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Big data initiative cuts ER visits in Washington
A big data initiative in Washington has helped the state cut emergency room visits among Medicaid patients by 10 percent, according to a new report. The state introduced an Information Exchange program...
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Nearly 1 million get coverage on state's Healthplanfinder
More than 146,000 people have purchased plans through Washington’s Health Benefit Exchange, including 8,000 who squeaked in before midnight on the March 31 deadline. In addition to those who bought...
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As clock runs out on higher Medicaid rates, McDermott seeks solution
Congressman Jim McDermott is launching an effort to preserve Affordable Care Act Medicaid rate increases beyond this year. The Seattle Democrat drafted an amendment that he wants added to the budget...
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Inslee vetoes bill, works instead on process to resolve Obamacare complaints
Gov. Jay Inslee’s office has drafted a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will give different agencies recourse when they don’t like the way the state is implementing the Affordable Care Act. The...
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HopeCentral: Offering high-end concierge health care for just about everybody
When Devin Bruckner selected a pediatrician for her 6-year-old son, she wasn’t just thinking about what was best for him – she found an option that would be good for her community too. Bruckner took...
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Two Seattle hospitals named to Becker's top 100 list
UW Medical Center and Virginia Mason Medical Center have made the 2014 list of 100 Great American Hospitals, an annual report by Becker’s Hospital Review. The list is created by the Becker’s editorial...
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4 questions for Premera President Jeff Roe
Premera President Jeff Roe will become CEO this fall when longtime leader H.R. Brereton “Gubby” Barlow leaves the top spot at the Mountlake Terrace-based insurer. Roe became president Jan. 1, and prior...
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Premera's power politics
On the chessboard of Olympia politics, Premera is a queen: nimbly moving in every direction, knowing when to strike and outmaneuvering opponents of all kinds. The health insurer has developed a...
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A conversation with Premera's president, Jeff Roe
Jeff Roe is the president of Premera and is slated to take on the role of CEO later this year. He’s spent 16 years with the nonprofit insurer, and says he’s been there that long because he loves the...
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Governor's veto saves funding of Life Sciences Discovery Fund
Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed legislation Friday that would have killed funding for a state effort to bolster the life sciences industry in Washington. It was a surprise save for the Life Sciences Discovery...
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This week in health care: Premera’s power, cutting ER visits, and doctor pay...
This is your weekly roundup of the most critical health news nationally and locally. Every Friday we bring you quick summaries of the news, along with links to full stories from around the globe. Check...
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Investigators probe Providence St. Peter after patient death at rehab clinic
Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia and its affiliated Chemical Dependency Center in Lacey are under state and federal investigation after a patient died, according to documents obtained by the...
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Tumor-melting research gets $20M boost with Bezos family gift to Hutch
The family of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos is making a $20 million gift to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to support research into treatments shown to “melt” cancer away. The Bezos family...
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Report reveals details on death at Providence St. Peter rehab clinic
A nine-page government document obtained by the Puget Sound Business Journal outlines the investigation into Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia and its affiliated Chemical Dependency Center in...
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Swedish’s new CEO takes off his tie
Anthony Armada has been chief executive of Seattle-based Swedish Health Services for five months now. But he has one major observation on Seattle culture: Men don’t wear ties here. When he met with...
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3 questions for Swedish CEO Anthony Armada
Anthony Armada has been chief executive of Seattle-based Swedish Health Services for five months now. He relocated from Chicago, originally hails from Michigan and spent more than a decade in...
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Former Gates executive selected for top spot at HHS after Sebelius resigns
A former Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation executive is poised to take the top spot at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the wake of Kathleen Sebelius’ resignation Thursday....
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Union had questioned staffing levels at Providence clinic where rehab patient...
Staff and union representatives had repeatedly raised concerns about staffing levels at a Providence Health & Services rehabilitation facility in Lacey, where a patient died in March. “Part of the...
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UW Medicine's CEO to talk health reform at Business Journal Live
Dr. Paul G. Ramsey, CEO of UW Medicine, will share his insights Tuesday about what the Affordable Care Act has meant for health care, at a Business Journal Live event in Seattle. I had the opportunity...
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Swedish CEO named one of America's top minority health care leaders
Swedish Health Systems’ new chief executive has been named to Modern Healthcare’s biennial list of the Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare. It’s Anthony Armada’s third time being named to the...
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