WSU Spokane Campus Bulletin
Issue 2004-10 (May 12, 2004)


IN THIS ISSUE

Underline

2004 WSU Spokane Faculty Excellence Award: Joseph Coyne

Joseph Coyne, professor of health policy and administration, with students in the ACEHSA-accredited graduate program at Washington State University Spokane. Coyne, who received the 2004 Faculty Excellence Award, is noted internationally for his expertise in healthcare finance.Joseph Coyne, professor of health policy and administration, has been awarded the 2004 Washington State University Spokane Faculty Excellence Award in recognition of his outstanding teaching, research and community service.

Coyne, who has been with WSU Spokane since 1999, is a prolific and internationally recognized researcher and author, renowned for his expertise in health care finance and international health care policy. His works are regularly cited in the most respected and widely used textbooks, leading one reviewer to say that he is in “an enviable class of elite scholars.” Return to the Top of the Page

Read more in the news release online.

2004 ASWSU Spokane Excellence in Teaching Award: Winsor Schmidt

Winsor Schmidt, professor and director, department of health policy and administration, received the Excellence in Teaching award from ASWSU Spokane at the Commencement brunch Friday, May 7. In the nomination, his students praised his expertise and his ability to make extremely complex subjects understandable and compelling. Winsor Schmidt, professor and director of the department of health policy and administration at Washington State University Spokane. Schmidt is recognized nationwide for his expertise in guardianship and mental health law. The MHPA at WSU Spokane is ACEHSA-accredited.

To read more about Schmidt, who is recognized nationally as an expert on guardianship and mental health law, see his faculty profile online.

The WSU Spokane Student's Choice Faculty Award is given by ASWSU Spokane. Students nominate and select faculty for their ability to connect with students and provide a world-class education.

Other nominees also thanked for their commitment to teaching included Matt Cohen, architecture; David Wang, architecture; Kerry Brooks, landscape architecture; Matt Melcher, interior design; Bob Scarfo, landscape architecture; Judy Theodorson, interior design.Return to the Top of the Page

“An army marches on its stomach”

Attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, this quotation stresses the importance of a reliable chow line for success in combat. The current battle conditions in Iraq present particular challenges: Not only are supply lines long, but water is heavy to carry, they’re fighting in a desert, and—not to be facetious—it can be dangerous to take too many biology breaks in the midst of heavy fire, further discouraging adequate hydration.

Linda Massey, professor of human nutrition, with graduate student Melissa Madsen. Massey is a leading authority on mineral metabolism and kidneystone formation.These conditions—high stress, too little water, perhaps extra coffee consumption for alertness—may be what’s contributing to an abnormally high rate of kidney stones among soldiers in the field in Iraq.

Nutrition professor Linda Massey, an expert in kidney stone formation and in caffeine metabolism, has been invited to serve on a national panel to update and improve military field rations. The panel will convene in August.

Massey has already been consulted by a dietitian in Iraq who put out a call for information to help address the kidney stone problem, which removes a soldier from battle. She says one of their goals is to design rations that can help despite the lack of sufficient water. The constraints and requirements beyond nutritional concerns, from weight and packaging to long shelf life, present special challenges for nutrition and food scientists.

Massey has talked with an instructor at the Fairchild Survival School about the possibility of testing the new rations on them, and they have expressed interest in participating. We’ll provide an update on the project after the panel begins its work.Return to the Top of the Page

BS Exercise Physiology & Metabolism approved by Faculty Senate

The WSU Faculty Senate has approved the BS Exercise Physiology & Metabolism for WSU Spokane. The program now goes to the Higher Education Coordinating Board for final approval.

The program will begin offering courses Fall 2005; advising is getting under way now to prepare students for the upper-division courses that will be taught at WSU Spokane.

Students who complete this degree will be eligible for a number of positions in a variety of settings including clinical settings (such as rehabilitation institutes, hospitals, and clinics), worksite wellness programs, sports nutrition programs, cardiac rehabilitation, and healthcare supervision and health promotion. In addition, graduates will be qualified to seek admission into the existing MS programs in Human Nutrition or Exercise Science (additional physics course needed), at WSU Spokane or many other graduate schools.

The degree is distinguished from strictly exercise science or human nutrition degrees by its interdisciplinary examination and evaluation of the multiple influences on the health of individuals, using benchmarks garnered from several perspectives including biological, nutritional, social/psychological, environmental, and clinical input. The program offers a unique perspective on how and why the human body functions and responds in certain ways to various exercise and nutritional stimuli.

Students will have a strong foundation in the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for exercise academic competencies as specified by the American College of Sports Medicine. WSU Spokane is preparing to apply for accreditation with the American Dietetic Association to be effective Fall 2005. Tentatively, didactic verification for the ADA will require about 18 credits in addition to the courses for the BS in Exercise Physiology and Metabolism.

Students will complete two years at WSU Pullman and transfer to WSU Spokane for their junior and senior years Students may also complete two years at Spokane Falls Community College before transferring.

For more information on the program, contact E. Carolyn Johnson, 368-6733, ecarolj@wsu.edu. A Web site for the program will soon be posted at www.exercisemetabolism.spokane.wsu.edu.Return to the Top of the Page

Summer camps for
middle school students

Washington State University Spokane will hold three summer camps in science and design that will provide children with hands-on learning. Middle school girls at the WSU Spokane CityLab Summer Science Camp get hands-on experience with research-quality equipment for a taste of science.

The WSU Spokane CityLab is hosting two science camps, one for beginners and one for returning campers. The beginner camp will encourage young women entering grades 6-8 to investigate forensic science and includes a T-shirt, a day trip to WSU Pullman and an afternoon at Wild Walls. The beginner camp will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 14-18. Parents should register their children by June 4.

The intermediate camp July 19-23 will introduce biotechnology to returning campers. During the week, campers will spend half their time in the biotech lab and the other half learning to market their product by placing it online. Parents should register their children by July 9.

Students at the WSU Spokane Interdisciplinary Design Institute summer design camp gets hands-on experience with architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture.CityLab camps are $135 for the week. Some scholarships are available for those needing financial assistance. For more information, contact Glynis Hull, (509) 358-7638, ghull@wsu.edu, or visit the WSU Spokane CityLab Web site at www.spokanecitylab.wsu.edu.

The Interdisciplinary Design Institute at WSU Spokane is also offering a Design Day Camp, which will offer students entering grades 6-9 an opportunity to explore a variety of age- and skill-appropriate design activities. The theme of these activities will be light and how it applies to the disciplines of architecture, interior design and landscape architecture. Accredited WSU faculty members will present workshops, so campers get real-world, hands-on experience.

The Design Day Camp will be held June 21-25, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., except for Friday when camp will conclude at 1 p.m. Preregistration with an advance full payment of $175 is required by June 16. For more information or to register, contact Pam Medley at (509) 358-7920, pmedley@wsu.edu.Return to the Top of the Page

Spokane Transit changes
would affect campus community

Tuesday, May 18, a special election will be held that could affect transportation availability for employees and students.

The Spokane Transit Authority (STA) is proposing a 0.3% local sales tax. If the tax does not pass, the STA has said they will switch to a Reduced Services Plan. The Reduced Services Plan would, among other changes, halt weekday service after 7 p.m.

For the Riverpoint Campus, a 7 p.m. final stop would be approximately three hours earlier than the current conclusion of its service time. This three-hour variation would affect students commuting from evening classes and the staff on campus who depend on transit to get to and from work. The Riverpoint campus is on route 29.

For more information and a map of the Reduced Services Plan visit: http://www.spokanetransit.com/yellowframesets/yellowframesyoursta.asp?file=stacs (click on the April 2004 Crossroads).

For more information about the election visit http://www.spokanecounty.org/elections. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 18.Return to the Top of the Page

Drug affordability a barrier to access
for many Americans

A national study published in the April issue of Clinical Therapeutics suggests that a growing proportion of Americans are unable to pay for the medications they are prescribed, and that medication costs are not just a problem for elderly patients. People with low incomes, poor health, high levels of medical care use, and no health insurance are at particularly high risk of cost associated prescription noncompliance.

Using data from the Centers for Disease Control’s National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), authors Jae Kennedy, Joseph Coyne, and David Sclar, all faculty in the department of health policy and administration at Washington State University Spokane, estimate that the number of Americans unable to take their medications as prescribed due to cost grew from 12.6 million in 1997 to 16.6 million in 2002 (the most recent data available).

Read more in the news release online (May 7, 2004).Return to the Top of the Page

Personnel & staffing changes

Coming
Karen Hay, Program Assistant (Upward Bound), Student Services, effective 4/29/04
Brandi Kimball, Research Associate, Pharmacotherapy, effective 5/1/04

Going
Catherine Bicknell, Interior Design, retiring 5/15/04
Shawna Campbell, Program Assistant (Scheduling), Student Services, effective 4/29/04
Blake Ballif, Research Associate, HREC, effective 4/30/04
Michael Smith, Associate Professor, Criminal Justice, effective 6/15/04

Searches
Director, Sleep Research Initiative, Health Sciences, position is open until filled
Clinical Assistant Professor (3 positions), Pharmacotherapy, positions are open until filled
Chancellor, WSU Spokane, position is open until filledReturn to the Top of the Page

Community connections

Magical History Tour

Saturday, May 15, 3 - 5:30 p.m., at the Community Building, 35 W. Main. Admssion $5 (all proceeds benefit 95.3 FM-Thin Air Community Radio).

Explore Spokane's radical history. Hear stories from the communal roots of Tolstoy Farms, to the free speech protests downtown in the early 1900s. Live music by singer-songwriter Jyo Kokri-Bhatt, historic photos, refreshments! For more information, call 710-6976 or see www.kyrs.org.Return to the Top of the Page

LGBT Health Summit planning meeting May 18

The LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Community Health Summit, to be held in early September 2004, will bring together members of the local LGBT community along with health practitioners and students in health-related studies for a one-day conference.

The summit will raise public awareness of the unique health concerns, as well as the very real health disparities, among the LGBT communities; educate the LGBT communities about the health issues that are present in our communities; and educate medical and health care professionals in the area of cultural competency with regard to LGBT health.

Topics at the summit will include health information for both women and men. Discussion sessions will include substance use (tobacco, alcohol, street/party drugs), depression/anxiety, cancer screenings (gynecological, breast and prostate), diet/exercise, intimate partner violence and safer sex practices. The day will end with a social function.

There will be a planning meeting, Tuesday May 18, 9 a.m., at Spokane AIDS Network, 905 S. Monroe. Anyone interested in assisting with the summit may contact Russ Hemphill, Friend to Friend Coordinator and Community Health Educator, Spokane AIDS Network, 455-8993 ext 231, russh@san-nw.org (please RSVP for the meeting).Return to the Top of the Page

Healthcare issues forum set for May 24

Spokane has an opportunity to engage in a national discussion about changing the health care system and developing solutions to improve delivery as part of a Congressionally mandated effort facilitated by the Wye River Group on Healthcare, www.wrgh.org.

As the eleventh community to join in the process, Spokane has an opportunity to serve as a national model. An event focused on discussion of regional, state and federal health care issues will be held at WSU Spokane Monday, May 24. See the draft agenda for more information.

Health Industry Forum
Monday, May 24
1-5:15 pm, reception following
Riverpoint Phase I Classroom Building - Auditorium

The Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce is hosting this Health Industry Forum, following-up a forum held in 2003 where they worked to identify, discuss and begin to address the core healthcare issues and values that are facing our nation and region.

The information gathered throughout this forum will be used during the Chamber's 3-day healthcare visit to Washington D.C. on June 14-16 and in developing their public policy agenda for 2005. 

Cost: $25 per person. Register online at http://www.thechamber.net/cgi-bin/foxweb.exe/commcale/99calemain?cc=SPOKANE or call 624-1393.

Major Sponsors: Deaconess Medical Center, Valley Hospital & Medical Center and Willamette Dental
Co-Sponsors: Eastern Washington University, Washington State University Spokane, MARSH, Sacred Heart Medical Center, Holy Family Hospital and INTEC

Two key reports will be released at the event. Prof. David Bunting of Eastern Washington University will discuss the results of an economic impact study of the healthcare industry in the Spokane region. Lyndia Vold, of the Spokane Regional Health District, will discuss and distribute her report on access issues to healthcare in our region.

Melissa Ahern, associate professor of health policy and administration, is chairing the public policy task force that is part of the Wye River process in Spokane, and Charlotte Hardt, assistant director of the Area Health Education Center, serves on that task force. Barb Chamberlain, director of communications and public affairs, is co-chair of the communications task force. HPA students are providing additional support for the process through internships.

Way to go!

Send your “Way to Go!” comments to Deanna Vannice, vannice@wsu.edu, and watch for your thanks to be published in an upcoming issue of the Campus Bulletin!Return to the Top of the Page

Find it on the Web

  • Did You Know? An occasional feature of the Campus Bulletin, these articles highlight information about campus that may be news to you. Showers on campus, where to find food, what they do in surplus stores.... See links to the articles on the Faculty/Staff Web page.
  • News Releases: Recent news releases and links to news releases organized by subject.
  • World Class Faculty: Check out the online profiles featured as links from our home page. The images rotate randomly on the home page, but the profiles are always available from this central profile page. You can also navigate to this page by choosing "About WSU Spokane" from the home page, "People" in the lefthand navigation, and "Profiles" in the lefthand navigation there.
  • Bulletin archives: Links to past issues of the Campus Bulletin from Oct. 2003 forward.
  • In the News: Media coverage of campus programs and people
  • Events Calendar: What's going on around here, anyway?
  • Department Overviews: Links to background information on campus units (Word documents)Return to the Top of the Page

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The Bulletin is usually published on Wednesday biweekly during the academic year, every three weeks during breaks and summer session. Publication date may shift due to holidays. Deadline is Monday of the week of publication.
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The Bulletin covers news of interest to the faculty and staff of Washington State University Spokane, and associates on other WSU campuses and on the Riverpoint campus.

Regular columns cover personnel changes, upcoming events, professional accomplishments, opportunities for involvement in the campus community and the Spokane community, notices of new developments on campus, and other news.

The Bulletin also serves as a source of information for external communications directed to alumni, future and current students, and friends of Washington State University Spokane. You'll read it here first!

Editorial staff

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