Chronology

Click a year to see highlights of our history.

1987 - 1988 - 1989 - 1990 - 1991

1992 - 1993 - 1994 - 1995 - 1996

1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001

2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006

2007 

2007

• First East-West teleconferenced pair of regional meetings held in Coupeville and Colville.
• WRHA introduces online store
• New membership and sponsorship drives "Lead The Way - Join The WRHA" and "Step Up For Rural Health."
  
  
  
• Legislative Activities
  • Introduced the Rural Health Bill Tracking Report, a weekly guide to legislation affecting rural health.
  • Formally offered support to six governmental agencies in providing a rural perspective for their implementation of SB 5930.

2006

• 8th Regional Meeting –Arlington and Darrington
• 9th Regional Meeting–Coulee Dam & Nespelem.
• WRHA founding member appointed to NRHA Rural Health Fellows council.

2005

• 6th Regional Meeting-South Bend with videoconference connection  to Ilwaco.
• 7th Regional Meeting-Desert Aire, Cle Elum, Ellensburg
  
  
  
• Legislative Activities:
  • WWRHA invited to participate in the Rural Legislative Tour.
  • Policy Day had the most legislators attending ever.
  • Instrumental in getting the Mental Health Parity Bill passed.
  • Sent letter to the Secretary of Agriculture supporting the 2007 Farm Bill.

2004

• WWRHA board member presented at NRHA annual conference.
• Established Future of Rural Health award.
• 4th Regional Meeting-Dayton, Pomeroy and Colfax.
• 5th Regional Meeting-Port Angeles (with videoconference connection to Forks), Jamestown  S'klallam tribe and Sequim.
  
  
  
• Legislative Activities:
  • Supported HB 2851-Removing certificate of need limitations on bed capacity and redistribution for federally certified critical access hospitals.

• Representative of WRHA board to attend Senator Finkbeiner's telemedicine meetings.
• 3rd Regional Meeting-Goldendale, White Salmon, and Stevenson
• Collaboration with Other Organizations
• WRHA joined Liability Reform Coalition.
• WRHA member elected to Policy Board of NRHA.
  
  
  
• Legislative Activties:
  • Supported the inclusion of rural provider provisions within H.R.1 and S. 1, the Prescription Drug and Medicare Improvement Act of 2003.
    

• 2nd Regional Meeting-Reardan and Davenport.
• Rural action committee established as a formal committee of WRHA.
• Collaboration with Other Organizations
• WRHA member to 3 year position on Washington Economic Development Council.
• Board member WRHA on Washington Health Advisory Committee.
• WRHA board member representation on Health Care Personnel Shortage task force.  Met with Washington State Nursing Commission on health care.
• Panel member at the National Conference of State Legislator Spring Forum in Boston, MA
• Co-sponsored 2002 Washington Health Legislative Committee on Health Care Personnel Shortage.
  
  
  
• Legislative Activities:
  • Letters were sent regarding:
    • Need to increase availability of EMS volunteers by directing state agencies to allow their employees to respond (to Governor)
    • Ensuring undocumented Medicaid recipients transfer to BHP and providing available funds for basic dental care. 
    • Medicaid Pharmacy reimbursement concerns.
    • CRNA issue regarding opting out of Federal Medicare requirements for physician supervision (to Governor).
    • Support for Medicare, Presidents Drug Act from Rural Community Hospital Act.
    • To Senators Murray and Cantwell office of Secretary of Federal Communications Commission, DC regarding Universal Service Fund.
    • Creating a transformed, sustainable, rural health delivery system (to Governor and legislators).
    • Supporting Tort reform (to legislators).
    • Supporting eliminating WA state premium tax for Health Options (legislative committees).
    • Supported eliminating B&O tax on revenues redeemed from Medicare and Medicaid programs (legislative committee).
    • Letter to Governor for the state to automatically enroll the children in BHP and then charge a premium after a period of time.

2001

• 1st Regional Meeting in Omak
  
  
  
• Legislative Activities:
  • Sent letter to governor identifying WRHA as the voice of rural health in Washington and requesting to participate in any future health summits.
  • Sent letter to governor encouraging support of he goal of increasing the availability of rural EMS volunteers.

• Collaboration with Other Organizations
• Joined SIDS Foundation coalition on "Communities for Infant Sleep".
  
  
  
• Legislative Activities:
  • Letter to Senator Linda Evans Parlette thanking her for what she has done for rural health but stating disappointment on what she let die.
  • Letter of support for a resolution opposing current BBRA fee service structure for CAH.
  • Letter of support for RHC with less than 10 practitioners be excluded from QA requirements and
  • Letter of support for RHC with less than 10 practitioners be excluded from QA requirements and that populations of HPSA not be excluded from the HPSAs for RHCs.
  • Letter to Secretary of Health regarding the amount of time it is taking for rural clinics to get a survey scheduled for certification.

• Selected by NRHA for joint project with Kellogg foundation for Rural Health Community Development and Diversity Building. Used part of a grant for the Rural Health Summit.
  
  
  
• Legislative Activities:
  • Letter of support to Washington Utilities and Trade Commission for reforming universal services access for telecommunication.
  • Letter of support to DOH and governor for using money from tobacco settlement for children's healthcare.
  • Letter to legislators on implications of restricting dispensing abilities of Medical Assistants.

1998

• Collaboration with Other Organizations
• Met with representatives of WSHA, WSMA
• RHCA, RNO, WSPA, to fund common legislative agenda.
• United with WSHA on issue of peer review process and its negative effect on recruitment and retention of physicians.
• Supported Washington Utilities Commission regarding Universal Services funding all lines in high cost areas.
  
  
  
• Legislative Activities:
  • Sent letter to Governor regarding new Secretary of Health being someone sensitive to rural issues and asking for WRHA to be part of the selection process.
  • Letter to Group Health protesting their policy of offering contracts in areas where there are no primary care providers and jeopardizing existing rural health care systems.  Copies sent to office of Insurance Commissioner's Health Care Authority.
  • Letter to Governor and DOH supporting funding for poison control center.
  • Letter supporting CAH funding with copies to Washington congressional delegation.
  • Letter opposing HPSA / MUA designated changes because of adverse effect on underserved populations in Washington. Copies sent to Washington congressional delegation.
  • Letter of support for maintaining "hold harmless" clause for rural nursing homes.
  • Letters to support CAH for reimbursement on cost basis for Medicaid inpatient and outpatient services.
  • Letter to DSHS regarding peer group A hospital reimbursement to maintain cost base reimbursement vs. prospective payment.
  • Opposed inappropriate divulging of peer review material. 

1997

• Developed internet site for WRHA.
• Collaboration with Other Organizations
• Discussion with WSHA and WSMA regarding coalition of rural organizations.
• Joined coalition of AWPHD, Providence and WAHA with representation at meetings.
• Legislative Activities:
• Supported leaving CON process in place for 2 years to address impact on rural communities.

• Sent 2 representatives to SAC workshop
  
  
• Legislative Activities:
  • Sent letter to DOH supporting CON process including ten mile rule.
  • Letter to Washington Congressional delegation urging them to join the rural coalition and congratulated Senators Metcalf and McDermott who are already members.

1995

• Established contract for WRHA office management with Eastern Washington AHEC and WSU

• Collaboration with Other Organizations
• Sent letter to secretary of health regarding value of Locum Tenens, retired providers and cooperative agreement programs for continued funding.

• Legislative Activities:
  • Established a position paper using rural health care reform workshop issues as the foundation to move forward with a rural coalition.

1993

• Obtained 501 C-3 status

• Legislative Activities
• First Legislative Platform created
• Support by WRHA for: 
• Health Care Reform NOW (Financial donation included)
• Continued state funding for the Office of Rural Health
• Continuation and increased funding of state scholarship and loan repayment.
• Recommendation of the Health Personnel Resource Plan.
• Increased state funding of the AHECs.
• Increased funding for family practice residencies.
• State funding for the MEDEX NW Physicians assistant training program.
• Provider taxes being placed in dedicated health care funds.
• Representation of rural interest on the Health Services Commission (letter to governors).

• Resolutions committee formed
• Collaboration with Other Organizations
• Financially supported a joint reception of WRHA and National Advisory Committee of Federal Office of Rural Health Policy in Seattle.
  
  
• Legislative Activities:
  • Established a goal to develop a rural health caucus within Washington legislature.

1991

• Established a WRHA Rural Health Policy Day
• Collaboration with Other Organizations
• Gave WSHA open invitation to attend WRHA board meetings.
  

1990

• Joined NRHA as an organizational member.
• Collaboration with Other Organizations
• Supported establishment of state Chapters in affiliation with NRHA.
• Supported a Health Care Consortium Symposium and a state wide Public Health Conference (with EWAHEC) with a strong rural focus.
• Developed committee from DOH and AHEC to represent rural health on Economic Development Council.
  
• Supported development of State Office of Rural Health within DOH.
  
  
  
• Legislative Activities:
  • Position statement that small office labs be exempted, rather than waived from federal and state requirements under legislation.
  • Supported SB6418 study of community based insurance programs.
  • Letter of support for Physician Assistant liability insurance coverage in rural areas.
  • Supported reduction of scholarship obligations to 3 years.
  • Supported HB2451 relating to prescriptive privileges for nurse practitioners to include controlled substances.
  • Supported development of a certified nurse mid-wife program.

• Sent first board member to the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) annual meeting. 
• Endorsed and gave support to developing Northwest Regional Rural Health Conference with Eastern Washington AHEC.
  
  
• Legislative Activities:
  • Recognized Senators West, Kreidler, and Barr and Representatives Braddock, and Brooks, with our first WRHA awards for those making major contributions to rural health.

1988

• Washington Rural Health Association (WRHA) was officially formed.
• First newsletter published.
  

1987

• Our state legislators told a number of organizations bringing rural health care issues to them that they needed to hear one organized voice for rural health.