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Washington State Hospital Association
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Seattle, WA 98104
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on March 24 issued information on training and testing requirements under its final rule establishing new emergency preparedness requirements for Medicare and Medicaid-participating health care facilities.... Read More >>
We all breathed a sigh of relief last Friday when the U.S. House of Representatives did not move forward with the American Health Care Act (AHCA), which was the GOP-drafted legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA, aka “Obamacare”). We are grateful to our state’s congressional delegation for taking the time to understand the issues and the potential impacts the legislation could have had on our state’s communities. We believe the House made the right move by not moving forward.... Read More >>
Having a baby hurts. This is one of the most well-known facts of humanity, yet only those who have given birth will know exactly what it means. To mitigate the pain, Deaconess Hospital in Spokane became the first hospital in its region — and one of the few in Washington State — to offer Nitrous Oxide (“laughing gas”) to expectant mothers in labor. Having a baby hurts. This is one of the most well-known facts of humanity, yet only those who have given birth will know exactly what it means. To mitigate the pain, Deaconess Hospital in Spokane became the first hospital in its region — and one of the few in Washington State — to offer Nitrous Oxide (“laughing gas”) to expectant mothers in labor. ... Read More >>
Washington Hospital Services Industry Partner H-Source has developed an innovative solution that can help WSHA members reduce waste by controlling their inventories. H-Source provides a private cloud-based marketplace where you can buy and sell unused devices, pharmaceuticals and equipment, not only reducing waste but also recouping what would otherwise be loss.... Read More >>
“We were glad to see the House of Representatives make the decision to not move the American Health Care Act forward," said Chris Bandoli, Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Government Affairs for the Washington State Hospital Association. "This bill would have forced millions of Americans to lose their health insurance and would have made health coverage more expensive and less attainable to millions more.... Read More >>
Download the Budget Comparison Chart here: 2017 budget summary and comparison chart.FINAL-1... Read More >>
The Big Picture: The House’s spending plan on WSHA’s key priorities is similar to the Senate’s solid support of needed health care services. Of note: No cuts to Medicaid payments for hospital-based clinics; Hospital safety net assessment included; Mental health care funding and reforms are good; Medicaid waiver funds appropriated (this was mostly not included in the Senate budget)... Read More >>
Five organizations that represent Washington State's largest health care delivery systems, physicians and providers are stating their opposition to the American Health Care Act. The Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA), Washington State Medical Association (WSMA), Washington Association of Community and Migrant Health Centers (WACMHC), and the Community Health Network of Washington (CHNW), along with its subsidiary non-profit managed care company, Community Health Plan of Washington (CHPW), are calling on Congress to reject the House proposal that puts their patients at risk. Collectively, these groups represent 107 hospitals, 267 clinics, 10,000 physicians and other providers, 315,000 members, and more than 17 million patient visits a year statewide.... Read More >>
The state Senate Majority Coalition Caucus released its budget March 21, marking one of the milestones of this year’s legislative session. We are pleased with the Senate budget, which does not include any cuts to hospital-based clinics and funds several important health care priorities, including the Hospital Safety Net Assessment, post-discharge placement for complex patients and nursing home care in small, rural hospitals.... Read More >>
There is a shortage of mental health services available to residents in our state, forcing many in need of mental health treatment to be boarded in community hospitals. Recognizing that a coordinated approach is needed to address our state’s shortage of these services, WSHA convened a group of Puget Sound area hospitals to figure out how to increase access to care. Among health systems participating in the collaboration was Swedish Health Services, and through it came the opening of a behavioral health unit at Swedish Ballard in Seattle... Read More >>