Arielle Dreher

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News >  Health

Survey: More than 6,000 nurses are needed in hospitals throughout Washington

Mon., Nov. 29, 2021

A recent survey from the Washington State Hospital Association, which included responses from 80 hospitals that have 85% of the beds in the state, found that there are 6,100 vacant nursing positions at these facilities.

News >  Health

Spokane County health officer gives tips for gathering safely as holiday season arrives

UPDATED: Fri., Nov. 26, 2021

As the COVID rate continues to decline in Spokane County, Health Officer Dr. Francisco Velázquez is hopeful that Thanksgiving will not result in those trends reversing.

News >  Health

How to get your proof of COVID-19 vaccination ahead of the holidays

UPDATED: Wed., Nov. 24, 2021

With the holidays practically here, you might need to prove you are vaccinated in more than one way depending on where you go in the state.

News

Hospitals in Idaho still in crisis of care, but COVID-19 cases trending down

UPDATED: Mon., Nov. 22, 2021

Idaho health officials on Monday moved all of the state out of crisis standards of care – except North Idaho.

News

Second free testing site for COVID-19 in Spokane County will open at fairgrounds

UPDATED: Mon., Nov. 22, 2021

Spokane County’s second community COVID testing site will open this Friday at 8 a.m. at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center in Spokane Valley.

News

Health insurance enrollment open with American Rescue Plan discounts in effect

Sat., Nov. 20, 2021

Enrollment in health insurance plans on Washington’s Benefit Exchange is outpacing last year.

News

All adults eligible for COVID-19 booster shots six months after Pfizer, Moderna vaccine

UPDATED: Sat., Nov. 20, 2021

All vaccinated adults are eligible for booster doses, regardless of underlying conditions or age.

News >  WA Government

As winter approaches, health officials likely won’t lift pandemic-related restrictions anytime soon

Fri., Nov. 19, 2021

The biggest things Inslee is looking for before restrictions can be lifted are a higher statewide vaccination rate, lower hospitalization rates and lower transmission rates.

News

Planning a Thankgiving gathering? Free at-home COVID-19 tests now available to Spokane County residents

UPDATED: Thu., Nov. 18, 2021

Free at-home COVID-19 test kits are available to Spokane County residents through a new program from the National Institutes of Health.

News

COVID-19 trends remain flat in Spokane County

UPDATED: Wed., Nov. 17, 2021

Spokane County’s COVID-19 case rate declined following the delta variant surge earlier this fall, but current trends indicate that the region has plateaued. In the past two weeks, there were 561 newly confirmed cases per 100,000 residents.

News

More than 90% of hospital workers statewide got vaccinated

UPDATED: Tue., Nov. 16, 2021

About 94% of hospital staff are fully vaccinated in Washington, according to updated survey data from a majority of members from the Washington State Hospital Association.

News

Some Kaiser Permanente patients may have received expired Moderna vaccines

Tue., Nov. 16, 2021

Some patients who received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine last month at Kaiser Permanente locations may have received an expired dose, although experts say this does not make the product ineffective.

News >  Health

‘It really does get better’: One teen’s journey shows the hardship and hope of finding mental health treatment for youth in Spokane County

UPDATED: Mon., Nov. 15, 2021

Content warning: This story contains descriptions of suicidal ideation and depression that could be triggering to some readers.

News >  Health

As Washington’s vaccine requirement for large events looms, COVID-19 cases continue to decline in Inland Northwest

UPDATED: Sun., Nov. 14, 2021

Starting Monday, attending an indoor event with more than 1,000 attendees or an outdoor event with more than 10,000 attendees will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test in Washington.

News >  Health

Doses available in Spokane County as state marks 675,000 coronavirus vaccine boosters

UPDATED: Thu., Nov. 11, 2021

More than 675,000 Washington residents have received booster doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

News >  Health

More than 10 million COVID-19 doses administered in Washington

UPDATED: Thu., Nov. 11, 2021

Washington state’s public health system has administered more than 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses this year, with those numbers continuing to increase as children ages 5 to 11 can now get vaccinated.

News >  Health

More vaccine clinics open up in Spokane, boosters available for some

UPDATED: Tue., Nov. 9, 2021

More pediatric vaccine clinics are opening up in Spokane County.

News

Pediatric vaccine clinics begin to open up in Spokane County, North Idaho

UPDATED: Mon., Nov. 8, 2021

More vaccine clinics for children ages 5 to 11 years old are opening in the coming weeks in Spokane County.

News >  Health

When COVID-19 pandemic hit, opioid treatment changed – but not to patients’ detriment

UPDATED: Mon., Nov. 8, 2021

A study from researchers at Washington State University looked at outcomes for patients at SRHD both before and after the pandemic. The authors found that sending patients home with more medication did not lead to more overdoses or hospitalizations of patients misusing the methadone than were occurring previously.

News >  Health

Colville Tribal Convalescent Center was early adopter of COVID-19 vaccine mandate. It appears to have paid off

UPDATED: Mon., Nov. 8, 2021

NESPELEM – Long before Gov. Jay Inslee issued coronavirus vaccine mandates, staff at the Colville Tribal Convalescent Center, a nursing home that takes care of tribal members and others on the reservation, had to be fully vaccinated to work there.

News >  Health

Unvaccinated Washington residents still much more likely to be hospitalized than vaccinated people

UPDATED: Fri., Nov. 5, 2021

Your risk of testing positive for COVID-19 or being hospitalized with the virus is still much higher without vaccination, updated data from the Department of Health show.

News

Inside the ICU in 2021: from hope to burnout

Fri., Nov. 5, 2021

Editor’s note: This Women of the Year award goes to all of the hardworking frontline nurses who have been relentlessly treating patients with coronavirus for more than 18 months. The Spokesman-Review interviewed three nurses who work in intensive care units in the Inland Northwest for this story.

News >  Health

Study shows vaccine gives longer-lasting protection than immunity from having COVID-19

UPDATED: Fri., Nov. 5, 2021

Vaccinations offer better protection against COVID-19 than immunity from being infected with the virus, according to new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

News >  Health

Is it safe to get my kid the COVID-19 vaccine? Experts answer your questions on the pediatric coronavirus shot

UPDATED: Thu., Nov. 4, 2021

Children 5 to 11 years old are now eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

News

COVID-19 vaccines for children approved in Washington state, but rollout could take a few days

UPDATED: Thu., Nov. 4, 2021

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 is now approved in Washington state.