The Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) recently released a stakeholder draft of rules pertaining to prior authorizations. The current draft increases accountability for benefit managers and third party administrators and clarifies how health plans must notify providers of new services requiring prior authorization. ... Read More >>
WSHA hosted two webcasts on July 26 detailing how the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), which was passed by Congress in 2015, fundamentally changes how physicians are paid. These changes will have significant implications on your organizations and physicians.... Read More >>
Michael Geller, Manager of Regional Sustainability at Providence Health & Services in Portland, has shared his insight into how to meet safety and compliance objectives amid a complex regulatory environment, financial pressures and sustainability expectations.... Read More >>
As concern about the Zika virus have continued to grow, both the Washington State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control have released new guidance, information, and tools this week to assist healthcare providers in our state.... Read More >>
At the latest hearing in the Pierce County case In Re Detention of A.W., Commissioner Craig Adams denied the state's motion for reconsideration and appointed Jeff Sconyers to the position of Special Master. The Special Master is being appointed to ensure that the court's directives are being followed and that all the steps required by the ruling are being followed.... Read More >>
Teaching kids about the dangers of smoking is one of the most important things we can do to foster a healthy generation of young adults. At Columbia County Health System (CCHS) in Dayton, teaching kids about respiratory health goes beyond just stating facts and figures — it comes with a presentation that you can touch and feel.... Read More >>
U.S. News and World Report is a publication well known for its rankings of schools and hospitals. This is both wildly popular and wildly contentious, since the ranking formulas are so varied (and often somewhat proprietary to the organization giving them). That said, it's still impressive to see how well Washington State hospitals match up against others.... Read More >>
Everyone is busy in today’s world. We often eat meals on the go, and these quick meals are not always the healthiest choices. In fact, what we eat can have a tremendous impact on our health, and at Swedish Cherry Hill, Dr. Tanmeet Sethi is looking to change the way doctors look at chronic disease by paying more attention to nutrition, which helps get to the root cause of the problem.... Read More >>
Join us for Washington Hospital Services' first session of the LEAD Academy on Oct. 7. Designed for health care supervisors and managers, the LEAD program uses experiential learning to empower recently hired, newly appointed or previously untrained health care leaders to better understand and use their strengths. The Oct. 7 session will cover two modules: from peer, to manager, to leader and resolving interpersonal conflict.... Read More >>
Washington Hospital Services Industry Partner BESLER Consulting is beginning a webinar series illuminating often overlooked areas were addition revenue can be obtained. This “Found Money” series begins with a webcast from 12-1 p.m. Aug. 3 and will focus on the opportunities created by class action settlements. Eighty percent of hospitals never participate in this funding opportunity, though they are eligible.... Read More >>
