WASHAA Blog - Washington State Health Advocacy Association (WASHAA)

WASHAA Webinar: Understanding WA State's "Death with Dignity" Law

3/27/2015

Karen Griffith from Compassion & Choices of Washington

WASHAA is holding our first educational webinar on Monday, March 30, from 12pm to 1pm (PDT). Our speaker, Karen Griffith, from Compassion and Choices, will speak about Understanding WA State's "Death with Dignity" Law. For individuals facing end of life choices, WA State's "Death with Dignity" Act is one of many options. Karen will help us understand the complexities of this law and describe the carefully crafted built in safeguards. She will dispel some of the myths surrounding the law and will leave us with a better understanding of how and when it might be used for individuals considering end of life options.

Please look below for registration details. This webinar will also earn you 1 (one) CEU credit (applicable only to RN's and those with a Master in Social Work). We look forward to sharing this great and informative topic with you, and please pass this information along to others whom you think may be interested.

Sincerely,

Robin Shapiro
Chair of the Board, WASHAA

MARCH 2015 - SPRING UPDATES

3/8/2015

It is nearly spring here in the Pacific Northwest and we are looking forward to the thought of gorgeous flowers, lots of sunshine, and many new treats for you to enjoy from WASHAA. We have been working hard on creating our first webinar that will earn you CEU credits. Please look for an email mid-March regarding registration. Not signed up yet? Click this link and get yourself on our mailing list.

Our Health Advocacy Community has been tremendous and we would like to share a few great upcoming events this month from local partners: ABC's and D's of Dementia hosted by With A Little Help, Inc., and we look forward to featuring Karen Griffith from Compassion and Choices looking at Washington State's "Death with Dignity" Laws for WASHAA's upcoming webinar at the beginning of April.

Please browse the upcoming events and check our community calendar for events in your neighborhood.

Happy New year- 2015!

1/2/2015

Happy New Year from WASHAA!

As we look back at the year, we are wishing you a joyous, healthful New Year! Please join us in raising awareness about health advocacy:

Join a Committee - Here is our volunteer form.
Use Amazon Smile when purchasing from Amazon.com.
Donate to WASHAA to advance our work in health advocacy.

Stay tuned for our first Webinar and more educational opportunities in early 2015. All the best from us for a Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Robin Shapiro
Chair of the Board, WASHAA

aNOTHER TERRIFIC WASHAA ANNUAL MEETING!

12/1/2014

We Heard You! Another Terrific WASHAA Annual Meeting!

It was terrific to see all of our attendees at the WASHAA Annual meeting at One Union Square Boardroom on the 14th. We have been pleased to hear that everyone in the room that day found the meeting, networking and information valuable.

State of Reform published two articles about the meeting:

WASHAA Finds Untapped Resources in Health Care Advocacy

WA Building a Common Core Program for Certifying Health Navigators in 2015

Many people asked for the slides from the speakers at the event and WASHAA is making those available to our Members indefinitely and the general public until December 31, 2014. Here is the link to view the slides for all guests and images from the day.

We are also working on the video of the sessions and hope to post them as soon as we are able to edit them. Attendees also asked about how they can get involved in WASHAA. To make sure we know that you are interested in volunteering, please visit our volunteer sign up page. Opportunities include:

Education Committee
Volunteer Health Advocate WorkGroups (see Robin’s Slide in her presentation)

We had delicious, nutritious food, thanks to our generous sponsors and we are also grateful to our volunteers for making this meeting happen:

Greg Berkman
Gina Culbert
Beth Droppert
Chris Kollas
Jessica Kolstad
Andrew Kreis
Ingrid Nielsen
Deborah Schauls
Liz Taylor

We couldn’t have done it without them!

There are many, many opportunities to participate in the health advocacy movement. What is your interest? We hope to hear from you soon about how you would like to be involved! WASHAA thanks you for your continued support and efforts for furthering Health Advocacy in WA State!

Warmly,

Robin

Robin Shapiro
WASHAA Chair
info@washaa.org

#1 Reason To Attend the WASHAA Annual Meeting

11/11/2014

Learn Why Health Advocacy is Like Puppies

Beth Droppert, RN and Advocate with her puppy Teton

What do puppies have to do with health advocacy? Have you ever talked to anyone about health advocacy? What is the reaction? Everyone LOVES the concept of health advocacy. I have never met another person who doesn’t love it. It is empowering to people! Health advocacy is all about cutting through the confusion to make sure people understand their medical choices. Health advocates also try to help people fight for their rights when mistakes or unintentional errors are made that put patients at risk.

The challenge? There are many: Health advocacy means different things to different people; There are no national credentials for this profession, so right now anyone can call themselves an advocate; and how to pay for health advocacy? Right now, it is not something reimbursed for patients. They pay out of pocket. But there are also people who want to use their experience to volunteer to help people and advocate for them.

WASHAA is the first state organization focused on 1) creating awareness about what health advocacy is 2) teaching people how to advocate and 3) connecting people to local resources. Our goal is to improve health through unique health advocacy programs. We have a far way to go, but we hope you can help by attending our Annual Meeting and learning more about our goals and programs.

We hope you will be able to join us November 14 for our 2nd Annual Meeting at 7:30 am! But don’t delay in registering because seating is limited and this Thursday is the last day to register. Also, if you are not currently a WASHAA member, consider joining today: www.washaa.org.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Robin

Robin Shapiro
WASHAA Chair

#2 Reason To Attend the WASHAA Annual Meeting

11/7/2014

Learn Why Academics Are Betting on Health Advocacy

Meet leaders from programs in health advocacy from University of Washington, Clark College and Whatcom Community College. All have or are launching programs in health advocacy. They will be participating in a panel discussion about how our state is preparing health advocates for the future.

If you are interested in joining the WASHAA Academic Interest Group, just forming, please contact us at info@washaa.org. This group will meet periodically to discuss development, evaluation, and implementation of programs that teach health advocacy skills and competencies.

We hope you will be able to join us November 14 for our Annual Meeting Event at 7:30 am! But don’t delay in registering because seating is limited and spots are filling up fast. Also, if you are not currently a WASHAA member, consider joining today: www.washaa.org.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Register Today!

Top Reason #3 To Attend WASHAA STATE OF THE INDUSTRY MEETING: Networking

11/5/2014

Best Networking for Health Advocacy in Washington State
You won’t want to miss the annual meeting of health advocates and networking.

For Advocates

Meet people who have been doing health advocacy for years, just launching their practice or teaching others how to work in health advocacy
Mingle with our three national health advocate representatives: Beth Droppert, RN; Io Dolka; and Sima Kahn, MD: they are leading the national effort to create a national health advocacy marketplace and are working on the national credential

For Consumers

Meet advocates who have specific niche areas or geographic locations that they cover
Learn how new programs will help consumers access volunteer health advocates in the future
Understand which programs might help consumers build their own health advocacy skills

For Students

Meet academic institution leaders who are developing curriculum in health advocacy
Learn the differences among the different programs

For Clinicians

Learn why patients are choosing independent health advocates and how advocates are participating in today’s health care visit
Meet state leaders in health advocacy

Last year’s participants had this to say about the Annual Meeting:
“Everyone was very welcoming. I learned a lot about the emerging field of patient advocacy and believe the work you are doing is essential for improving patient experiences as they navigate the healthcare system.”

“You guys rocked on the event!!!! I really enjoyed it and learned a lot. The connections I made were exceptional."

Don’t miss the Annual Meeting of WASHAA. 7:30 am, Friday, November 14, 2014 at One Union Square.

It wouldn’t be the same with YOU, but seating is limited, so please register today at: www.washaa.org.

An Insider’s Look at the National Health Advocates Movement

10/31/2014

It’s the #4 Reason to Attend WASHAA’s Annual Meeting!

This week in Chicago, health advocates are gathering at a national meeting to advance the field of health advocacy. At our upcoming WASHAA Annual Meeting, November 14, you can hear the latest that is happening on the national scene in independent health advocacy. Three of our Washington state pioneers are attending the National Association of Healthcare Advocacy Consultants (NAHAC) meeting and the National Credentialing Workgroup meeting in Chicago this week.

You will be the first to hear about the progress being made in the field (including best practices standards) and hear about some of the issues health advocates and patients face.

Need another reason to attend our WASHAA Annual Meeting?

Top Five Reasons To Attend WASHAA Annual Meeting

5. Healthy Food

4. Updates on the National Field of Health Advocacy

3. Networking

2. Hear Why Academics are Betting on Health Advocacy

1. Because Health Advocacy is Like Puppies

Don’t delay in registering for the event. Also, if you are not currently a WASHAA member, consider joining today: www.washaa.org.

Be sure to check the blog weekly for more updates about the upcoming event! We look forward to seeing you there!

top reason #5 to attend the washaa annual meeting

10/20/2014

# 5 You Can Expect Healthy Food at the WASHAA Annual Meeting

Health Advocacy is not just about helping people who are sick. We believe that Health Advocacy means thinking about how every person has the right to seek and experience optimal health (whatever that means for that person). We believe healthy food choices are part of that philosophy. How many times have you attended a health conference or meeting (or fundraiser) where the food is lacking in nutrition? Not at our WASHAA event. You can expect a healthy, light breakfast to set the stage for our morning meeting.

We are so very fortunate that we have wonderful sponsors to contribute to the costs of providing a nutritious light breakfast for attendees.

Here is a picture from last year’s event:

The meeting is Friday, November 14, 2014 from 7:30 am – 10:30 am at One Union Square in downtown Seattle. Registration is limited, so please register today:

Register Today!

Our 2014 Annual WASHAA Meeting wouldn’t be the same without our sponsors:

Here is what some people had to say about our meeting last year:

Thank you for the healthy food, so much better than pastries. Felt at home with this group, nice vibe, folks that initiated conversations.
I was especially impressed by the "real" food and the timely manner in which the event kept on time.
Read more here

Registration for WASHAA Annual Meeting Now Open!

10/17/2014

We are very excited to invite you to the 2nd Annual Washington State Health Advocates Association (WASHAA) Meeting from 7:30 am – 10:30 am, Friday, November 14, 2014!

If you attended last year, you might remember the electricity in the room as speakers representing patients, patient advocates, clinicians, students and academic institutions discussed this emerging field and concept. We are pleased to be reporting progress in many areas.

Wondering what to expect from this year’s meeting? We will be sending out a ‘top 5 list’ of reasons to attend the meeting that will be sent via blog and other social media between now and our meeting day. To give you a preview:

Top Five Reasons To Attend WASHAA Annual Meeting

5. Healthy Food

4. Updates on the National Field of Health Advocacy

3. Networking

2. Hear Why Academics are Betting on Health Advocacy

1. Because Health Advocacy is Like Puppies

Don’t delay in registering for the event. Also, if you are not currently a WASHAA member, consider joining today: www.washaa.org.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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