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A Chronology of
the Washington Rural Health Association
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:
· WRHA 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
· WRHA 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.
2003
· 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
Activies:
· Supported
the inclusion of rural provider provisions within H.R.1 and S. 1, the
Prescription Drug and Medicare Improvement Act of 2003.
2002
· 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.
2000
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.
1999
· 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.
1996
· 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
1994
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).
1992
· 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.
1989
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.
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