Health

Medical

• Moscow has Gritman Medical Center downtown which has various clinical services from birthing center to cancer treatment, surgical unit, wellness center and more.     *Given the nature of waits typical in Emergency Rooms nationwide, I thought it worth mentioning that I’ve heard from friends that at both Gritman Medical Center and Pullman Regional Hospital friends saw a doctor within 10 minutes, not 10 hours (where I came from), so if you do have a really bad case of some such, know you can get it taken care of sooner rather than later. Along the same note of speed, our DMV office almost never has a line. Woohoo!!

• If you have a need that can’t be met there, then the Pullman Regional Hospital will likely have all that you need.

• If you don’t want to make an appointment or dread heading to the Emergency Room, head over to Moscow’s QuickCare Walk-in Clinic and they will be able to serve your needs in short order.

• Palouse Pediatrics is our local pediatrics office. They have an office in Pullman which can be handy when the Moscow office is booked.

Alternative Medicine

• Quality Chiropractor Center is an amazing center run by Dr. James McKenzie. In short, after another professional suggested I take my son to see Dr. McKenzie for the troubles he’s had with getting sick, I finally brought him here, hesitantly. I thought, why bring a child to a chiropractor?!? Once I finally did, I got schooled on that answer. Dr. McKenzie solved what 6 years of doctors and journaling and searching for what caused my son to get sick so so often. My son’s story is not the only one I have heard about that Dr. McKenzie has helped. I highly recommend visiting Dr. McKenzie if you’ve had troubles with your body and you don’t want to be handed a prescription for pills.
• If you are not comfortable with western medicine and prefer natural, food-based, and non-pill reliant approaches to health or the traditional methods just haven’t worked then Moscow Natural Medicine is a place you may want to go. Dr. Smith uses many different methods so as to treat the patient on a case by case basis, so I would encourage you to check out his methods page to better understand what going to his office will perclude. Also as a Qigong practioner, he offers Qigong workshops. *The name will soon change to Golden Flower Healing.

• If you’re a woman who prefers a holistic approach to all stages of the female life, the the Dancing Rabbit is a place you’ll like. Laura uses a combination of Chinese herbs and acupuncture.

• Acupuncture is another eastern practice, and we have two local acupuncturists, well educated, who offer their services.
  • Cass Macbutt-McLean
  • Root Health Acupuncture & Chinese Herbs

Dentists

• Moscow Family Dentistry is a family-run business where a mother, Pat Bowen, and son, Ben Bowen, work. I have been here as well as have taken my sons here and can personally attest to their thorough and unpushy ( I think I just made up a word, but you get what I mean) nature. They are good with the kids and if you aren’t a fan of dentists, then you’ll appreciate their approach to dental care as proactive, preventive without the over-reactive (replace/fix something that may or may not become an issue) model.

• Nature’s Way is another dentist office I have visited personally because of their unique approach. Dr. Werner follows the same business model as the Bowens above but with one additional layer I’ve never seen before. Dr. Werner has a focus on whole body health with a natural approach, so he uses techniques and dental materials that are good for the environment and your body. He also believes that the better your experience is, the better the results of your dental care, so he’s incorporated a spa-like environment. Have you ever had a massage while having your teeth cleaned? I have had the most wondrous foot-calf massage and can admit the whole experience was pretty good even with someone poking all about my mouth. They have a full time masseuse on staff so that you can schedule for a full body massage as well.

If you or a loved one has some dentist-fears, either of the above offices are truly great, but if life is full of stress, Nature’s Way may help get you to the appointment on the 6 month schedule better than the other.

• Bearable Dentistry is another good dental office that focuses on kid friendly.

• Palouse Pediatrics, our local pediatrics office, offers dental services for anxious youngsters targeted towards really young ones. If you’re the eager type who grabs the cell and the keys to your car at the sighting of your little one’s first tooth, this may be the number you want to call and probably already have saved in your contacts.

Fitness

• North Idaho Athletic Club is a modest health club that offers exercise fitness classes with a separate room for the spinning classes. They have various treadmills and elliptical trainers, weight lifting machines and bar bells. They provide personal trainers, daycare and the one thing that separates them from the pack-well, actually two things-they have an in-house masseuse and the locals who frequent this club are very devoted to it. Also, it should be noted that massages are offered here and at the best prices I’ve seen in town.

• Anytime Fitness is the one chain health club in Moscow. Like North Idaho Athletic Club, it provides cardio and weight rooms, and a virtual exercise room where you can select whatever workout you need when you need to suit your needs. They otherwise have live Bootcamp and Boxing classes available. While they don’t have a masseuse on hand, they do have a little more in the way of equipment. For instance their cardio equipment is each outfitted with their own TVs. Just bring your earbuds, and you can dial into whatever you’d like to watch rather than be stuck with one TV for everyone on a channel you likely would not have desired.

• Moscow CrossFit is a small gym full of people highly dedicated to the CrossFit platform. I honestly don’t know much about CrossFit, but I have learned that those who like, love it, and don’t need any elaboration on it from one who knows less.

• The Student Rec Center on campus has a good gym that is open to the public for $4 per visit and during the summer limitless visits for $50. They have the best list of classes if that is your style, and trainers are available too. Here’s their current schedule.
  

  Hamilton Indoor Recreation Center

• Hamilton Indoor Recreation Center is like our local YMCA and sits next to the Aquatic Center. Seasonally, they offer exercise classes which people can sign up for. After you click on the link, look for Brochure under the Department Links navigation bar and click on it to view the upcoming offerings. Usually the exercise classes are listed half way through under a title Adult Movement written in a purple band.
  

  Moscow Yoga Center. Click on the picture to go to the website.

• If you desire improving on your state of mind as well as your body, then Yoga is more likely your preference. Here are three Yoga centers:
• Moscow Yoga Center
• Nourish
• Cocoon Yoga

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Beauty

For some women, trying to find a hair stylist is something akin to discovering the Holy Grail. When I moved to Virginia, it took me the better part of 2 years salon hopping to find a keeper. Here I hope to offer up information that will cut down tremendously in that venture if you are looking to move here or are here and still are not fully satisfied with where you go. To make my short list below, a stylist must keep up-to-date with current trends, is a master of color, and knows how to “translate” when clients ask for a particular style but describe it entirely different than how it might otherwise be termed in the profession. Of these three required qualities, I think a good colorist is the hardest to come by, so no one below is on the list who does not qualify. I don’t want a zebra stripped head unless I ask for it or to have a stylist who isn’t brave enough to warn me if I ask for a color that will make me look like the dead has arisen.

• Canopy an Aveda Exclusive Salon is a great and beautiful salon complete with a masseuse on staff. Michael, the owner, is possibly the most passionate about the profession of any I have ever met, and his knowledge is evidence of his passion. There once was a time when I was blasé about who cut my hair, until I asked for bangs and walked out with a mullet. It was 2004. I wore a baseball cap for 2 solid months and never again let someone near my head with scissors without vetting that they stayed current on hair styles and cared how I look. Anyhow, I digress. Michael and his staff are the polar opposite of my traumatic mullet moment, and if I may say, I really enjoyed talking with him too.

• The Loft is another salon. Miranda, the owner, is similar to Michael in her dedication to her practice. In fact, both hold the highest expectations for stylists they bring on board, more than I’ve ever seen in any other salon. The Loft, is quite literally a loft with picturesque Main St. views out a row of windows that runs the length of the salon. Aside from the required qualities to afford her a spot on this list, she offers the only Brazilian blow out in town. If your hair is anything like my wiry mess, that is an expensive necessity. Like Canopy, I’ve been here as well and would trust any of the stylists in the salon with my hair.

• Ulta has recently come to Moscow, and I’ve taken my sons there to have their hair cut. My eldest is sporting a long shag cut which I’ve learned the hard way is apparently a difficult cut to do. I’ve taken in a few places and frankly struggle to find a decent cut without the lofty price tag. Ulta solved that issue. Great stylists there without the expensive salon cut for boys. That said, it also is the largest beauty store inventorying anything and everything you could ever imagine for beauty products. Even if you are the local Vogue-fashionista, Ulta is likely to have some pampering product for your skin, hair, face, hands or feet that will bring you to the register with a smile on your face.
• Unfortunately, there are no other salons I can suggest in Moscow. I won’t offer up a place I have not personally attended and approve. I do like one more place, but it happens to be in Pullman. Poppy Salon is another all-natural salon with many good hair stylists who know how to handle color and booking is easy with them. You can make arrangements online as well as by phone.

Day Spas

There are more spas in town like the ones at Nature’s Way (Dentist), Idaho Athletic Training Club, and Canopy to name a few, but the ones below are the two that have been recommended to me. Bear in mind, I have not attended either, so I cannot personally vouch for them.

• Exuviate Salon is a skincare spa that offers many treatments, from facials to waxing to skin peels but no massages.
• Nourish is the Yoga place mentioned in the  “Yoga” section under Health and happens to have an excellent, experienced masseuse who is also a nutritional therapist. Her prices are better than most, i.e. an hour massage for $65 or $5 off per massage when you buy 5 at a time.

Seamstress

There’s really only one I know and go to (being 5’2″ and prone to looking look like I picked a fight with a rabid porcupine if I attempt to sew anything more than a button) who is just outside town by 5 minutes and that is Ann Ahler who runs Ann’s Alterations out of her home. One warning about her address-it is misleading in that their mailbox is on road Estes Rd. while her house is actually one block down the first road off Estes Rd.,  J.L. Naylor Lane, second house on the right. You’ll see her sign posted at the entrance of her driveway so it is not hard to find. I promise. By the way, I couldn’t locate her website, so I linked her address and number which I found on YellowPages.com.