Alliance Blog

First report in the state to publicly report on all three elements of hospital value Findings show that higher cost does not necessarily mean higher quality care SEATTLE – The Washington Health Alliance today released the first report in the state to publicly combine scores on quality, patient experience, and cost for Washington hospitals. Ranking ...

“A database is just a database unless you can actually take it to action.” I made that statement when I spoke at the National Employer Summit last month and I want to expand on what I mean by it and why I think it’s so important. Data is a crucial first step, but without mechanisms ...

As part of its Getting to Affordability initiative, the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI) and the Washington Health Alliance partnered to address how to work collaboratively to achieve price transparency. The organizations created a learning module that features interviews with members of the Alliance’s Board of Directors, who discuss the journey to gain access ...

The Lown Institute’s Annual Conference was held last week, with the theme of “Breaking the cycle of high cost and low value: America’s next health system.” The Alliance’s Deputy Director, Susie Dade, presented on our “First, Do No Harm” report, which used Milliman’s MedInsight Health Waste Calculator to quantify low-value health care services in Washington ...

In February, the Alliance released “First, Do No Harm,” our report on unnecessary health care in Washington state. The report used the MedInsight Health Waste Calculator to quantify wasteful care and estimated costs associated with it. We’re pleased that the report has been received with enthusiasm by members and stakeholders across the state. However, our ...

The Washington Health Alliance is excited to announce that Puget Sound Energy and SEIU 775 Benefits Group have agreed to become data suppliers for the Alliance’s voluntary All-Payer Claims Database (APCD). The addition of these two organizations to the Alliance’s APCD will add nearly 11,000 covered lives to this already robust database, which dates back ...

National and regional employers, health care providers, and other health care leaders convened in Seattle yesterday for a National Employer Summit addressing “The Purchaser’s Role in Driving Affordability.” Organized by the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement, with the Washington Health Alliance serving as local host, the Summit provided a forum for employers to discuss innovative ...

Seattle, WA —Employers, healthcare providers, and other industry leaders today gathered in Seattle to discuss the roles they can play in reining in the rising cost of U.S. healthcare. Experts from Boeing, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GE healthymagination, and leaders of Regional Health Improvement Collaboratives (RHICs) agreed that the healthcare industry cannot fix ...

Last Thursday, Seattle Business magazine hosted a gala at Bell Harbor International Conference Center for their 2018 Leaders in Health Care Awards. It was an exciting and inspiring evening, and I was reminded that we are truly fortunate to be in a region with such outstanding health care leaders. One of those leaders, Dr. Peter ...

Patients consider provider communication more important than other elements of patient experience 35% of males and 21% of females reported binge drinking at least some of the time Nearly three-quarters of patients said they did not get help finding out the cost of a recommended health care treatment or medication beforehand SEATTLE, Feb. 26, 2018 ...

Last week the Alliance released our new report on health care waste in Washington, “First, Do No Harm,” and the response has been outstanding. The report has been featured in dozens of news stories, both nationally and locally, including NPR and ProPublica, Modern Healthcare, MyNorthwest/KIRO, the Tacoma News Tribune, and the Spokesman-Review. I would also ...

This month, we’re excited to welcome Peninsula Community Health Services  as the newest member of the Alliance. About Peninsula Community Health Services Peninsula Community Health Services (PCHS) is a community based nonprofit organization dedicated to providing accessible, affordable, compassionate, quality health and wellness services for their communities. PCHS was founded in 1987 as a community clinic in downtown Bremerton and ...