Washington Hospital Services Industry Partner, ZeOmega has recently obtained Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC HIT) certification. The designation means that the software is capable of supporting eligible hospitals with meeting the Stage 1 and Stage 2 Meaningful Use measures required to qualify for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).... Read More >>
In April, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) will introduce a new star rating for hospitals that is intended to indicate “overall quality.” The single 5-star rating will combine 57 inpatient and outpatient quality reporting measures, and according to the American Hospital Association (AHA), the national distribution of the star ratings is on a bell-curve, with half of all hospitals receiving three stars. ... Read More >>
As part of the U.S. government’s urgent response to the epidemic of overdose deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week issued new recommendations for prescribing opioid medications for chronic pain, excluding cancer, palliative, and end-of-life care. ... Read More >>
Washington Hospital Services Industry Partner Merritt Hawkins has written a paper featured in the March 2016 issue of Health Affairs. The piece is authored by Phillip Miller, vice president of communications, and offers a perspective on the changing nature of the medical profession itself.... Read More >>
Several weeks ago, I was invited by former member Diane Cecchettini to an event to spotlight the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship. The Scholarship is a unique partnership that is helping to build the next generation of scientists, engineers and health care professionals.... Read More >>
Group Health members have formally approved the proposed acquisition of Group Health Cooperative by California-based Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. The proposal was supported by a membership vote on March 12. A total of 8,824 eligible members voted in favor of the acquisition, and 1,586 voted against it.... Read More >>
MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital has named Jennifer Hamilton as its new Chief Operating Officer. Jennifer has more than 20 years of experience in health care. She most recently was the director of clinical support at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Fla.... Read More >>
Recent member news from the March 17, 2016 Weekly Report.... Read More >>
Today is scheduled to be the last day of this year’s short state legislative session. We are happy to report that many of the significant bills WSHA supports made it through both the House and Senate. We are continuing to work on the state budget, particularly focusing on mental health. The legislature could indeed adjourn today, but it looks likely that there will need to be some overtime to finish the budgets.... Read More >>
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday that it is arranging and funding shipments of blood products from the continental United States to Puerto Rico to ensure an adequate supply of safe blood for island residents as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico experiences active mosquito-borne Zika transmission.... Read More >>
