News

Guest Message from Tom Evert, President of Washington Hospital Services and CFO of WSHA For thirty years, Washington Hospital Services has given WSHA members a place to pursue projects and services that fall outside of the association’s charter. For much of that time, WHS administered worker’s compensation and unemployment claims management services. In the last few... Read More >>

Great news to report from Olympia—the telemedicine bill passed both houses! Telemedicine was last year’s big heartbreak. The bill passed a unanimous House and had great hearings in the Senate. However, it was not brought up for a vote after misinformation occurred on the potential use of telemedicine services. Today, we celebrate. The bill passed... Read More >>

We received a letter last week from Dr. Scott Lindquist, MD, MPH, who is our state’s Epidemiologist for Communicable Diseases. He shared this bad news about the rise of pertussis, or whooping cough: “Now, pertussis is definitely on the rise again. So far this year there have been 319 reported cases of pertussis compared to... Read More >>

We have now seen two very different state budgets—the House released its proposed budget on Friday, and the Senate released theirs on Tuesday. Immediately after the documents were posted online, WSHA staff got busy doing what they do best: digging into the complex and sometimes confusing documents to see what’s really going on behind the... Read More >>

After years of short-term fixes, the U.S House of Representatives is scheduled to vote to repeal and replace the flawed SGR methodology in a 10-year deal – H.R. 2. (What’s the SGR?) This SGR fix is a terrific step forward. It solves a long-term problem in providing fair Medicare payments to physicians, without making damaging... Read More >>

Remembering Dr. Stuart Farber: Guest Column by Deborah Swets, VP Membership The end of February brought the passing of a remarkable man, a giant in the health care world to many of us. Dr. Stuart Farber was a prime instigator of palliative and patient-centered end-of-life care in the Pacific Northwest. He died on February 27... Read More >>

While patients have always been the focus for direct caregivers, the health care system as a whole has not always put patients’ needs at the center. Patients felt that employers and insurers were more powerful decision makers than they were, and in many cases, they were right. The Affordable Care Act was an important step... Read More >>

Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed suit against Skagit Regional Health in Mt. Vernon, alleging that the hospital is in violation of the Reproductive Privacy Act (passed by voters in 1991, now part of RCW 9.02). Read the Puget Sound Business Journal and KUOW stories. WSHA, and our partner organization the Association... Read More >>

On Sunday, Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat wrote about vaccines, and whether groups such as foster parents and nurses should be required to get them. Here is an excerpt: “For at least a decade, nurses, both locally and nationally, have been fighting attempts to force them to get the flu shot. Just last month a nurses’ association... Read More >>

Our Board of Trustees has set for WSHA a tremendous challenge in our strategic plan: Lead the transformation of health care in collaboration with key partners to improve the health of the population of Washington, enhance the care experience, and reduce cost. As we have learned from the success in our patient safety work, the... Read More >>