Blogs

SRHD has extremely dedicated staff who are always working to create a healthier community. Often some of the most important work goes on behind the scenes. Recently, however, two of our staff received awards of recognition from Vanessa Behan, an organization that provides safety and resources for our community’s children and families. Erin Whitehead, epidemiologist, was presented the Heart of Gold award and Jennifer Hansen, health program specialist, was recognized as the Child Advocate of the Year.

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.