National Junior Disability Championships gain support
Business sponsors and local donors have raised more than $117,000 for the National Junior Disability Championships, scheduled to be held in Spokane in July.
That’s more than the $110,000 goal for the event, which is expected to attract more than 300 athletes and 1,000 family members, friends and coaches from across the United States. The championships are sponsored by the Spokane Shriners Hospital for Children and St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute.
The weeklong competition, scheduled July 21 through 28, will include track and field events, javelin, a pentathlon, swimming, archery, table tennis, 3-on-3 wheelchair basketball, power wheelchair soccer and other events.
All events are free and open to the public.
Business sponsors include the Kalispel Tribe/Northern Quest Casino, Hoopfest, Inland Northwest Rehabilitation Association, the Inlander/In Health Northwest, Asuris Northwest Health, Thompson Custom Orthotics and Prosthetics, Inland Medical, Avista, AIG VALIC and Rocklyn Medical Supply.
For more information about the event, contact Sally Mildren, public relations specialist for the Spokane Shriners hospital, at (509) 623-0424 or by e-mail at smildren@shrinenet.org
Dirne clinic expands Medicare capacity
A Coeur d’Alene health clinic has hired a practitioner to help handle a growing demand for service for new Medicare eligible clients.
Tod Sijan, a physician assistant who has specialized in care for older people and veterans, is accepting Medicare patients through the Dirne Community Health Center’s SAGE Center Clinic.
The SAGE Center is also accepting new patients with TRICARE, Medicaid and private insurance, as well as other low-income clients. For information, call (208) 292-0303. The center is at 1800 Lincoln Way, Coeur d’Alene.
Project Access gets a share of state grants
Spokane’s Project Access, which provides comprehensive health care to low-income people, is one of 10 nonprofit community groups to receive part of $1.4 million under a new program administered by the Washington State Health Care Authority.
The program, operated through the Spokane County Medical Society Foundation, will receive $175,000 through the new Community Health Care collaborative grants established by the 2006 state Legislature.
The grant recipients were chosen from among 27 applicants for the new funds.
The funds will be used to expand the Project Access volunteer network of doctors, hospitals and medical providers offering health care to poor and uninsured people in Spokane County.