News

Addressing the opioid epidemic is one of WSHA’s top legislative and patient safety priorities. Together with our state’s Accountable Communities of Health, we worked to develop a template to expand access to treatment for opioid abuse in emergency departments, which is often the first point of treatment for those battling addiction. ... Read More >>

Nearly half a million American women will die this year from heart disease. It is the single highest killer of American women. But there is good news. According to the American Heart Association, more than 75 percent of these deaths may be prevented.... Read More >>

Acupuncture, tai chi, yoga, music therapy, massage and mindfulness, once considered alternative therapies, have earned the endorsement of a national task force on pain relief. Dr. Heather Tick, a clinical associate professor of family medicine and of anesthesiology and pain medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, is the lead author of the paper calling for a reform in pain treatment.... Read More >>

Researchers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recently looked at promising practices for improving hospital patient safety culture, looking at results from 536 hospitals during a 7-year period.... Read More >>

The American College of Surgeons (ACS), in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Medicine Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality, has launched the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery (ISCR). This new surgical quality improvement program is funded and guided by AHRQ.... Read More >>

After over a year of establishing advance care planning (ACP) systems within institutions, Honoring Choices Pacific Northwest is inspired by the progress health care organizations have made toward discussing, recording and honoring their patients’ wishes.... Read More >>

Collecting Race, Ethnicity and Language Information is More Than Just a Requirement To some, it may feel awkward to ask patients to report their race, ethnicity or language, but having... Read More >>

The CDC notes that possibly as many as 50% of antibiotics prescriptions are prescribed unnecessarily, leading to multi drug resistant organisms, unnecessary hospitalizations and even death. The Food and Drug... Read More >>

Sepsis is the leading cause of death in children worldwide, yet according to a survey conducted by the Sepsis Alliance most parents cannot identify the signs and symptoms of sepsis. ... Read More >>

The Washington State Department of Health issued a notice to healthcare providers with important details about the flu vaccine. Information is below, with additional details here. ... Read More >>