Alliance Blog

Last week we posted about the accomplishments of our Choosing Wisely campaign, a national initiative helping physicians and patients have conversations about the overuse of tests and procedures and supporting physicians’ efforts to help patients make smart and effective care choices. In this second installment of our three-part blog series, we are highlighting the impact of this campaign ...

Choosing Wisely® is a national initiative helping physicians and patients have conversations about the overuse of tests and procedures and supporting physician efforts to help patients make smart and effective care choices. In 2013, the Alliance received a grant from ABIM Foundation to advance the goals of the Choosing Wisely campaign in Washington state. That ...

Too often emergency rooms become the place where patients go with problems that are not emergencies. When simple medical concerns that can be treated easily and more cost effectively in a primary care office or an urgent care clinic end up being treated in the emergency room (ER), they contribute to waste in the health ...

The Alliance has set as a priority strategic goal reducing overuse of health care services in our state. With unnecessary medical procedures accounting for almost 30 percent of health care spending, addressing this issue could help us make huge strides toward a higher value health care system. To advance that goal, we recently unveiled results ...

This month, we’re excited to welcome two new members who will bring additional expertise and experience in pharmaceuticals to the Alliance: Astellas Pharma US and Pharmacy Quality Alliance. Both will help us continue to deliver on our mission building a strong alliance among patients, doctors, hospitals, purchasers, health plans and others to promote health and ...

Updated February 11, 2015 A bill that would require health insurance companies to submit all patient claims to a statewide database, making health care cost and quality information more transparent, was met with support in Olympia last week. Last Friday, our executive director Nancy Giunto testified to the House Health Care & Wellness Committee in support ...

Last week, I joined more than 500 health care and business leaders at the 2015 State of Reform Health Policy Conference. For almost 30 years, this event has been inspiring and shaping health care policy in our state. Occurring at the beginning of this year’s legislative session, it was the perfect place to discuss with ...

This month, we’re excited to welcome two new members: Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and Seattle Children’s. Representing 281 cities and towns, AWC will help us further extend our reach across Washington state. As the leading pediatric hospital and research institute in Washington state, Seattle Children’s will be a welcome partner. Both will help us ...

When we are in the doctor’s office, we all want the highest quality of care. While quality is obviously a very high priority, it isn’t the only thing that matters when making a decision about health care. A better way to think about it is the value of the health care service. If someone receives ...

Last month we welcomed two new members to the Alliance: Midwives Association of Washington State (MAWS) and Kelley-Ross and Association, Inc. Representing a vital component of maternity care and one of the oldest pharmacy companies in Washington state, we are excited by the opportunity to collaborate with these two organizations. Midwives Association of Washington State ...

Thanks to a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Alliance will be joining a new initiative to make information about health care quality broadly available to consumers. The effort, called The DOCTOR Project, brings together ten communities across the country to work to disseminate their quality data in partnership with Consumer Reports magazine, which ...

Washington state just received a very nice Christmas gift from the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) in the form of a $65 million grant to accelerate heath care innovation in the state.  The grant will allow the state to implement key elements of its Health Care Innovation Plan. The grant is recognition of ...