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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spokane approach could be model for federal public health programs, speakers say

Jennifer Hanson speaks about a community outreach program, Neighborhoods Matter, at a public health meeting Monday at Gonzaga University. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)

Spokane could shape the federal government’s approach to a more holistic type of public health.

Public health workers, elected officials and other government employees gathered Monday at Gonzaga University to share regional successes with Karen DeSalvo, the acting assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The session, one of five held across the country, focused on “Public Health 3.0,” an integrated approach that considers social factors such as poverty, educational levels and racism to be important public health issues.

“Your ZIP code is a more important determinant of your health than your genetic code,” DeSalvo told the group, repeating a well-worn phrase in public health work. “When we’re thinking about this work, I want us to be thinking about those kids that just happened to be born in the wrong ZIP code.”

Panels of Spokane leaders discussed past efforts like Priority Spokane, a collaborative group that’s worked since 2009 to address issues identified as a priority by looking at community indicators data from Eastern Washington University.

That work led to an integrated focus on Spokane Public Schools high school graduation rates beginning in 2009. Back then, only 6 in 10 students graduated high school. In 2014, that number had risen to 83 percent thanks to multiple studies and interventions for dropouts and kids at risk of not graduating.

Panelists also talked about the future of public health in Spokane, which is changing as the city’s demographics become more diverse.

Gloria Ochoa-Bruck, the director of multicultural affairs for the city of Spokane, said that means ensuring all citizens are able to succeed early on so they don’t end up relying on social services later in life. Doing that requires tackling difficult issues head-on, she said.

“We can’t talk about race without talking about race,” she said.

The public health focus on social factors comes at a time when life expectancy rates for white Americans are declining after years of gains, in part due to rising rates of suicide and drug overdose. DeSalvo said that’s scary to see, but shows the need for a broader approach to public health.

That approach reflects the concerns she most commonly hears from people in public forums.

“They don’t talk about insurance coverage and cardiac surgery centers. They talk to you about education and job opportunities and safe streets and parks,” DeSalvo said.

She said Spokane is known nationally for being a model on collaborative approaches to working on these issues. By learning from Spokane and other cities, DeSalvo hopes to identify elements of a “secret sauce” that allow health departments to focus on social issues, then recommend strategies for other areas.