THE CHALLENGES
Spokane has a percentage of smokers higher than the rest of the state, and it's particularly problematic when it comes to expecting moms, says Cindy Green, program manager for the Spokane Regional Health District.
According to 2013 numbers from the SRHD, the most recent available, the maternal smoking rate in Spokane is 15.3 percent, higher than the 9 percent for Washington state. Green says that while reasons for the percentage of women smokers may be inconclusive, the data shows that women on Medicaid are more likely to smoke during pregnancy. Adult smoking, overall, is nearly 19 percent in Spokane County, also higher than the state average of 16 percent.
"Since tobacco is still the leading cause of death in our community, we'd still like this to be lower," she says.
Green also says that Spokane has a higher rate of unvaccinated children than the rest of the state. Between 2009 and 2013, according to SRHD numbers, Spokane saw a significant increase in diseases that could have been prevented with vaccines. Over this time period, the number of people with vaccine-preventable diseases rose from 4 per 100,000 population to 13 per 100,000. There also was an outbreak of pertussis, a highly contagious disease also known as "whooping cough."
— Jake Thomas
HEALTH CARE HONORS
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center has been recognized by Healthgrades as being in the top 5 percent of 4,500 hospitals nationwide for its clinical performance. The hospital also has been recognized for its stroke care, critical care, pulmonary services and neurosurgery.
Deaconess Hospital also has received various recognitions for bariatric surgery, cardiac care, knee and hip replacement and spine surgery. Kootenai Health was designated one of America's 50 best hospitals for cardiac surgery.
— Jake Thomas
TOP 10 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH
972 deaths from cancer
757 deaths from cancer
268 deaths from unintentional injury
265 deaths from chronic lower respitory disease
264 deaths from a stroke
125 deaths from diabetes
90 deaths from suicide
73 deaths from infections/parasitic disease
71 deaths from chronic liver disease/cirrosis
