The Washington State Hospital Association has defended hospital partnerships — including those between secular and Catholic systems — as necessary to sustain local healthcare providers.
The WSHA issued its comments in response to proposed changes to state regulations concerning certificate of need and hospital licensing. Earlier this year, Gov. Jay Inslee directed the Washington Department of Health to begin rulemaking to update the certificate of need process after various civil rights and healthcare advocacy groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington and NARAL Pro-Choice Washington expressed concerns about proposed deals.
Merger activity such as Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System's acquisition of Burien-based
Without another hospital partner, the WSHA wrote in its comments that some facilities would be forced to "dramatically cut" services or even close entirely, threatening community members' access to healthcare. Mergers allow hospitals to stay afloat financially as well as access more resources to help patients, become more efficient and improve quality of care, among other advantages, according to the organization.
The WSHA has objected to various proposed changes to the state's certificate of need review process. For instance, the association has stated trying to ensure or require patient access to certain reproductive and end-of-life services through the review process will result in significant administrative difficulties and will ultimately prove unworkable.
Additionally, the WSHA has said Catholic healthcare's presence in the state has been overstated. There is no Catholic healthcare provider presence in the central part of the state, according to the group's comments.
More Articles on Hospital Mergers:
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