Washington News
News stories from the past 60 days.
Mar 24, 2023 - The Peaceful Presence Project is a new organization based in Bend, Oregon and designed to reimagine the way communities talk about, plan for, and experience serious and terminal illnesses. Through two grant-funded projects, Peaceful Presence doulas and public health interns have been trained to hold advance care planning sessions at a navigation center for people experiencing homelessness, as well as in rural health clinics.
Source: OHSU News
Mar 2, 2023 - Provides brief summaries of recent Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) highlights and news from the HRSA regions, including the role of the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program, the initiative to improve access to cancer screenings in underserved communities, the National Rural Health Association's annual policy conference, advancing health equity among Hispanic and Latino populations, and programs to support health workforce training, recruitment, retention, and development in Missouri.
Source: Health Resources & Services Administration
Mar 1, 2023 - Announces a new round of funding which provides digital services for students in communities across the country. This funding supports applications benefiting approximately 190,000 students in California, Florida, Maine, Oklahoma, Washington, and Wisconsin. The funding can be used to support off-campus learning, such as nightly homework.
Source: Federal Communications Commission
Feb 27, 2023 - Senators Jerry Moran, Jon Tester, Patty Murray, and Mike Rounds have introduced legislation to expand veterans' access to assisted living services. The Expanding Veterans' Options for Long Term Care Act would create a pilot program for veterans to receive assisted living care paid for by the Department of Veterans Affairs, allowing aging veterans to live more independently while saving taxpayer dollars.
Source: Office of Senator Jerry Moran
Feb 27, 2023 - A survey of University of Washington medical school alumni who graduated between 2009-2014 found that a significant number of doctors who participated in the Rural Underserved Opportunities Program (RUOP) eventually established their practices in rural communities. The RUOP offers medical students a four-week rotation in rural areas of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Idaho and Montana.
Source: UW Medicine
Feb 26, 2023 - Details how the sudden closure of Astria Toppenish
Hospital's maternity unit, serving the Yakama Indian
Reservation and a large community of farmworkers in the
Yakima Valley, impacts access to obstetric and
gynecological care. Provides statistics on maternity care
deserts, factors contributing to the uptick in maternity
unit closure across the United States, and how minorities
are more likely to experience serious pregnancy-related
complications. Describes practices and policies the
hospital implemented to respect patients' beliefs and
culture and local efforts to support maternity care. (May
require a subscription to view the full article.)
Source: New York Times
Jan 31, 2023 - A new program at the Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences addresses workforce shortages by supporting rural pharmacies and increasing the number of rural pharmacists over the next 10 years. The curriculum includes hands-on experiences in rural clinics and a project focused on improving an aspect of rural health care. Students are eligible to receive a $10,000-a-year scholarship if they agree to practice for at least 3 years in rural Washington after graduation.
Source: The Spokesman-Review
Last Updated: 3/27/2023