The 2017 open enrollment period to apply for health insurance coverage for 2018 will be from November 1 to December 15. This year’s open enrollment period is shorter than it has been in the past, and the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Washington Health Benefit Exchange have resources to help you inform your communities of this year’s changes and the importance of enrolling in a health insurance plan, as well as logistical details and tips for renewing coverage.... Read More >>

In the United States, approximately 61 percent of women giving birth receive an epidural or spinal anesthesia for pain relief in labor. The administration of this medication has often been blamed for an increased length of labor. However, a double-blinded, randomized control trial was published October 10 in Obstetrics and Gynecology, which demonstrated that epidurals have no effect on the length of the second stage of labor (10cm to delivery of the infant).... Read More >>

The American Hospital Association (AHA) has created an ad aimed at protecting the 340B Drug Discount Program.... Read More >>

Recent member news from the October 18 Weekly Report.... Read More >>

Please join us at noon October 25 for an exploration of the Interim Pharmaceutical Waste Policy presented by Jenny Yoo, Toxics Reduction Engineer in Ecology’s Northwest Regional Office. ... Read More >>

Join us October 31 for a special webcast exploring the latest trends in physician and advanced practitioner recruiting incentives. The presentation will cover different types of contracts, what measures are being used to determine bonuses and additional benefits being offered to attract providers. ... Read More >>

WSHA members have access to employee benefits coverage uniquely designed for health care organizations. From life and long-term disability for high-wage earners to vision and dental, the Western Health Insurance Trust has your employees covered.... Read More >>

One of our core beliefs as an organization is that everybody in our state should have access to the right care, at the right place, at the right time, and that everybody should be able to enjoy equally positive health outcomes. Just like caregivers will treat anyone who walks into the ER, we want access and positive outcomes to transcend all demographic distinctions across Washington State.... Read More >>

Caring for the whole patient often means caring for a patient’s spiritual needs. At Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee — where about a third of the patients are American Indian — various practical reasons kept many patients from being able to take part in spiritual practices such as cleansing ceremonies inside the walls of the hospital. While drumming and singing had been done quietly in the hospital, practices such as smudging the air with the smoke of sweetgrass was unable to take place inside.... Read More >>

WSHA staff testified at an October 3 Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) stakeholder hearing and submitted written comments to OIC’s stakeholder draft rules regulating alternative authorization processes, otherwise known as “goldcarding.”... Read More >>