Blogs

Black History Month is a great time to acknowledge the contributions to public health by the many Black Americans who have saved lives and paved the way for better health. However, how do you choose who to share about from the expansive list of public health heroes? All public health is important to us, but for the sake of time, let’s focus on some programs where Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) staff directly provides for our community. Here are four Black public health leaders who have made an impact in those areas.

Chances are you have been affected by a school or childcare closure, lack of staff at the workplace or have had to quarantine because of the rise in COVID-19 infections in the last month. The uncertainty can be exhausting, especially after two years of a pandemic. There are, however, things we can focus on to help find balance with feelings of reassurance and confidence.

Throughout the pandemic it has been important to find joy and connection in new ways, and with high transmission and hospitalization rates in our area, it’s still important to remember a few tips for gathering safely. Setting expectations, testing, getting vaccinated, staying outside when possible, and letting people know if you tested positive for COVID-19 after the event are all ways to help make your gatherings safer.

According to a report from the American Diabetes Association, 9.7% of Washington’s adult population has diagnosed diabetes. This number doesn’t even include those who have diabetes and don’t know it and those who have prediabetes. There are a lot of questions around diabetes, so we want to highlight a program that works to address this issue in a very realistic and practical way.

If you're ready to quit using tobacco products such as cigarettes, vapes, or chew, you might be curious about what that process looks like. You might even have questions about setting a quit day or avoiding temptations and cravings after the fact.

All these questions are normal, and the good news is that the Washington State Quitline has been an available resource for tobacco users for the last 20 years. However, many people are unaware of what actually happens when they call the Quitline. We want to eliminate some of that stress and offer you insight because we know choosing to quit tobacco is a big deal.