News

Seven members of the Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission (NCQAC) will complete their terms at the end of June. The commission is now seeking applicants to fill the vacant positions, and Governor Inslee will appoint members to serve four-year terms.... Read More >>

While our country seeks to find a path forward on immigration, Washington State’s hospitals and health systems are focused on the people who are right in front of us, needing our care. We stand united to serve patients and communities.... Read More >>

According to a new analysis, the governor’s proposed budget cuts to hospital-based clinics are estimated to be about $75 million per year. Under the proposal, the cuts would affect all services provided in off-campus hospital department locations, and the payment amounts would be reduced to about half of what is currently paid for these services, considerably below the cost of care.... Read More >>

Washington State's mental health care system is not meeting all the needs of our growing communities. Several bills being introduced this week could help make more services available. HB 1546 and SB 5434 (companion bills) would allow general-acute care and freestanding psychiatric community hospitals to voluntarily provide long-term, court-ordered mental health services, allowing patients to get care closer to home where there is more support from friends and family.... Read More >>

The Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) Board of Directors has selected Sally Watkins, Ph.D., MS, RN, to be the new WSNA executive director, replacing Judy Huntington, MN, RN, who is retiring in June after 18 years in the position. Dr. Watkins will join WSNA on April 3.... Read More >>

The Health Care Authority recently provided WSHA with details on the proposed Governor’s budget cuts to hospital-based clinics. Under the proposal, the cuts would affect all services provided in off-campus hospital department locations, including hospital-based clinics.... Read More >>

HB 1546 and SB 5434 (companion bills) would allow general-acute care and freestanding psychiatric community hospitals to provide long-term, court-ordered mental health services. Currently, long-term mental health patients go to Eastern State Hospital and Western State Hospital, when there is a bed available. Patients could be better served when closer to home, communities and families. Patients transitioned out of care when close to home with community supports are less likely to be readmitted.... Read More >>

House Bill 1810 will clarify that mental health providers have a duty to warn potential victims and law enforcement when a patient makes an actual threat of physical violence against the reasonably identifiable victim or victims. This long standing standard for when a duty exists was abandoned by the Supreme Court when the court determined the question of whether the warning was adequately made is dependent on the facts and circumstances in the case. ... Read More >>

HB 1426 and SB 5248 would expand access to PMP data, letting facilities and providers examine larger prescription trends in an effort to improve prescribing patterns and decrease unnecessary opiate prescriptions. It would also create a system to notify providers when their patient has an overdose event.... Read More >>

Washington’s hospitals are committed to ensuring patients get the hospital care they need regardless of their ability to pay for that care. Providing health care to those that cannot afford to pay is part of the mission of Washington’s hospitals, and state law requires hospitals to provide free and discounted inpatient and outpatient care. To assist patients, WSHA has developed a standard financial assistance application form and a standard plan for communicating about financial assistance (charity care).... Read More >>