Last week, the Washington State Supreme Court announced that the Washington State Legislature is out of compliance with its McCleary decision on adequate funding for K-12 education. As a signal of its frustration, the Supreme Court imposed $100,000 a day in fines, which would go into a dedicated education account. While that amount sounds substantial, in... Read More >>
State legislature back at work? Last week, the Washington State Supreme Court announced that the Washington State Legislature is out of compliance with its McCleary decision on adequate funding for K-12 education. As a signal of its frustration, the Supreme Court imposed $100,000 a day in fines, which would go into a dedicated education account. While... Read More >>
For the last 22 years, Washington Hospital Services’ Industry Partner Merritt Hawkins has released a review of physician and advanced practitioner recruiting incentives. This highly anticipated review offers valuable benchmarking data that provides insight into compensation trends in more than 20 physician and advanced-practitioner specialties, as well as other recruiting incentives, such as production and... Read More >>
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) recently proposed a new rule requiring prospective payment hospitals in select metropolitan areas to participate in a new bundled payment initiative. Though this rule, as is, would only apply to hospitals that do knee and hip replacements in Snohomish, King, Pierce and Clark counties, the program could be... Read More >>
Registration for WSHA’s 83rd Annual Meeting (Oct. 7-8 at the Edgewater Hotel in Seattle) will begin this Monday, Aug. 17. Click here to go to the registration page. You can also book your accommodations now, and rooms will fill quickly. Click here for more information about the Annual Meeting. This year’s theme is Healthcare 2.0 — Innovation, Insights... Read More >>
Washington State is one of only five states in the country that has seen a drop of more than 10 percent in their uninsured rates since 2013, according to a new Gallup poll released this week. Washington’s current uninsured rate is 6.4 percent. States that have both an insurance exchange and Medicaid expansion have seen... Read More >>
WSHA and the Department of Health (DOH) have teamed up to recognized hospitals in our state that have taken steps to encourage breastfeeding. The Department is planning an event Aug. 20 to recognize hospitals that have obtained a certification through the program, so now is the time to get recognized!Certifications are gold, silver and bronze,... Read More >>
Kittitas Valley Healthcare recently developed a video that explains the transition to preventative, team-based health care at the hospital, and how it improves patient health and the quality of the care patients receive. This emphasis aligns closely with other initiatives, such as Healthier Washington, to make real advances in the health of the entire population. Watch... Read More >>
PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center’s Kearny Breast Center has a new way to celebrate cancer survivors. Last month, the hospital unveiled a donated pink dragon boat dedicated to life after breast cancer, taking it to Vancouver Lake for a Zen Buddhist blessing and an inaugural lap around the water. The boat will make several community appearances... Read More >>
Here at WSHA, we know we have a great policy and advocacy team. They work tirelessly through session and the rest of the year to increase access to health care (you’ll be seeing the 2015 Legislative Summary very soon). We also know we have a fantastic patient safety team. For the last 10 years, they... Read More >>
