January 26, 2021 Sue Birch, Director Judy Zerzan-Thul, MD, Chief Medical Officer Washington State Health Care Authority 626 8th Avenue SE Olympia, WA 98501 Sent Via Electronic Mail Dear Director
Posts Categorized: Read Spotlight
Support for Providers Caring for Patients with Mental Health Needs
Recent data estimates 22% of the state population or 1,269,000 Washingtonians have a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder. The problem is that for far too many, access to behavioral
Alliance Resources Help Increase Value-Based Care
The Washington Health Alliance (Alliance) and Bree Collaborative (Bree) at the Foundation for Health Care Quality are teaming up to encourage everyone involved in the Washington state health care system
Using Data to Drive Value
You often hear me talk about driving our work to action and I’m delighted to share some exciting news on a project that will do just that. The Alliance has
One Key Question: A simple screen for pregnancy desires in primary care settings
The problem Pregnancy causes changes that cascade through a woman’s life and that of her family, and can have large health impacts—especially for those already struggling with chronic disease, poor
CHI Franciscan Health System: Making strides toward more appropriate use of the ER
CHI Franciscan is making great strides to reduce avoidable emergency room use. By focusing on providing their patients alternatives to more costly emergency room visits, they have become top performers
Virginia Mason: Reducing inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in primary care
Inappropriate use and overuse of antibiotics is a serious public health threat and is addressed by several specialty societies’ recommendations in the Choosing Wisely campaign. Learn how Virginia Mason reduced
Swedish Medical Center: Rethinking the practice of ordering daily labs to reduce waste and improve care
Read how Swedish Medical Center is making a big impact through a simple, innovative solution—changing the practice of ordering “daily labs,” or a lab automatically ordered for every day a
Rockwood Clinic: Adding Choosing Wisely® recommendations into existing culture of quality
Choosing Wisely® is a national initiative helping physicians and patients have conversations about the overuse of tests and procedures and supports physicians’ efforts to help patients make smart and effective
Pacific Medical Center: Successful population management by putting patients and quality first
How do you successfully manage the health of a population? Pacific Medical Center did so by creating a strong patient and service-focused team environment. They built a robust quality infrastructure
Improving price transparency: The Everett Clinic takes first step toward price transparency
Learn about The Everett Clinic’s precedent-setting decision to begin posting self-pay prices on their website, beginning with six common imaging services. This action was met with positive attention from the
Improving Patient Experience: How UW Neighborhood Clinics Improved Their Patients’ Experience of Care
Learn how UW Neighborhood Clinics dramatically improved the experience of their patients through a thoughtful, comprehensive strategy that puts patients first. In the Alliance’s 2012 Your Voice Matters report, UWNC
Ellensburg Has Engaged Patients to Improve Their Health through Shared Medical Appointments
Shared medical appointments are a cost-effective way to manage chronic conditions. Read how a small, independent practice in central Washington piloted a shared medical appointment program resulting in improved health
Group Health improved patient care and reduced costs by lowering unnecessary pap-screening tests
Group Health used the Choosing Wisely campaign as a way to encourage provider and patient conversations on the necessity and safety of tests, treatments and procedures and to avoid unnecessary
Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital Chronic Disease Self-Management Program
In 2008, Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital began offering educational programs for community members who have chronic diseases, substantially reducing overall outpatient and emergency department in just one year. View December
PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center: Improving Care through Glycemic Management
In 2006, PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center initiated an internal glycemic control task force to review protocol and found that blood glucose targets were not regularly met in cardiac patients. The
Providence Sacred Heart: Cardiac Level 1 Program
Providence Sacred Heart collaborated with network of more than 20 hospitals in eastern Washington and northern Idaho to increase survival rates for cardiac arrest. They implemented continuous improvement processes to
King County Emergency Medical Services: Using Data to guide Improvement Efforts
By committing to data collection and continuous improvement, King County Emergency Medical Services increased cardiac survival rate to 60 percent—the highest not only in the United States, but in the
Collaborating to Improve Care Transitions in Whatcom County
The Improving Care Transitions (IMPACT) program in Whatcom County is helping patients actively manage their health and reduce preventable hospital readmissions by working with them both during and after a
Cascade Valley Hospital Creates Connections to Benefit Stroke Care
By implementing an improved, collaborative stroke program in 2011, Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington, Wash., has reduced the amount of time from when a patient enters the hospital with a