Spokane is an outstanding medical center.

But there’s something that could make it even better: test coaches.

Let me explain. You know how for many years fathers have been on the scene to assist their wives during childbirth? Sure.

Well, why not have someone standing by to help patients get through other, less dramatic medical moments?

Say you are undergoing an MRI. They have slid you into the skinny tube and you’re hearing all sorts of disorienting clanging and banging noises.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was someone there whose only role was caring about your comfort?

“C’mon Darlene, just a few more minutes. Don’t think about how much you feel like you are in a coffin!”

Sure, the medical specialists and technicians already do some of that. They are good people and they mean well. But they have a lot to keep track of and they can’t always be holding your hand, so to speak.

A medical test coach could even make a difference in something as seemingly simple as a blood draw.

“Bob … Bob … look at me. Don’t look at that needle. Eyes on me! Bob, have I ever told you about the time this curvy woman in a tight black sweater tried to suffocate me and I … hey, look you are all through. Well done, buddy! Good job!”

Mammograms, rectal probes … you name it. Having someone there to root for you could make all the difference. We could call it The Spokane Way.

“Helen, let’s sing a song! Pay no attention to that device smushing you. Row, row, row your boat …”

Slice answer: “I do have a secret technique for getting a baby to stop crying and go to sleep,” wrote Diane Link. “I hand the baby to my husband. He has a magical, calming voice that says, ‘Hey, stop your crying, you are okaaay.’ He repeats it till it’s almost sing-song. He adds a gentle cradle wiggle and soon you have a sleeping child. Our daughter called from Florida asking for ‘The Baby Whisperer’ to be on the next plane to help her with her newborn. Yes, he is that good.”

Today’s Slice question: What do Seattle, Cleveland, Chicago, Buffalo, Albany, Erie, Billings, Toledo, South Bend and Spokane have in common?