I have to admit that I am enjoying a little slower pace during the summertime and some time away from the city to relax.  However, there is no slow down in the stories and people who contact WASHAA with very divergent needs and questions.  From finding advocates who can help (both here in Washington and throughout the country), to people frustrated with billing to someone who believes that the adult family home her Mom is at is operating illegally with only one staff person 24/7...WASHAA answers the phone -- more typically the voicemail messages -- and emails we receive to connect people to resources in our state.  We are uniquely positioned because of our years of contacts to help people in this way.

WASHAA wants to hear from you.  What are the unique questions facing our community and citizens in our state that you think WASHAA can help with?  Education, skill-building, networking and connecting people to the information and people they need are at the heart of what we do.  Where can we be doing a better job?  We would love to know your opinion!

Here's to your good health,

Robin

Robin Shapiro
WASHAA Board Chair
Upcoming Events

If you are in the Spokane area, join WASHAA Board Member  John Fox .
Tuesday, July 31st from 2:30pm - 4:30pm 
Location: Valley Chamber of Commerce - 1421 N Meadowwood Ln, Liberty Lake, WA 99019 (Map)

  • Are you in the medical field with an interest in helping people enjoy a better healthcare experience? 
  • Are you a caregiver who is interested in learning about community resources for you and your family?
  • Do you work in social services with a desire to meet others in the Spokane area that are eager to help your clients? 

Please join us as we explore ways to leverage  WASHAA resources to help Eastern Washington residents enjoy happier lives. 

To learn more or register, please check out our event page: http://www.washaa.org/get-invovled-with-health-advocacy-in-spokane-july312018.html

Health Advocacy is all about a person's preference when faced with health care decision-making and choices.  Many of us don't like to think about end of life decision - making or what happens before in terms of decision-making.  Wouldn't it be nice if there was a place to learn about different resources about   advanced planning?  Our WASHAA Annual Meeting will this year focus on health advocacy planning for conscious living and dying.  While we are finalizing our agenda, we hope you will sign up for our early-bird tickets on sale through September 4.  Confirmed speakers currently include: Professor and UW Internist Barak Gaster who developed the Washington-state dementia-specific advance directive.  You can download the directive here:  https://dementia-directive.org/ , among other leaders in the field of advocacy and planning for health and death.  
 
This year, we will be hosting our meeting at the beautiful Center for Urban Horticulture, with free parking, lunch and (as always) an interactive session designed to spark your curiosity and interest in thinking about what is most important to you in choosing and planning your health.  We expect our meeting to be sold out, so buy your early bird ticket by September 4:
WASHAA News & Updates
Vice News aired a compelling news program about how health and patient advocates help patients.  WASHAA Member Karen Vogel was featured!  Help continue to educate others by liking and sharing the clip:  https://youtu.be/T5C880rQlUY.

Congratulations to Karen who did an excellent job describing what advocates do!
Don't miss the August 15 application deadline to register for the next PACB Exam.  The Patient Advocate Certification Board (PACB) certified 149 Patient Advocates (including some professional members of WASHAA) following the initial test and now the second exam will take place in September.  Here is a link to the revised handbook for the exam:  https://pacboard.org/2018/06/08/the-pacb-issues-updated-certification-exam-handbook-for-september-2018-candidates/
 
The certification exam is administered at testing sites across the United States.  The next exam will be September 15-30 2018. The application deadline is August 15. The exam will be offered twice a year going forward.  For more information:  https://pacboard.org/2018/05/03/patient-advocate-certification-board-certifies-first-cohort-of-board-certified-patient-advocates/
The  Healing Through Nutrition   webinar received great feedback.  If you were not able to participate - good news -- it has been uploaded and is available for viewing at  http://www.washaa.org/healing-through-nutrition.html !  You can also find a PDF of the speaker's slides and a list of resources provided by the speaker.  If you viewed the webinar and did not have a chance to complete the webinar survey, we would love to hear your feedback about the webinar and hear about any topics that you would be interested in hearing about, also following this link.

Here are some of the things webinar participants said about it:

Christina's comment, "eating starts in the brain" and her 3 ways to tune in were very helpful.

The speaker was excellent.  She spoke in easy to understand terms and she was very empowering.  

I appreciate you thinking outside the more traditional medical 'box' to highlight alternative or new information: nutrition, Death Doula-ing, acupuncture, etc.

Do you have an idea for a WASHAA webinar - contact us at  info@washaa.org .
WASHAA Events
July 31 - Spokane Area WASHAA Meeting (Valley Chamber of Commerce)
September 12 - Networking Event (Skyline)
September 27 - Safe & Sound in the Hospital (PNV) - Free!
October 5 - WASHAA Annual Meeting 9am - 3pm (Center for Urban Horticulture)
October 13 - Volunteer Health Advocate Training Program 9:00-12:30 (Greenwood Senior Center)
December 6 - Networking Event (Skyline)
Although WASHAA speakers can give presentation on many topics, here are a few of our popular presentations: 
  • The ABCS of a Successful Doctor Visit
  • Patient Know More...Patient No More!
  • The Emerging Field of Health Advocacy 
  • Safe & Sound in the Hospital: A Short Course in Patient Safety 
  • Volunteer Health Advocate Training: Understanding the Role & Skills to Be Effective
To schedule a speaker for your community, please submit your request here:  http://www.washaa.org/request-a-presentation.html

Interested in licensing our content so you can use the effective presentations and workshops already developed for health advocates? Contact us at  info@washaa.org  to learn how.
Do you have something you would like to share with the WASHAA community?  Please submit ideas to 


Washington State Health Advocacy Association
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