The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is in the beginning stages of rulemaking to explore creating a specific training route for law enforcement personnel to qualify for medical assistant, phlebotomist credentials. This rulemaking stems, in part, from a vetoed portion of House Bill 1276 (enacted in 2015), which would have created a new certificate to allow law enforcement personnel to conduct forensic blood draws on DUI suspects.... Read More >>

Washington Hospital Services Industry Partner WellTrackONE has written an article about how its powerful risk management solution can be used to help patients with advanced life planning.... Read More >>

Registration is now open for WSHA’s annual disaster readiness conference. We have another blockbuster roster of presentations this year, as well as our first post-conference workshop on preparedness and response to emerging infectious diseases. A pre-conference Basic Disaster Life Support course is scheduled on May 31, also in Wenatchee. ... Read More >>

Kindred Healthcare has joined with Gentiva, creating the nation’s largest provider of post-acute care and rehabilitation services. Kindred now serves more than 1 million patients per year, as it now operates in 47 states with more than 2,800 locations. The joining builds upon the strategy to deliver what patients and business partners want most: quality clinical outcomes that exceed national benchmarks.... Read More >>

Recognizing that this is a short session and a supplemental budget, mental health remains our top priority. Other key issues we are advocating for include enhanced payment to hospitals with high volumes of Department of Corrections inmates, and protecting rural nursing homes from the negative effects of changes to the nursing home rate formula.... Read More >>

Recent member news from the February 18, 2016 Weekly Report.... Read More >>

Kadlec Regional Medical Center has enacted an initiative, known as Advanced Kadlec Academy, to counteract this trend. Through the initiative — which was originally crafted by Providence Health & Services — local fifth and sixth grade students use kid-proof fitness trackers made by Sqord to monitor their physical activity in a game-like fashion and compare their progress with friends. The more you move, the more points, virtual rewards, medals and levels you earn.... Read More >>

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) plans to honor facilities that have an ASP and are working to improve antibiotic use through education, targeted activities and assessment. This is an opportunity for hospitals to be publicly recognized for leading efforts to reduce antibiotic resistance and improve patient outcomes. The department will list names of facilities with an ASP and details about program leadership on the DOH Antibiotic Stewardship webpage.... Read More >>

After several cycles of increasing revenue forecasts, state legislators got the news Wednesday that the state’s revenue forecast declined slightly for this year and more significantly for the coming biennium. This news comes as budget writers are working to craft their supplemental budget proposals. The budget downfall was attributed to weak economic growth, both globally and nationally, and a decline in exports from Washington State.... Read More >>

Recent member news from the Feb. 11, 2016 Weekly Report.... Read More >>