Medicare accountable care organizations are associated with modest reductions in spending and use of hospitals and emergency departments, according to a study published last week by JAMA Internal Medicine. The study compared changes in spending and usage for beneficiaries cared for by ACO physicians and non-ACO physicians between January 2009 and December 2013.... Read More >>

Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell this week introduced legislation to delay enforcement of federal rules requiring “direct” supervision of therapeutic services provided in hospital outpatient departments through the end of 2016. Cantwell staff say they hope to move the bill through the Senate before the July recess. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) cosponsored the bill; similar legislation is pending in the House of Representatives.... Read More >>

Please join Washington Hospital Services Industry Partner GE Healthcare as it shares how hospitals can address dose management, leading to better patient care. This webinar will take place on July 13 from noon until 1 pm. ... Read More >>

Julie Petersen has been named interim CEO at Kittitas Valley Healthcare in Ellensburg. Julie was previously the CEO at PMH Medical Center in Prosser and served as WSHA’s board chair in 2015. Also, Bob Beehler has been named interim President & CEO of Walla Walla General Hospital. Bob has spent more than 35 years in hospital operations, 10 of which as a hospital CEO.... Read More >>

Zosia Stanley, WSHA policy director for access, testified at a court hearing June 27 on the need for continued reform to our state’s mental health system. Commissioner Craig Adams ordered the hearing to address the state’s system to provide mental health for those needing long term care, including the wait to get into Western State Hospital and the difficulty in transferring patients out.... Read More >>

Recent member news from the June 23, 2016 Weekly Report.... Read More >>

Washington State Nursing Association (WSNA) Executive Director announced this week that she will retire as of May 12, 2017. She has held the position for more than 17 years, and in an email she said she chose to set her end date far in advance to give the WSNA Board of Directors to find her replacement. ... Read More >>

Washington Hospital Services Industry Partner Cordant Health Solutions has introduced a new drug take back program to its already existing toxicology services. According to a study done by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, 62 percent of teens who have taken prescription medication for no medical reasons said they did so because they had easy access to the drugs in their parent’s medicine cabinets. ... Read More >>

Responding to the prescription drug epidemic has been a major issue on this year’s federal health agenda. In his FY 2017 budget proposal, President Obama proposed $1.1 billion for opioid abuse treatment, of which Washington State would be eligible for up to $20 million over two years, the White House said late last week.... Read More >>

On Wednesday, the Skagit County Superior Court ruled against Skagit Regional Health in the lawsuit over whether the public hospital district is providing pregnancy termination services in line with the state’s Reproductive Privacy Act. Skagit and the Washington State Hospital Association are disappointed in the ruling.... Read More >>