29 results matching “Medical Reserve”

The Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) program serves children, ages 0 to 18 years, who have, or who are at risk of developing, serious chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions. Staff assist families in learning about and connecting with parent organizations, support groups, financial resources, and educational resources regarding the child’s medical condition and special needs.

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.

The recent nation-wide mumps outbreak was extremely taxing on local public schools and families, the medical community, and other public health partners. The Spokane outbreak was declared over this June and was the largest in recent memory. Read more about the following topic areas by clicking "Read More" below:

    Spokane Mumps Outbreak 2016-2017: In Numbers
    Behind the Scenes: Mumps Case Investigation
    Changes to Mumps Exclusion Recommendations

‘I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.’ Used in many medical schools today, many providers subscribe to this core tenet of practicing medicine. And the commonly-acknowledged, low hanging fruit in terms of prevention? Quitting smoking.

You might wonder, “Why does it matter if my kids aren’t vaccinated, as long as yours are?” It’s a good question. It’s important to ask questions about your child’s health—and to ask trusted sources. Pediatricians are trained to give safe medical advice and are happy to answer your questions. They can also help you understand what’s best for your child’s health.

Parents across the country are breathing a sigh of relief that a COVID-19 vaccine is now approved for emergency use in kids aged 5-11. We understand how exciting it is. It’s true that, overall, children have seen less severe cases of COVID-19 than adults, but that doesn’t mean they are not at risk. The question for any medical intervention should never be whether it is perfect, but rather does the benefit of the treatment outweigh the risks. In this case, multiple agencies with the most qualified professionals across the United States have almost unanimously agreed that yes, COVID-19 poses much more of a risk to our children than vaccination.

July 28 is World Hepatitis Day. We hear about hepatitis, and we know it’s bad, but do we know what it is? Do we know how it is spread and do we know enough to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe? Let’s start with some basics. Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. The liver processes nutrients, filters the blood and fights infections, so if it is inflamed, these things can be affected. Things such as alcohol use, some medications and certain medical conditions can cause hepatitis. However, it is usually caused by a virus. In the United States, we classify the most common types of viral hepatitis as hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.

On March 23, Governor Inslee issued a Stay Home, Stay Healthy order that will last for a minimum of two weeks. The order requires everyone in Washington state to stay at home, except while performing the following activities:

• Doing an essential activity such as shopping for groceries or going to a medical appointment.
• Getting takeout food (including food deliveries).
• Going to work at an essential business.
• Going outside for walks and exercise, as long as social distancing of 6 feet is maintained.
• Understanding what it means to “stay at home.”

For those who smoke tobacco, quitting usually ranks high on the New Year’s resolution list. In fact, XX% of those who smoke in Spokane County stated in a recent survey that they wish to quit. What better time for the local medical community to recommit to supporting patients’ successes in quitting?