Our favorite stories of 2024
With the end of the year in sight, we’re reflecting on the stories from the past 12 months. Here are some of our favorites.
Spot the signs of a health care scam
Health care-related scams designed to steal your personal information are on the rise, and the people committing these crimes are both sophisticated and creative, constantly changing their tactics.
Toppenish Community Chest: Access for rural families
The Toppenish Community Chest provides food bank and soup kitchen access, among other services, to Yakima County families. With 38 percent of these families reporting food access as a top need, The Chest is working to fill a gap.
Rye flower lodged in man’s lung removed after month of pain
In July, 31-year-old Bobby Witkop was doing yard work and chewing on a rye flower when he accidentally inhaled it. MultiCare interventional pulmonologist Abhishek Biswas, MD, carefully removed it through an emergency bronchoscopy.
Hidden health disparities of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander communities
The United States created the term AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islanders) in the early 1960s to collect data from these populations on everything from food insecurity to housing and health — but in doing so, it made the unique challenges faced by Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander groups invisible.
Good Samaritan rehab’s impact stretches beyond hospital walls
2024 marked 70 years for the Good Samaritan Regional Rehabilitation Center, the longest established comprehensive rehabilitation facility in Washington, serving East Pierce County and beyond. Read more about the history of the facility and the people who made it possible.
Sex ed class — but straight from the doctor
Most teens receive sexual health education from their teachers, but for two Yakima County high schools, students get their sex ed from a local family medicine doctor. Learning about sexual health and having these conversations young is crucial to building a more educated community.
What does a healthy relationship with food look like?
Shaming yourself for eating an extra slice of pizza, “working off” that brownie, skipping meals entirely or making yourself sick after eating — these could all be signs of a concerning relationship with food. How do you tell the difference between an unhealthy relationship with food, disordered eating and a diagnosable eating disorder?
Interfaith Works: A holistic approach to support and justice
Interfaith Works is a coalition of more than 30 faith and spiritual communities that work under a shared leadership structure to provide a range of services for people without housing in the Olympia area.
Hospice chaplain experiences compassionate care as patient
Larry Slavens developed cancer in 2023 and soon needed hospice care from the very team he worked with as a chaplain for nearly a decade — MultiCare Home Health & Hospice.
Can your heart skip a beat? And other questions about love
MultiCare Rockwood Clinic clinical psychologist Kim Chupurdia, PhD, breaks down how the body may respond to feelings of love — and what’s just a myth.
MiA provides support by and for Latine communities
Mujeres in Action (MiA) is Spokane’s dedicated resource for domestic violence survivors from Latine communities. It’s the first nonprofit in Spokane dedicated to serving DV/SA survivors from these communities through culturally responsive, lifesaving services and education from a Latine perspective.
