1. A presentation by EWU Masters of Science in Communication Students on the research and feasibility of a Health Communication program in the Spokane region.

2. Health Communication:defined “Health communication encompasses the study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions that enhance health.” Healthy People 2010 The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

4. Community Benefitsof Effective Health Communication Increased ability to • Influence the public agenda; • Advocate for policies and programs; • Promote positive changes in the socio-economic and physical environments; • Improve the delivery of public health and health care services, and • Encourage social norms that benefit health and quality of life.

5. Health Literacy: defined • “The ability to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2000)

6. Individual Benefitsof Effective Health Communication Increased • awareness about health risks and solutions; • ability to build social support systems with people in similar health situations; • ability to change and/or reinforce attitudes about health issues; • demand for appropriate health services; and • access to information needed to make complex choices.

7. The Challenge • National Health Literacy Rates • The changing communication environment • Spokane’s unique challenges • Socio-economic factors • Shifting demographics (ethnicity, age, etc.) • Environmental risks “Whatever's causing the rising asthma rates, children from low-income families tend to be at higher risk for asthma than their counterparts with more family resources. Because of Spokane's notoriously high rates of poverty—nearly half of Spokane County children qualify for Medicaid services—asthma prevalence locally is slightly higher than either state or national averages.”—Inlander (2003)

8. The Opportunity • Spokane’s Health Care Hub • 6 major hospitals, 18,500 health care professionals and 900 physicians. • Ranked#4 in the nation for metropolitan areas with the highest published health care employment concentrations and wages. US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (2006) • Established network of Communication professionals • PRSA/MarCom

9. The Opportunity, continued • Eastern Washington University is “a student-centered, regionally based, comprehensive university. …Its mission is to prepare broadly educated, technologically proficient, and highly productive citizens to attain meaningful careers, to enjoy enriched lives, and to make contributions to a culturally diverse society.”

10. The Opportunity, continued • Regional public institutions are also: • Stewards of Place • Economic Anchors • Wealth and/or job Creators • Stabilizers, stimulators, and preservers • EWU’s reputation as an engaged institution with the capacity and the will… • To lead a Health Communication community engagement collaborative • Fueled by curricular interaction between disciplines and institutions, and • Founded on regional partnerships through strategic outreach.

11. The Opportunity, continued • EWU Communication Faculty & Graduate Students • Existing expertise and experience in the Health Communication field • Health Communication as “discourse” • Health Care as communication “context” • Existing interdisciplinary network of scholars • Women’s Studies, Phys Ed Health & Recreation, Dental Hygiene, Counseling/Ed & Developmental Psychology, Communication Disorders, etc. • Established Community to Campus Partnerships • Inter-institutional resources • WSU/EWU Co-located campus at Riverpoint Center • Intercollegiate College of Nursing

12. Timeline for Key Objectives • Assess Community Need • Primary & Secondary research • Formative & Summative • Generate Awareness & Interest • Gain Endorsement & Support • Implement strategies and monitor outcomes

13. Linking Strategies • Develop Regional Advisory Board • Host Summer Symposium this August at EWU • Establish resource library • Sponsor collaborative research projects

14. Linking Strategies, continued • Develop Health Communication internships • Pilot graduate and undergraduate courses in Health Communication & Health Literacy • Invite guest lectures from the community • Model strong interdisciplinary and inter-institutional ties • Partner to Establish Health Literacy goals for the region

15. Linking Strategies, continued • Sponsor quarterly panel discussions • Alternate between community- and campus-based locations • Expand Health Communication expertise • Invite Health Communication professionals to participate in faculty development and hiring process • Seek ‘core’ status for Health Literacy course

16. Budget