Alliance Blog

As the end of April nears, so does the final date of the Washington Health Alliance’s participation in the Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) program. AF4Q has been the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) signature effort to lift the overall quality of health care in targeted communities and provide models for national reform. The Alliance ...

Governor could finally give consumers an effective All-Payer Claims Database OLYMPIA, Wash., April 20, 2015—In a big victory for the Coalition for Health Care Cost Transparency, the Legislature, with huge bipartisan support, late last week passed a bill to establish a fully functional All-Payer Claims Database (APCD), which would give health-care consumers something they have long ...

The Alliance knows that health care is local and we are always excited to visit leaders in the communities where they work and live to see health care in action. This is why the Alliance hosts community meetings throughout the year to talk about public reporting and our flagship report, the Community Checkup. Not only is ...

In 2013, the Alliance received a grant from ABIM Foundation to advance the goals of the Choosing Wisely® campaign in Washington state. Thanks to strong partnerships with fellow grantee Washington State Medical Association (WSMA) and the Washington State Hospital Association, our state has been a leader in this national program. We’ve accomplished much in these ...

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 ...