On Friday, Jan. 17, WSHA joined a work session with the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee, which focused on hospitals, primary care and long-term care. WSHA Chair-Elect, Public Policy Chair and MultiCare Health System President Florence Chang and Rural Hospital Committee Chair and Ocean Beach Hospital and Clinics CEO Merry-Ann Keane joined WSHA to discuss patient access to inpatient care and challenges to hospitals’ financial health. You can watch the work session here.
We are grateful for the opportunity to work with lawmakers and share the challenges hospitals across the state face in serving their communities. Thank you, Florence and Merry-Ann, for joining us!
This week, we are also pleased to report that WSHA’s first proactive bills are receiving their first hearings. HB 1186/SB 5019, concern prepacked medication dispensing from the ED and urgent care facilities. We are pleased the Washington State Pharmacy Association has agreed to partner with us to support this legislation, which makes common-sense changes that will allow patients without pharmacy access to get important medications. You can read more about these bills in Inside Olympia.
Sincerely,
Chelene Whiteaker
WSHA Senior VP, Government Affairs
chelenew@wsha.org (Chelene Whitaker)