweezers and try to remove it using steady pressure, says Sandy Phillips, Living Environment Program technical advisor for the Spokane Regional Health District. After the stowaway is removed, cleanse the area with an antiseptic. “You don’t want to jerk it out, and you don’t want the head to break off, either,” Phillips says. Mosquitoes known as container breeders can carry West Nile virus. They feel at home in small pools of water — in a Frisbee, a child’s pool, even an indentation on a tarp. “Those are all excellent breeding ground for mosquitoes, so if those aren’t drained regularly, then they can create a mosquito problem on your own property,” Main says. “We encourage everyone to take a little time looking around their home for those very small bodies of water.” West Nile virus — which can cause severe neurological disease in humans — has been reported in Washington in the past, but not in Spokane County. Earlier this year, a pregnant Spokane County mom was diagnosed with the Zika virus, but officials believe she acquired the infection while traveling to a Zika-affected area. The mosquito species known to cause Zika isn’t found in northern states. For many pests, avoiding fragrance, covering up with light-colored woven clothing, and using repellents with DEET on exposed skin as needed can reduce exposure, but even the best preventive measures won’t save children from all bug bites and stings. Still, most are mild, causing redness, itching, stinging or mild swelling at the site. In these cases, some simple measures can ease discomfort, according to the health district. Remove the stinger if there is one left in the skin, wash the area with soap and water, apply a cool compress, and use products containing hydrocortisone and calamine lotion to combat pain and itching. Over-the-counter pain relievers and antihistamines can help, too. Some reactions could be life threatening, though. Call 911 if the child experiences difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips, eyelids or throat, hives, dizziness, faintness or confusion. n
LIVING BOOMERS
Keeping Time Dancing together forges bonds of fitness and friendship BY LINDSAY NOLL BRANTING
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ark Twain once said, “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” But does it? While we worry our later years might include health woes or physical limitations, the Spring Chicks hold a different view, one that Mark Twain would no doubt approve of. According to these ladies, the term “senior citizen” offers its bearer a life of laughter, friends… and dancing. The women met through their involvement in the Tap Grandmas, a large dance group that performs in the Spokane area. One participant, Jan Preston, felt an hour of tapping was insufficient and began staying
after practice to clog. She caught the attention of several group members who asked her to teach them the unfamiliar folk dance. In a short time, the informal gatherings gained enough momentum to create a new troupe: the Spring Chicks. The ladies practice together four days a week. In a group that feels more like a bunch of sisters, they neither tire of the exercise nor the company. “It’s a
sisterhood of cloggers!” says Joyce Sleeth. When asked about the toll that rehearsing takes on their bodies, each is quick to defend their activity. “I think if I quit dance I’d probably gain 30 pounds in less than a year,” says Kim Turner. She receives hearty agreement from her partners in crime, including Marion Martinolich: “If I didn’t dance, I’d be crippled. It’s very medicinal.” But the group hasn’t been without injuries. Merry Dick broke three bones in a dance-related fall, and Turner underwent foot surgery. Several group members experienced other health issues that temporarily benched their participation. John Celestino, lead physical therapist at Valley Hospital and Medical Center, offers his perspective: “Dancing has its drawbacks in certain people afflicted by joint, cardiac or respiratory conditions. [But] when coached and presented properly in accordance with an individual’s skill and current fitness level, dance can be a tremendous way to improve health, and promote
Retirement means different things to different people. For people at Rockwood South Hill, it means living in a beautiful, safe residence where you’re surrounded by friendly neighbors. And enjoying a host of activities, delicious cuisines, spectacular natural views and the security that comes from a community created for the lifestyle you desire. We invite you to join us for a bus tour and lunch presentation to explore the future of exceptional retirement living at Rockwood South Hill. Tour apartments in the new Summit Tower!
Thursday July 21st
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Where Retirement
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34 Health JUNE-JULY, 2016
of primary importance. And not only does the exercise strengthen their bodies, the choreography stimulates their minds. “Talk about it being good for your brain — I call it math on your feet,” says Susan Reiter. “It’s all the patterning, and then having to retain and retrieve it.” In the end, though, it’s not their improved health that keeps the Spring Chicks coming back for more, it’s each other. Together since 2008, these ladies don’t plan to quit anytime soon. And they’re open to other women who share their passion. “We’re very open to include anyone who has that same love of music and dance,” Reiter says. Celestino provides a final piece of advice for anyone eager to accept the Spring Chicks’ invitation: “Women after the fifth to sixth decade of life should consult their physician before taking up a new sport or activity for which they have no prior experience.” n
The Spring Chicks stay fit by tapping their toes at least four times a week. socialization, in a myriad of age groups.” Their doctors seem to agree. “That’s the first thing [my doctor] asks when he sees me — ‘Are you still dancing?’ I say
TESS FARNSWORTH PHOTO
yes, and he says, ‘Keep on dancing!’” says Sleeth. In a group whose members’ ages range from mid-60s to mid-70s, health is
For more information, or to schedule a performance for your organization or fundraiser, call (509) 290-0245.
Every Sunday - Rain or Shine! 1 - 3pm TASTE savory food from neighborhood restaurants & chefs. SHOP from talented crafters & artists. EMBRACE the flowers & produce from local nurseries. Garden Plaze of Post Falls Under the Portico Please call (208) 773-3701 for more information.
545 N Garden Court | Post Falls, Idaho 83854 JUNE-JULY, 2016
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LIVING JUNE - JULY EVENTS
trians, skaters, and other human-powered transportation. Activities, including a bike-decorating contest, and booths are set up in Manito and Comstock parks and along the designated 4-mile, car-free route through the neighborhood. Tue, June 21, from 6-9 pm. Free. Manito and Comstock parks, on Spokane’s South Hill. summerparkways.com
BLOOD DONATION | Give blood at the Inland Northwest Blood Center, which requires up to 200 donors each day to keep bank stocked. Donors can schedule an appointment online or donate during walk-in hours. Spokane office: Mon, Fri-Sun from 7 am-3 pm; Tue-Thu, 11 am-6 pm. Coeur d’Alene office: Mon, Fri, Sat, from 7 am-3 pm; Tue-Thu, 11 am-6 pm. inbcsaves.org (423-0151)
SUMMER SOLSTICE FUN RUN | The Children’s Tumor Foundation, Fleet Feet and Spokane’s Flying Irish running team host a 10K fundraiser run along the Centennial Trail, with 100 percent of registration proceeds benefiting the Children’s Tumor Foundation. Also includes a quarter-mile kids’ run (6 pm). Fri, June 17, at 6:30 pm. $15-$35. Riverfront Park, starting line at the North Shelter. classy.org/nfesummersolstice2016
2016 FREE STATE PARK DAYS | Washington State Parks and Recreation allows visitors access to all state parks without needing a Discover Pass. Includes access locally to Riverside State Park, Palouse Falls and Mt. Spokane state parks. Upcoming “free” days on June 4, June 11, Aug. 25 and Sept. 24. More details at parks.wa.gov
PARADE OF PAWS | The Spokane Humane Society’s 13th annual dog-walk fundraiser is open to groups and individuals, offering 2- or 4-mile walks, local vendors and info booths and a barbecue. Walkers who collect $100 or more receive an event T-shirt. Sat, June 18, at 10 am; day-of registration starts at 8 am. Entry by donation and/or pledges. Spokane Humane Society, 6607 N. Havana. spokanehumanesociety.org (467-5235 x 212)
BE FIT TO SERVE | A 5.5-mile challenge: run up/down hills, complete bootcamp-style activities and overcome obstacles. Proceeds benefit the Hutton Settlement, Meals on Wheels, Ghana Make A Difference and Better Me Better Moms. Sat, June 18, at 9 am. $40/person. Hutton Settlement, 9907 E. Wellesley Ave. bit.ly/1T3D2Ar INBODY 570 TESTS | INHS Community Wellness has a machine available to the public which provides a complete picture of body composition, including weight, body mass index, body fat mass, basal metabolic rate and more. Appointments are available on June 9, June 23, July 5, July 19, Aug. 3, Aug. 18 and Aug. 30. $20/test. INHS Community Wellness Center, 501 N. Riverpoint Blvd., Suite 245. wellness.inhs.org
MEDICAL LAKE FOUNDER’S DAY TRIATHLON | A sprintdistance triathlon, ideal for first timers, consisting of a 350-meter swim, followed by a 12.2-mile bike ride on paved roads and a 2.92 mile run around Medical Lake. Open to individuals and teams of three. Sat, June 18, from 1-4 pm. $45/person; $55/team. medicallake.org/ triathlon (979-0158)
LIVING WELL WITH DIABETES | An interactive, groupbased workshop for those living with diabetes to learn how to deal with symptoms, eat healthy, exercise and properly use medications. Six-week sessions begin on June 16 (meets weekly at 5 pm) and Aug. 20 (meets weekly at noon). No cost to attend. Meets at CenterPlace Regional Event Center, 2426 Mirabeau Pkwy., Spokane Valley. Register at wellness.inhs.org
CORBIN CENTER GOLF SCRAMBLE | A light-hearted afternoon raising funds to benefit the Corbin Senior Center in Spokane. $75-$85/person; $325/team of four. Fee includes play, cart and dinner. Fri, June 24, at noon. Indian Canyon Golf Course, 4303 W. West Dr. info@ corbinseniorcenter.org (327-1584) BABYSITTING BASICS | This course is designed for youth ages 10 to 15, preparing them to become successful babysitters, and includes instruction in infant care, CPR, discipline, safety and more. Offered June 24, July 12, July 29 and Aug. 19, from 9 am-2 pm. $40; online registration available. St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute, 711 S. Cowley. wellness.inhs.org (232-8138)
BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED | A garden party celebrating the growth and wholeness of women who bloom in the Transitions’ programs. Learn about Transitions from staff, hear from Miryam’s House participants and enjoy light snacks/refreshments from New Leaf Bakery. Sat, June 18, from 10:30 am-12:30 pm. RSVP to mtracey@help4women.org or call 328-6702, location will be provided upon registration.
HOOPFEST | Participate in or be a spectator at Spokane’s annual three-on-three basketball tournament, the largest of its kind in the world. June 25-26. Free to watch. Downtown Spokane. spokanehoopfest.net (6242414)
SUMMER PARKWAYS | Spokane’s biggest summer block party is now in its seventh year. Streets are closed to motorized vehicles and opened up to bikes, pedes-
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PENNANT RUN | The annual Spokane Indians Fourth of July Pennant Run 5K benefits the Wounded Warrior Project. Also includes the Little Sluggers Dash 1K for kids age 3 and under. Sat, July 4, at 9 am. $15-$25; kids under 3 free. Avista Stadium, 602 N. Havana. spokaneindianspennantrun.com (535-2922) U-DISTRICT FOUNDATION SUMMER FUN RUN SERIES The annual fun run 5K series takes place on the last three Tuesdays in July. Runner’s Soul and David’s Pizza are on site, too. Free for children 17 and under and $5/ race for adults. July 5, 12, 19 and 26. U District PT, 730 N. Hamilton. udistrictpt.com/foundation (458-7686) LET’S CLIMB A MOUNTAIN | Create a team or go solo in the annual, 34.3-mile race from the Clocktower in Riverfront Park to the top of Mt. Spokane. Sat, July 9, starting at 6 am (solo) or 6:30 am (teams). $60-$70/ solo; $25-$30/team member. letsclimbamountain.com STRIDER CUP RACES | The national, Strider-sanctioned races give small children and people with special needs a chance to put their Balance Bike skills to the test. Strider’s no-pedal balance bikes are developed for both learning the ropes of riding and honing advanced skills in racing. Sat, July 9, at 9 am. $28-$35. At Riverfront Park, Spokane. striderbikes.com/spokane THE DIRTY DASH | The annual, mud-run obstacle course returns to Spokane. Kids ages 12 and under can also sign up for the “Piglet Plunge” ($20). A portion of the proceeds benefit Peak 7 Adventures. Sat, July 9, at 9 am. $14-$70. Riverside State Park ORV Park, 9412 Inland Rd., Nine Mile Falls. thedirtydash.com VALLEY GIRL TRIATHLON | The annual, women’s sprint distance triathlon includes a ⅓-mile swim, 12-mile bike ride and 3-mile run. Proceeds support Transitions women’s shelter. Sun, July 10, starting at 7:45 am. $90/ person, $145/team. Starts and ends at Liberty Lake Village Beachfront. valleygirltri.com (953-9924) JACEY’S RACE | A timed 5K race/walk and 1K kids fun run benefiting local families with children who are being treated for cancer or other life-threatening illness. Sun, July 10, at 8:30 am. $15-$30. Sandpoint High School, 410 S. Division Ave. jaceys-race.com (208-610-8023) RIDE FOR LIFE | A ride to raise money and awareness for the American Cancer Childhood Organization Inland Northwest. All monies stay local to help kids who are battling cancer. Event includes a carnival, auction, raffle, food and drinks. Sat, July 16, 9 am-6 pm. Free. Ends at Curley’s, 26433 W. Hwy. 53, Hauser, Idaho. (710-7711)
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hroughout the calendar year, there are countless opportunities to lace up those running shoes and take a jog for a good cause. This annual North Idaho event is no different — there’s running, and it supports local programs and services — except for one major detail. By the race’s end, you’re going to be covered in mud from head to toe. The two-mile Muddy Miles run in July helps North Idaho families access medical, dental and mental health care at Heritage Health, a nonprofit community health care organization serving that region. By paying the entry fee to slop through muddy puddles and climb over other course obstacles at Muddy Miles, you’re contributing to Heritage Health’s Maryellen Fund, which allows the most vulnerable patients access to quality health care at no cost. The race is open to families, (including kids as young as age 3), competitive athletes and all those in between, with options for teams and family entry so you can slog through it all together. Check out the race website for all the registration options, and to see fun photos of dirt-splattered, smiling faces from past races. — CHEY SCOTT
SPOKENYA | The seventh annual 7K run/walk benefits efforts to bring clean water to Adiedo, Kenya. Sat, July 16, at 9 am. $25-$35. Starts at Life Center Church, 1202 N. Government Way. spokenyarun.org (209-7504) SCHWEITZER MOUNTAIN TRAIL RUN | The fifth annual trail run offers 3.5-mile and 10-mile distances, on mostly single-track trails. The Schweitzer Music Festival is after the race (2 pm). Sat, July 16, at 10 am. $35-$45. Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Sandpoint. smtrailrun.com ZAK! CHARITY OPEN | The annual dinner, auction and golf tournament benefits the Rypien Foundation, which supports local children with cancer. Dinner and auction ($125/person) on July 17 at Northern Quest; golf tournament on July 18 at the Kalispel Golf & Country Club. zakcharityopen.org (244-8656) LILAC BLIND CHARITY GOLF SCRAMBLE | The 19th annual event raises money for high-quality, client-
FUN RUN
Makin’ a Mess
Muddy Miles • July 16, from 10 am1 pm • $15-$35/person; $100-$150/ team • Race located at Highway 41 and Prairie Avenue in Post Falls • muddymiles.org • 208-415-0292
centered training, support and optical aids to people in the Inland Northwest who are seeking ways to remain self-sufficient and active while living with vision loss. Fri, July 22, at 7:30 am. $125/person. At Downriver Golf Course, 3225 N. Columbia Circle. contact@lilacblind.org (995-1226)
RACE THE RIVER | The 9th annual sprint-distance triathlon includes a half-mile swim with the current of the Spokane River, a 15-mile bike ride and a 3-mile run. Also includes a kids’ race ($20). Sun, July 24. $60/individual, $150/relay team of 2-3 members. Starts at Riverstone Park, Coeur d’Alene. Racetheriver.com
SPOKANE VEGFEST | The third annual expo features 100-plus vendors/exhibitors offering healthy living and animal-friendly lifestyle products and advice, cooking demos, live music, yoga, outdoor farmers market and more. Sat, July 23, from 10 am-6 pm. Free admission. Spokane Community College, 1810 N. Greene. Inveg.org
SPOKANE VALLEY CYCLE CELEBRATION | Spend the day exploring the scenic beauty in and around Spokane Valley on your choice of a 10-, 25-, or 50-mile bike ride, or participate in the first ever Bike Rodeo in the park (ages 10 and under). Sun, July 31, at 8 am. $8/kids’; $10/ adults. Mirabeau Park Meadows, 13500 Mirabeau Parkway. Cyclecelebration.com (922-3299) n
RELAY FOR LIFE CDA | Gather up your friends and family to create a team to participate in the biggest national fundraiser event benefiting the programs and services of the American Cancer Society. Sat, July 23, from noon to midnight. McEuen Park, 420 E. Front St. relayforlife. org/coeurdaleneid
The calendar is a free service, on a space-available basis. Mark submissions “InHealth Calendar” and include the time, date, address, cost and a contact phone number. Mail: 1227 W. Summit Pkwy, Spokane, WA 99201; or Email: calendar@inlander.com.
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JUNE-JULY, 2016
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LIVING
Salah-uddin Ahmed in his WSU Spokane lab: “You’re always on the edge when you’re in science.”
YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
INNOVATION
Reading Tea Leaves Can green tea fight rheumatoid arthritis? One WSU professor says it may do that — and more BY DANIEL WALTERS
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he face of Salah-uddin Ahmed, an associate professor at Washington State University’s School of Pharmacy, isn’t quite on the cover of the February issue of the medical journal Arthritis & Rheumatology, but the next best thing is. The cover has a stylized illustration of the molecule that his research has revealed may become a new tool in fighting rheumatoid arthritis. “This is the actual molecule — this is our study,” Ahmed says. “I’m really proud of this study.” Ahmed writes it down on a yellow slip of paper so I can get the spelling right:
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epigallocatechin-3-gallate, or “EGCG” for short. After 10 years studying the causes and treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, Ahmed’s latest discovery centers on this molecule — the same substance you gulp down every time you drink a cup of green tea. At times, the Food and Drug Administration has sent companies warning letters for making big, untested claims about the power of “Green Tea Extract.” But there have been studies that show promise. Ahmed’s is one such study. After rats in his Spokane lab were injected with EGCG for a short period of time, he found there
had been a significant reduction in the severity of rheumatoid arthritis. “This is very nice preclinical success,” he says.
SHAKING UP PROTEINS
Let’s break down why Ahmed believes this happened: Rheumatoid arthritis isn’t like osteoarthritis, which is all about the wear and tear of the cartilage between joints, whether from age or distance running. Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, is an autoimmune disease where the body malfunctions, sending proteins that normally scavenge for intruders to combat its own tissue. “The immune system gets some misinformation, and they start attacking,” Ahmed says. The efforts to study rheumatoid arthritis have often focused on a handful of immune-system proteins, with names like TNF alpha and Interleukin 1. In a healthy body, these are front-line troops sent to fight infections. But sometimes something goes haywire with the signals in the immune system, and the body keeps pumping out these proteins, even when there are no infections to fight.
With no target to battle, the proteins wage war on the body itself. Some of the most effective anti-rheumatoid arthritis drugs currently on the market, like Enbrel from Pfizer, focus on wiping out the troops, removing the problematic proteins from the field of battle. Yet these drugs can be quite expensive, and come with major side-effects: Unsurprisingly, blocking proteins that fight infection can lead to a higher risk of infection. In Ahmed’s experiment, instead of targeting the troops, he took aim at muzzling the commanders. He targets one of the proteins — called TAK1 — that sits in the center in the pathways between the other malfunctioning proteins, signaling them. That’s where the green-tea chemical comes in. “What we found was that EGCG was able to inhibit this protein,” Ahmed says. By cutting off the lines of communication, the green-tea molecule didn’t halt the production of these proteins entirely, but slowed it down enough to alleviate arthritis symptoms. At least it did in rats.
Be Informed. Live Well. Health
RAMIFICATIONS
Ahmed says it’s possible that the tea itself could serve as a treatment. Maybe a cup of green tea a day will keep the doctor away, alleviating the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis over time. Or possibly the EGCG could be extracted, and turned into a new drug. Of course, all that possibility is far in the distance: Ahmed’s study hasn’t been replicated yet, and it hasn’t been tried in humans. Plenty of studies that show possibilities of clinical promise in the future fizzle out in latter steps. “There’s no guarantee, frankly speaking,” Ahmed says. “You’re always on the edge when you’re in science. And especially when doing cutting-edge science, you know.” Even if it doesn’t work this time, here’s what Ahmed is really excited about: Not EGCG, but the discovery of TAK1’s impact on the proteins involved in autoimmune diseases. “That’s the take-home message. We have identified a target here for the treatment of other diseases,” Ahmed says. “Can we use this information to apply to other diseases?” There are plenty of other autoimmune diseases in which inhibiting TAK1 might be beneficial. “So, if this plays a role in arthritis, but if it also plays a role in, let’s say, type 1 diabetes or multiple sclerosis, just as an example — then this has more implications.” Ahmed says. n
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Together we’re doing great things. A new therapeutic garden at Providence Adult Day Health will help patients challenged by disease, dementia, injuries or the frailties of aging exercise their mind, body and spirit. And it’s all possible because of generous gifts to Providence Health Care Foundation. In 2015, Providence Health Care Foundation awarded $5.8 million in grants to our hospitals in Spokane and Stevens counties. We support everything from building upgrades to art supplies. Ultrasound machines to family support groups. It’s not too late to help. Visit phc.org/giving for more information and to donate to the therapy garden at Providence Adult Day Health.
Thank you. Tee Up for Thursday, September 22 Kalispel Golf & Country Club Join us for an unparalleled golf experience, with all the proceeds benefiting Team St. Luke’s, a recreational program for youth and adults with physical disabilities. Call 509.474.4675 to reserve your spot or for more information.