The Washington State Public Health Advisory Board’s (PHAB) recent Recommendations for Public Health Emergency and COVID-19 Responses report aims to evaluate lessons from the pandemic and strengthen readiness for future health emergencies.
We are pleased the final report reflects top hospital concerns and learnings from the COVID-19 crisis. WSHA supports the report in its entirety and helped ensure it emphasized key member priorities. Those concerns include eliminating duplicate data reporting requirements, clarifying the roles and responsibilities of state agencies during an emergency, using telemedicine to address access and workforce challenges, and increasing collaboration between the public and private sector regarding supply chain integrity.
When the Legislature established PHAB in 2021, WSHA lobbied to ensure its permanent membership would include a hospital representative. As WSHA’s executive vice president and general counsel, I currently represent our state’s hospitals to the Board, which has ongoing oversight of Washington’s public health systems.
Sincerely,
Taya Briley
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
tayab@wsha.org
