Annual Meeting: Change requires new partnerships
While change in health care is the only constant, passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 really dropped the checkered flag. Since then, hospitals big and small have been working intensively to improve our quality, enroll our community members in new health insurance options and move toward population health.
Not all of this change is ACA-driven. Health care has its own rapid rate of improvement, and all hospitals adjust to their communities’ changing needs. There are not many hospitals left that are solely in the acute-care business. They also provide primary care, mental health, rehabilitation, retirement and end-of-life care. And they are putting patients first in radical new ways.
This work requires a new level of partnership and collaboration. The magnitude of the change is massive. The WSHA Annual Meeting is an essential time for us to engage deeply on these issues.
WSHA, which has done so much to improve health care in this state, is also evolving. After a year of reflecting and engaging the entire membership, we are ready to vote on a new governing structure that will allow the organization to be flexible, strong and representative now and into the future.
This year’s meeting is an important one. We hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Julie Petersen, CPA
Chief Executive Officer
Prosser Public Hospital District
Outgoing WSHA Board Chair
Gregg Agustín Davidson, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
Public Hospital District No. 1/Skagit Regional Health
Incoming WSHA Board Chair
Overlake on forefront of cochlear technology
Overlake Medical Center recently became the first hospital in the state to perform surgery and insert the world’s slimmest cochlear implant, helping a 23-year-old woman regain her sense of sound after suffering substantial hearing loss. The implant, which helps the brain process sound by bypassing damaged cells, is just 3.9 millimeters thick and twice as strong as previous implants.
The tiny implant is yields a less intrusive surgery, and it’s more discreet, allowing recipients to enjoy active lives without having attention drawn the implant. Doctors performed the implant surgery in July and activated the device Aug. 28, allowing the woman to hear for the first time since she was 14.
This use of new medical technology is inspiring, as it represents a great innovation that has the potential to change the lives of so many Washington residents.Read more about the first implant surgery here in this story from the Bellevue Reporter. (Tim Pfarr)
Across the state, hospitals and health system leaders are doing amazing work to care for their patients and communities in innovative ways. Our goal is to feature all of our 100 members at least once through the course of the year. If you are a WSHA member with a story to tell, please contact Mary Kay Clunies-Ross.
Annual Meeting: Serving the new consumer in the digital age
Is your organization serving all its patients, especially those super busy, tech-savvy, online-all-the-time folks for whom expectations are high for immediate service and information at their fingertips? Join us for expert insights on these topics and more at the opening session of WSHA’s Annual Meeting with Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, a nationally recognized expert on “Serving the New Consumer in the Digital Age.” She is a pediatrician, executive director of digital health for Seattle Children’s Hospital and author of the popular “Seattle Mama Doc Blog,” and she will kick off the meeting Wednesday, Oct. 7 in Seattle.
Learn how to embrace new ways to communicate with patients and engage them as partners in advancing health. Dr. Swanson does this every day through her online presence on her blog, which has touched the lives of 2 million people who would have been beyond her reach without social media and the Internet. Click here to learn more and register for the Annual Meeting!
Note: Hotel rooms at the Marriott Hotel are sold out. See other options here. (Deborah Swets)
Webcast: Preparing members for voting on changes to bylaws
WSHA members will be asked to vote on a number of proposed changes to the WSHA bylaws at the Oct. 7 WSHA Business Meeting, as part of the Annual Meeting. Members of WSHA’s Governance of the Future Task Force will present a webcast Sept. 28 from 10-11 a.m. to detail the proposed bylaws changes. We encourage WSHA voting members to participate in the webcast. If you would like to participate, please contact Linda Simmons at lindas@wsha.org for connection information.
Proposed changes to the bylaws call for a stronger and larger nominating committee, more at-large board seats, changes to the method for geographic representation, updates to the committee structure and increased use of task forces. The task force believes these bylaws changes will strongly position the hospital association for the future. (Taya Briley)
Are you prepared for an emergency?
Disasters can strike anywhere and at any time. September is National Preparedness Month, providing a reminder that large and small organizations should take immediate steps to prepare for emergencies that could disrupt their businesses. In support of National Preparedness Month, Paradigm Solutions International, a Washington Hospital Services (WHS) Industry Partner and a leading provider of business continuity management solutions, is offering a no-cost, no-obligation online demonstration of their “OpsPlanner” emergency planning software tool.
Demonstration participants will receive a 15 percent price discount on their selected OpsPlanner software solution, if purchased by the end of this calendar year. In addition, OpsPlanner purchasers are entitled to a complimentary year using the popular Business Impact Analysis Expert, a very useful and powerful optional feature. Call Paradigm at 
(800) 558-9568 FREE or click here to request an OpsPlanner demonstration. Preparing for emergencies makes good business sense.
Industry Partner Webcast: Wellness and Revenue
Join us at noon Sept. 17 to learn how WHS Industry Partner WellTrackONE can help you take advantage of the Medicare Wellness Visit program to improve patient care and revenue. The Wellness Visit is a screening visit, separate from a regular physical. WellTrackONE helps organizations implement the program without impacting physician practice and meeting the CMS requirements to secure full reimbursement. Click here to learn more.
To attend, please complete the online registration form. You will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar after you register.
