SPOKANE, Wash.– The Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine recently announced the launch of Range Health, a non-profit academic health network designed to bring health care to Washington’s rural and underserved areas. The College of Medicine also unveiled the William A. Crosetto Mobile Health Care Unit, the network’s first traveling health clinic.

Named for its intent to deliver care to all of Washington’s 39 counties with a nod to its rural emphasis, Range Health is a separate 501(c)(3) entity in partnership with WSU and the College of Medicine. The organization will provide prevention and wellness strategies, as well as treatment to patients across the state, focusing on communities where health care is limited. Leveraging its network of doctors, nurses and pharmacists, Range Health will increase access to health care while serving as a training ground for future doctors and health care providers.

“From the earliest days of the College of Medicine, we envisioned a time when we would not only educate medical students to become doctors in our rural and underserved communities but create new ways of delivering health care to the people of our state,” said John Tomkowiak, founding dean of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and chair of the board and ex officio director of Range Health. “Range Health fulfills this vision and, while there is a lot of work ahead to scale up, extend our reach and expand our offerings, we’re excited to take our first steps toward serving the communities that need us most.”

Range Health launches with its first mobile medical unit named for William A. Crosetto, a cattle rancher from Othello who passed away in January 2018. Known to friends as Bill, he worked with Innovia Foundation to create the William A. Crosetto Charitable Foundation to support medical education and rural health among other philanthropic interests. His legacy lives on in the William A. Crosetto Mobile Health Care Unit, which will travel to rural and underserved communities to provide comprehensive primary care, urgent care procedures, and preventive screening for conditions such as diabetes, cholesterol, pregnancy, STDs, asthma and more. The unit is slated to begin providing services in January 2020.

As a Washington State College runner who went on to compete in the Olympics, Bill’s father had a significant impact on his life, but he was most proud of the legacies established by his uncles, Fred Hutchison, a famous baseball player and Dr. William Hutchinson, who founded the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center as well as the Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute.

“Bill was proud of his family’s legacy but often felt he lived in the shadow of his uncles, and yet his generosity in our region will have just as deep of an impact,” said Shelly O’Quinn, CEO of Innovia Foundation. “Bill wanted to ensure rural residents would have access to doctors in their hometown. His legacy will allow people to age in place in the communities they love.”

Led by executives from the colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Range Health and the William A. Crosetto Mobile Health Care Unit will initially focus on care from doctors and medical students with plans to expand across all health sciences disciplines in the future.

“Humankind is demanding solutions that support modern health care needs. Health care must be reimagined. With Range Health, we’re signaling steps taken to our larger vision of WSU Health—our initiative to advance health care across the Pacific Northwest,” said Daryll DeWald, WSU Health Sciences vice president and chancellor. “As education becomes more and more a critical component of health, WSU Health Sciences is uniquely equipped to embrace modern health care needs.”

True to its emphasis on bringing care to communities, Range Health will take its mobile unit on tour across the state in October. Sponsored by Banner Bank, the tour will travel to the college’s clinical campus sites in Vancouver, Everett and Tri-Cities where third-year medical students are now based full time for clinical training. All community members are encouraged to attend the tour events to see the mobile unit, meet locally based WSU students, and hear from WSU and Banner Bank leadership. Tour dates and locations include:

• Vancouver: Oct. 15 at 1 p.m. at the Banner Bank East Vancouver Branch 3100 SE 164^th
• Everett: Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. at the Banner Bank Everett Colby Branch 2531 Colby Everett Ave.
• Tri-Cities: Oct. 23 at 1 p.m. at the Banner Bank Richland Branch 1221 Jadwin Ave.

“It is our pleasure to partner with WSU to bring this tour to each of their clinical campus communities,” said Mark Grescovich, President & CEO of Banner Bank. “Like WSU, Banner Bank serves communities all across Washington, including many rural areas that will directly benefit from the mobile medical care unit. We are excited to help shine a light on the important work of the medical school and Range Health.”

For more information visit the .

Media Contact

• Christina VerHeul, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, 509-368-6850, christina.verheul@wsu.edu

By Linda Weiford, WSU News

With temperatures shooting up to 110 degrees and smashing heat records in parts of Washington state, people are at increased risk of suffering from heatstroke – the most serious of heat-related illnesses.

“It’s as if the body, like an oven, gets turned on to the highest possible setting. No longer able to regulate its core temperature, it begins to cook,” said family physician Farion Williams, associate dean of clinical education at Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Tri-Cities campus.

“Heatstroke is a medical emergency that can lead to confusion, seizures, loss of consciousness and damage to internal organs, including the brain,” he said. “While young children and seniors are particularly vulnerable, it’s also seen in otherwise healthy people of all ages.”

Scorching weather has prompted the National Weather Service to issue an excessive heat warning across Washington’s eastern half. The hottest temperatures are expected today, with highs expected to soar to 110 degrees in Lewiston-Clarkston, 108 in the Tri-Cities area, 106 in Yakima and 103 in Moscow-Pullman. Temperatures should run near 100 degrees on Friday.

To prevent heatstroke and other heat-related illnesses, “drink plenty of fluids, take breaks in the shade and wear loose, lightweight clothing,” said Dr. Williams, adding that tight clothes lock in the heat, reducing the skin’s ability to cool.

People who work or exercise outside should try to schedule more strenuous activities for early morning or evening, he advised. People should also recognize signs of heat exhaustion, which, if not treated, can progress into life-threatening heatstroke, he said.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include muscle cramps, fatigue, dizziness and nausea. Treat the condition by resting in a cool, shady place and drinking plenty of water or other fluids – not alcohol or caffeine, Williams cautioned. An ice pack or a cold, wet towel applied to armpits, the nape of the neck or groin area will also help lower body temperature, he explained.

If symptoms include an altered mental state, flushed skin and rapid breathing, suspect heatstroke. “Call 9-1-1. Get to a hospital–as soon as possible,” he said.

Finally, remember that children and pets can swelter to death within minutes when left in a parked vehicle on a blistering summer day, Williams urged.

Since 1998, an average of 37 children have died each year in the United States of vehicular heatstroke, making it the second leading cause of death of children in vehicles, next to crashes, according to the National Safety Council.

Contacts:

• Dr. Farion Williams, WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Tri-Cities campus, 509-372-7434, farion.williams@wsu.edu
• Linda Weiford, WSU News, 509-335-7209, linda.weiford@wsu.edu

By Christina VerHeul, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine

SPOKANE, Wash. – A new profile of the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine charter class shows it is comprised of a strong percentage of women, low socioeconomic status and first generation students.

The class, a group of 60 students who are current residents of or have significant ties to Washington, represent a population of talented students who would otherwise have been forced to go out of state for their medical educations.

Selected from more than 700 applications that were submitted in just 27 days – the timeframe between receipt of preliminary accreditation and the application submission deadline – competition was stiff for the coveted spots.

“Our recruitment cycle for this first class was extremely truncated,” said Dr. John Tomkowiak, founding dean of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. “While most schools began recruiting in the summer, we couldn’t begin recruitment until November 2016. Despite the challenge, the fact that we received more than 700 applications in less than a month only highlights the pent-up need for medical education in this state.”

The college focused on drawing students from a wide cross-section of rural and urban underserved areas across the state to increase the likelihood they will return to their communities to practice medicine. It then selected students from 15 of the state’s 39 counties, with 15 percent of the class hailing from rural communities.

The college exceeded national averages for admission of females and average age, and had great success recruiting first-generation college graduates, as well as students with low socioeconomic status.

“We are proud of the highly accomplished group of students we selected for this charter class,” said Tomkowiak. “As we continue to grow in awareness and reputation, as well as build our recruitment efforts across the state, we anticipate the applicant pool and matriculated classes will continue to impress.”

Below is a profile of the charter class:

Demographics

• Females: 34 (56.7%)
• Legal Washington residents: 57 (95%) *The 5% nonlegal Washington residents must demonstrate they are from Washington by meeting at least 3 of the 4 requirements: born in Washington, childhood address in Washington, graduated from a Washington high school, parent/guardian currently lives in Washington.
• Childhood in a rural Washington county: 9 (15%) *Based on Office of Financial Management data.
• Childhood in a medically underserved Washington county: 58 (96.7%) *Based on the area health resources files from Health Resources & Services Administration.
• Washington counties represented: 15, including Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Franklin, Grant, King, Pacific, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Whatcom, Whitman, Yakima.

• First-generation college graduate*: 11 (18.3%) *bachelor’s degree
• Low socioeconomic status*: 20 (33.3%) *Based on AMCAS EO1 or EO2
• Average age: 26 / range 21-36
• Advanced degrees: 7 (11.7%)

Applications

• Total AMCAS applications: 711
• Total secondary applications sent: 501
• Total completed applications: 466
• Total interviewed: 332
• Matriculated class: 60

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Media Contact

• Christina VerHeul, director of communications and marketing, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, 509-368-6850, christina.verheul@wsu.edu