The Washington Patient Safety Coalition is working with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement-National Patient Safety Foundation and Duke Patient Safety Center to offer patient safety courses to their members. They are trying to gauge interest in offering these programs at a discount. The more who show interest, the greater the discount.... Read More >>
The FDA recently announced it will update labels for fluoroquinolone antibiotics to increase warnings about the risks of associated adverse mental health effects and serious blood sugar disturbances. The agency is stating that the updates aim to make the warnings more consistent across all labels for fluroquinolone that are taken orally or injected.... Read More >>
WSHA and the Washington State Medical Association’s (WSMA’s) joint opioid taskforce was granted a seat at a private meeting with U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams in Seattle June 29. The meeting included just 25 individuals representing local and government agencies, with WSMA Associate Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs Jeb Shepard representing the WSHA/WSMA taskforce.... Read More >>
The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) announced on July 17 final federal approval of an amendment to the state’s Medicaid Transformation waiver, ensuring the state can continue treating substance use disorders in the most appropriate way.... Read More >>
The Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ) reported June 5 that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Hospital Improvement Innovation Network (HIIN) initiatives have been successful in making care safer across the country. WSHA serves as one of CMS’s HIIN partners.... Read More >>
In response to member questions, WSHA has created a document to assist hospitals and health systems in complying with laws applicable to service animals, including a new law enacted in Washington State that WSHA supported. Member hospitals have been increasingly challenged by situations involving animals that are not service animals, but whose owners expect to bring them onto hospital property and into clinical areas. ... Read More >>
Hospitals and health systems want to make an impact when responding to community health needs assessments, but searching for examples of successful community health interventions can take tremendous time and energy. The CDC Community Health Improvement Navigator brings together tools, resources and examples to help hospitals and health systems get started.... Read More >>
Honoring Choices Pacific Northwest produced three new videos about advance care planning (ACP). In 90 seconds or less, the videos explain key concepts about ACP, choosing a health care agent... Read More >>
To celebrate Patient Safety Awareness Week March 11-17, Overlake Medical Center created related booths for staff and visitors to view and test safety-related knowledge and to promote the importance of... Read More >>
In February, the abstract from the ARRIVE trial — a multi-center randomized controlled trial comparing induction of labor at 39 weeks gestation with expectant management of labor in first-time mothers... Read More >>
