Alerts:  Nov. 12, 2024: Pertussis (whooping cough) outbreak confirmed in Spokane County. SRHD urges parents and pregnant people to vaccinate. Read the press release.

Blogs

Upcoming Continuing Education Opportunities

Upcoming Continuing Education Opportunities

April 17, 2019
NFID Webinar on Overcoming Barriers to Healthcare Personnel Immunization April 25, 2019 - 10 am

NFID Webinar on Overcoming Barriers to Healthcare Personnel Immunization April 25, 2019 - 10 am

Join the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) for a free webinar on Thursday, April 25 at 10 am to 11 am PDT on Strategies for Overcoming Barriers to Healthcare Personnel Immunization. 

Continuing education credit is available. Pre-registration is required.

At the conclusion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Summarize the current US recommendations for healthcare personnel immunization and coverage rates
  • Explain issues, challenges, and opportunities that may impact healthcare personnel immunization acceptance
  • Discuss best practices and practical strategies to increase healthcare personnel immunization rates in various healthcare settings
VaxExpo - May 22, 2019 at CenterPlace Regional Event Center, Spokane Valley

VaxExpo - May 22, 2019 at CenterPlace Regional Event Center, Spokane Valley

Mark your calendars for the third annual VaxExpo as we share innovative ideas and best practices to better protect communities from vaccine-preventable diseases. This event is intended for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, medical assistants, pharmacists, and other immunization advocates.

Specific topics will include a vaccine administration update, managing adverse reactions, reframing the conversation around vaccine hesitancy, creating a positive vaccine culture in practices, an HPV panel discussion, and more. A keynote address will be delivered by Douglas Opel, MD, MPH of Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Continuing education credits for this activity are pending.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019 from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm
CenterPlace Regional Event Center
2426 N Discovery Place in Spokane Valley, WA

Registration is $50 and includes breakfast and lunch. Register Here

Coming Soon: Free E-Learning Course on Strategies for Communicating with Parents About Vaccines

Coming Soon: Free E-Learning Course on Strategies for Communicating with Parents About Vaccines

Coming soon, a free e-learning activity sponsored by SRHD, Within Reach and Group Health Foundation and presented by Douglas Opel, MD, MPH of University of Washington School of Medicine and Seattle Children’s Hospital. Learn about vaccine hesitancy and how healthcare providers can better communicate with parents who have concerns about vaccines.

Continuing education for various professions will be available; more information coming soon.

This course will be offered and available through immunitycommunitywa.org/courses/. Check the link now for other offerings and come back to look for this new course.

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SRHD Communicable Disease Reporting Manual Now Online
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In an attempt to conserve resources and provide better convenience with timely updates, the SRHD Communicable Disease Resources and Reporting Manual is now online. Here you will find healthcare provider-specific resources for notifiable conditions, report forms, STD screening and treatment guidelines, tuberculosis testing information, immunization schedules, patient materials, and more.

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Washington State Public Health Lab – A Resource that Requires Prior Approval
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The Washington State Public Health Lab (WA PHL) is a laboratory operated by the Washington State Department of Health in Shoreline, WA. In addition to standard newborn screening and testing for biohazardous materials, WA PHL offers testing for a wide variety of organisms of public health concern. Both public health practitioners and medical providers can order testing through WA PHL; however, specimens to be shipped to WA PHL by medical providers must first obtain approval from their local health department prior to shipping. Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) Epidemiology staff can be reached at 509.324.1442 during normal business hours and 509.869.3133 after hours.

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Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive Predictive Value… Oh My!
Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive Predictive Value… Oh My!

With the definitions of sensitivity and specificity often erroneously used interchangeably, it is easy to forget their true meaning. It is important to take into account a test’s sensitivity and specificity, as well as positive and negative predictive values, when making testing decisions and subsequent diagnoses.

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