Washington State Hospital Association

03/23/2026

Congratulations to Drew Hooper, WSHA's 2026 Ben Lindekugel Governance Excellence Award winner!

This award recognizes exemplary leadership in hospital governance and sustained service to patients and communities across Washington state.

Drew has served as a hospital commissioner since 2008 and board chair since 2014, helping lead Summit Pacific Medical Center through major milestones — including construction of a replacement hospital, the opening of a community wellness center, and a major hospital expansion now underway. As chair of WSHA’s Hospital Governing Boards Committee, he also plays a key role in strengthening hospital governance statewide.

“Drew is a dynamic elected official whose mission is to make our rural community healthier and stronger every single day,” said Summit Pacific CEO Josh Martin. “He challenges our organization to think beyond the traditional health care model and focus on transformation, well-being and population health.”

A tireless advocate for rural health care, Drew regularly engages with state and federal policymakers and has contributed to WSHA’s governance education program as a WSHA-certified commissioner. His leadership continues to support both organizational growth and long-term community health.

Thank you, Drew, for your commitment to rural health and public service.

03/13/2026

Hospital expenses grew twice as fast as prices in 2025, by why? Hospitals are treating more patients, those patients are getting sicker and the cost of supplies from drugs to disposable gloves is increasing quicker than reimbursements can keep up with.

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/hospital-expenses-grew-twice-as-fast-as-prices-in-2025-4-aha-findings/?origin=CFOE&utm_source=CFOE&utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter&oly_enc_id=7298G9371367J1B

03/12/2026

In rural communities, health care means meeting people where they are. At Three Rivers Hospital in Brewster, they're supporting the whole person and keeping care close to home. COO Jamie Boyer explains why rural hospitals are essential to the health of the people they serve.

03/09/2026

It's National Patient Safety Awareness Week, when we pause to recognize the extraordinary teams across our state—rural critical access hospitals, large urban medical centers, specialty facilities and community health systems, who uphold the promise of safe, high-quality care every day.

Their commitment to patients, families and communities is the foundation of trust in healthcare.

Patient safety is sustained through countless daily actions: preventing harm, improving outcomes, listening with empathy and supporting one another in challenging environments. This work spans every corner of our state, from early recognition of sepsis to strengthening maternal safety, advancing care transitions, expanding opioid harm prevention and cultivating safer workplaces where caregivers can thrive and patients feel protected.

WSHA's Clinical Excellence team remains dedicated to bringing relevant, evidence-based quality initiatives to the forefront by supporting, guiding and at times, challenging hospitals to advance best practices that reduce harm and elevate outcomes. Your leadership, collaboration and resilience continue to move our state forward.

Thank you to our Washington hospitals for making patient safety a living commitment—every patient, every shift, every day.

03/03/2026

Join us on March 20 as we gather Washington State hospital teams and healthcare colleagues to share the latest work happening across our region to improve sepsis care. This is a great opportunity to learn from peers, spark new ideas, and strengthen our collective efforts to save lives.

Register: https://wsha-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/SK63iraBRwCVskcLgN-J9Q

During this session, presenters will highlight projects including:

• Sepsis patient advisory councils

• Approaches for sepsis in oncology populations

• Sepsis order sets

• Reducing readmissions

• SEP‑1 compliance strategies

For questions, contact Rosemary Grant at RosemaryG@wsha.org.
Continuing Education Credit approval is pending. WSHA is a provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider # CEP17702. Updates will be shared once credits are confirmed.

Hope to see you there!

02/23/2026

More than 100 hospital leaders from 51 hospitals came together in Olympia for the Washington State Hospital Association’s 7th annual Advocacy Day, meeting face to face with lawmakers as major health care bills moved forward. Watch how one day of coordinated advocacy is shaping care for millions of Washingtonians and strengthening hospitals across our state.

Fresh off a powerful Advocacy Day, this short video captures what the day is all about and why it matters. Take one minute to see how hospital leaders from 51 hospitals…

02/16/2026

Recent attacks on the 340B Drug Pricing Program claim hospitals are exploiting it. The truth is 340B is doing exactly what Congress designed it to do: help safety-net providers care for vulnerable patients as drug prices and drug company profits soar.

Nonprofit hospitals aren’t abusing the 340B pricing program. The fault lies with profit-taking drugmakers.

02/10/2026

After a decade in our current location, WSHA is excited to announce a fresh start just two blocks north of its current location. Beginning Feb. 9, WSHA will officially operate from our new home at:

1201 3rd Avenue, Suite 1601
Seattle, WA 98101‑3232

We will no longer receive mail at the 999 3rd Avenue address, so please update your records accordingly.

This move marks a new chapter for the association, with a more efficient office footprint and significantly lower rent. Both are important steps in stewarding member resources responsibly. By reducing overhead, WSHA can continue investing more fully in the services, advocacy and support that matter most to our members.

The new location also offers excellent access to transit, making it easier for members and partners to reach us and for staff to commute. We are especially excited about the world class conference facilities available in the building, which will elevate the experience of future member meetings and collaborative gatherings.

While our address is changing, some things remain the same. Our phone numbers and e-mail addresses are the same. Our commitment to serving Washington’s hospitals and health systems remains steadfast. If you have any questions about the transition, please reach out to info@wsha.org. For additional details, you may also contact me at TayaB@wsha.org.

We look forward to welcoming you to our new office soon and to all the opportunities this move will bring. Thank you for your continued partnership and support!

02/06/2026

Hospitals play a critical role in preventing opioid overdoses by mitigating risks at the point of prescribing. One of the most effective strategies is co-prescribing naloxone when patients receive opioids. Naloxone is a safe, easy-to-use medication that reverses overdoses, and making it readily available to patients and their families can save lives and reduce emergency department visits.

To support hospitals and care teams in adopting this best practice, WSHA has partnered with the Washington State Health Care Authority’s Starts with One campaign to develop new naloxone education materials for hospitals and health care facilities.

Hospitals can order these free materials now through February 13.
The new resources are designed to help patients better understand what naloxone is, why it matters and how to use it. They also support providers in having clear, consistent conversations with patients about responsible use of opioid medications and overdose prevention.

Making naloxone education visible and accessible is a critical step in reducing overdose deaths and reinforcing patient safety across care settings.

The newly available materials include:

-- A folding rack card for waiting areas or exam rooms that explains what naloxone is, how it works, why carrying it matters and where patients can obtain it.

-- A postcard‑sized prescription handout providers or pharmacists can give directly to patients when prescribing opioids and naloxone, reinforcing key safety messages at the point of care.

-- A conversation guide table tent, designed to fold and stand on desks, featuring a brief checklist to help clinicians quickly reference important talking points during opioid‑prescribing discussions.

Together, these tools are intended to normalize naloxone education, reduce stigma and encourage informed, proactive conversations between patients and care teams.

To order materials for your facility, complete the online order form by Friday, Feb. 13 and plan for one to two months for processing and delivery. Materials are shipped directly to hospitals at no cost. You can learn more about WSHA’s opioid work on GetTheFactsRx.com

02/02/2026

Last Thursday, more than 100 hospital leaders from across Washington gathered in Olympia for WSHA’s 2026 Advocacy Day. You made your presence felt, and your commitment and expertise helped lawmakers see clearly how their decisions shape patient care, workforce stability and the long-term viability of our hospitals.

We met with legislators throughout the day, sharing firsthand stories, data and insights into how proposed laws will impact hospitals. Your conversations underscored what we all know: Washington’s hospitals are facing unprecedented challenges, and strengthening the system requires action now.

With major bills moving this session on 340B reimbursements, hospital financing, charity care and more, your advocacy was crucial and timely. These discussions are essential to ensure legislators understand what’s at stake for patients and our communities.

On behalf of WSHA, thank you for bringing your voice, your leadership and your passion to Olympia. The policy landscape is always changing, and we look forward to continuing this important work with you throughout the legislative session.

12/23/2025

Congratulations to Providence St. Peter on earning TeamBirth recognition! TeamBirth focuses on reducing poor maternal and newborn outcomes by providing a framework for shared-decision making and amplifying the birthing person’s voice. For more background, data and training materials, visit WSHA's TeamBirth homepage: wsha.org/teambirth

https://www.southsoundbiz.com/news/providence-st-peter-teambirth-recognized-designation/article_ba1f4f91-7453-4b58-aaed-d36b56e5aa67.html

Recognition is renewed every three years.

12/22/2025

Happy Holidays to our dedicated caregivers and volunteers as they wrap our smallest patients in stockings and hugs this season!

MultiCare Deaconess Hospital brought Christmas cheer to its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with a special visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. The event was held for babies born prematurely