WSHA is recruiting highly motivated teams willing to engage in an evidence-based, nationally successful readmissions program. We are honored to partner with Dr. Amy Boutwell, a nationally recognized thought leader in the field of reducing readmissions and improving care for multi-visit patients (MVPs). The MVP Method is a clinically-credible, operationally-feasible, locally-adaptable, and effective method for... Read More >>

To ensure data integrity and help WSHA better support hospitals in their quality improvement efforts, WSHA is in the process of developing a robust data submission follow-up process. WSHA staff have begun to reach out to hospitals missing more than three months of data on any measures reported in the Quality Benchmarking System (QBS) to... Read More >>

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new ventilator-associated event (VAE) definitions in 2013 and, while more than 2000 hospitals in the United States report their VAE rates to the CDC, they still struggle to reduce incidence. The new definition is broader than the previous one and includes complications that are associated with... Read More >>

About five years ago, the quality department at Kittitas Valley Healthcare (KVH), took a hard look at the value they were providing to the organization. One of the things they immediately noticed was an extremely low usage of their incident reporting system due in part to a clunky electronic tool, lack of follow-up on reported... Read More >>

Antibiotic resistance, which occurs when bacteria do not respond to the mechanisms of the drugs designed to kill them, is one of the most serious public health concerns in the United States today, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To improve provider education on antibiotic resistance, the CDC just released Section... Read More >>

Humorist and cowboy Will Rogers observed “Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” Honoring Choices PNW is excited about the recent momentum and program enhancements propelling us down the right track to change the culture around advance care planning. Over the past few months, we’ve... Read More >>

In July, the Sepsis Alliance—an advocacy organization dedicated to saving lives and reducing suffering from sepsis—launched The Sepsis Coordinator Network . The Sepsis Coordinator Network is a community that provides sepsis best practice resources and guidance to sepsis coordinators and all health professionals working on sepsis process improvement. The Sepsis Coordinator Network hosts educational webinars,... Read More >>

Most people who attempt suicide have received health care in the previous year, making care settings crucial venues for providing information, offering services, such as screening for depression, or offering mental health services. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and its partners offer a variety of tools that health care providers can... Read More >>

To ensure data integrity and help WSHA better support hospitals in their quality improvement efforts, WSHA is in the process of developing a robust data submission follow-up process. WSHA staff have begun to reach out to hospitals missing more than three months of data on any measures reported in the Quality Benchmarking System (QBS) to... 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 and what an advance directive accomplishes. Honoring Choices Pacific Northwest has produced three new videos about advance care planning (ACP). In 1 ½ minutes or... Read More >>