News

This week, a gunman opened fire on the campus of Mercy Hospital in Chicago. In the end, four were killed, including an ED physician, a pharmacy resident, a police officer and the shooter himself. Mass shootings in America are horrifying, and yet seem to be in the headlines almost weekly. These acts of violence can truly happen anywhere, at any time. ... Read More >>

WSHA is launching a comprehensive statewide claims database, PNWPop, which will go live in early 2019. In addition to reducing lag times for inpatient data, PNWPop will be the first comprehensive database of outpatient data in Washington. The data set will enable WSHA and member hospitals information for more robust quality improvement efforts, including a... Read More >>

The Washington State Hospital Association and the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems created the Northwest Safety and Quality Partnership, which brings care quality and safety initiatives together from both associations to serve all 169 hospitals and health systems in the two states. The partnership’s work will target 21 initiatives, such as reducing hospital... Read More >>

More than 300,000 patients in the United States require mechanical ventilation as a life-saving therapy each year. Complications, such as ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), are not uncommon. They can lead to increased length of stay, higher health care costs and an increased likelihood of readmission. VAP is one such complication, affecting as many as 20 percent of... Read More >>

WSHA has completed the pilot phase of its Patient Safety Alert (PSA) huddles and is opening them up to all hospitals in the state.This extraordinary program is focused on sharing harm events and near misses across participating hospitals and clinics. The goal to improve safety and share best practices. WSHA originally launched PSA huddles with... Read More >>

WSHA is recruiting highly motivated teams willing to engage in an evidence-based, nationally successful readmissions program. We are honored to partner with Dr. Amy Boutwell, a nationally recognized thought leader in the field of reducing readmissions and improving care for multi-visit patients (MVPs). The MVP Method is a clinically-credible, operationally-feasible, locally-adaptable, and effective method for... Read More >>

Today is National Rural Health Day! This is a great chance to recognize the essential contributions our rural hospitals and clinics offer their communities throughout the year. In Washington State, rural hospitals deliver essential access to a variety of high-quality, community-driven care. ... Read More >>

WSHA is recruiting highly motivated teams willing to engage in an evidence-based, nationally successful readmissions program. We are honored to partner with Dr. Amy Boutwell, a nationally recognized thought leader in the field of reducing readmissions and improving care for multi-visit patients (MVPs). ... Read More >>

The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA), Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery was recently awarded funding from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for the State Opioid Response program. ... Read More >>

Rates of opioid use are increasing significantly, as is demand for public, primary and behavioral health care services in underserved rural communities. Kittitas Valley Healthcare (KVH) and Grays Harbor County Public Hospital District #1 have both been awarded the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Planning Grant to address this issue.... Read More >>