As part of Washington State’s new hospital staffing law – Senate Bill 5236 – hospital staffing committees (HSCs) are required to draft a charter outlining procedures for electing co-chairs, member roles and responsibilities, meeting schedules, and processes by which complaints will be reviewed and resolved. As outlined in RCW 70.41.420 (2023), HSCs are required to submit a charter to the Department of Health (DOH) by July 1, 2024.
WSHA collaborated with labor unions representing nursing staff – the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), SEIU 1199NW and UFCW3000 – to develop resources to assist HSCs in developing their charters. These resources include a charter template to serve as a starting point for collaborative discussions to address the unique needs of each HSC and a charter requirements checklist to help HSCs identify elements of the template that are mandated versus those that can be altered and still maintain compliance with the law.
These resources incorporate all requirements for HSC charters outlined in RCW 70.41.420 as well as best practices identified through prior experience.
Developing a charter is important because it offers an opportunity for HSC members to collaborate in establishing clear guidelines with a common purpose. An effective charter will also promote accountability and professional governance, particularly when used to evaluate the committee’s performance and progress toward meeting key objectives.
If you have additional questions about preparing your charter, please contact WSHA Director, Safety & Quality Workforce Gena Ahlawat at genaa@wsha.org or (206) 577-1803. If your organization is looking for more information about Washington’s HSC law and implementation resources, please visit: www.TogetherForPatientCareWA.com. (Gena Ahlawat)
