Health care always begins with health. Even though I believe increasing access to health care is a giant leap forward it's only part of the solution. If we design our neighborhoods so we can walk more and drive less, it helps improve fitness, reduces deaths and injuries from car crashes, and lessens air pollution. Just as reducing poverty could alleviate the economic and social strains that add to poor health.  

If you check out the Spokane Regional Health District Indicators page, you'll see Spokane's life expectancy is at 79 years - low for the rest of Washington - and their seems to be a greater disparity in numbers based on race. As mentioned in the Inlander a while back, “people in Southgate, which hugs the southeast corner of Spokane’s city limits, live 84 years on average. In Riverside, the neighborhood that encompasses downtown Spokane, it’s about 66 years."

Adrian Dominguez, an epidemiologist for the health district and an author of the report found these results pretty disturbing. She told the Inlander: “We know [the cause] of cardiovascular disease — it’s unhealthy eating, lack of exercise,” Dominguez says. “Riverside probably has one of the densest areas of fastfood restaurants.”

Now Spokane is seeking to address these issues. The City is joining local agencies in banding together to host Health Equity in Spokane: Deepening the Dialogue. They’re inviting citizens to join in at one of several conveniently located, free-to-attend dialogues taking place in October and November. Information from the SRHD report, Odds Against Tomorrow, will be presented along with facilitated discussions to foster a shared understanding of health inequity in our community and its root causes. It their our hope these dialogues will help promote meaningful change in locally to improve the health and well-being of citizens. To read the full report and to register visit: srhd.org/healthequity.

The locations, dates and times are as follows:

East Central Community Center Hosted by City of Spokane
500 S Stone St Spokane, WA 99202 
October 10, 2012 6 - 8 p.m. 

Northeast Community Center Hosted by SNAP
4001 N Cook St Spokane, WA 99207 
October 17, 2012 6 - 8 p.m.

Community School Hosted by NATIVE Project 
1300 W Knox Ave 
Spokane, WA 99205 
October 24, 2012 6 - 8 p.m.

The Globe Room in Cataldo Hall at Gonzaga University Hosted by Gonzaga University
502 E Boone Ave Spokane, WA 99202 
November 14, 2012 7 – 9 a.m.

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