June 26, 2007

Got back yesterday afternoon from the Washington State Hospital Association Annual Rural Hospital Conference. Always a fun event at Lake Chelan, and a good opportunity to stay up to speed on current health care issues in our rural communities. Sometimes the issues are complex or expensive, like breaking logjams to broadband access in Ferry County, meeting an increased demand for services from a growing population of retirees in Pend Oreille County, or funding electronic medical records everywhere. Sometimes it’s a discussion of pretty simple ways to stay healthy – like washing your hands regularly and using mosquito repellant. I have a collection of antique reference books that give perspective to some of these “new” ideas. Hand washing and reducing mosquito populations were hot topics over 90 years ago, according to “Healthy Living – Principles of Personal and Community Hygiene” by Walter Camp, © 1917. So were eating healthy foods, exercise and covering your cough. We’re rediscovering common sense!