Who We Are
Our Work
The WPSC is a program of the Foundation for Health Care Quality that acts as a neutral hub uniting a diverse range of healthcare stakeholders to achieve common patient safety goals. A member-based program, the WPSC is made up of 40+ organizations representing healthcare systems, associations, and advocacy groups across the state of Washington. Representatives from these organizations sit on our committees, helping to shape the direction and activities of the WPSC. Each quarter, we choose a curriculum topic that represents a significant area for growth in the patient safety and quality space. Our educational resources include these webinars, podcasts, newsletters, blog posts, and resource libraries. Our events include quarterly round tables, our annual Northwest Patient Safety Conference, and other community events to help foster community and collaboration.
Strength in Numbers
Improving safety and decreasing errors requires the active participation of a wide range of committed individuals and organizations. The more members the Coalition has, more effective we can be. We greatly value the involvement of our members for diversifying the conversation with unique perspectives and wisdom. And because we share information in a safe, neutral setting, we allow you to comfortably learn, connect, and collaborate with a community of peers.
Join Us!
The Washington Patient Safety Coalition can help you and your organization improve patient safety and quality. Member benefits include a seat at the table on our committees, discounts to our annual conference and monthly webinars, and regular resources like newsletters, blogs, and podcasts. The financial support of our members is vital to the Coalition’s development, implementation, and evaluation of effective activities. Join us today:
1) Download the form
2) Fill out the required information
3) Select the membership category that best describes your organization
4) Mail it in with your payment
If you have any questions, please contact Steve Levy.
Our Mission
To improve safety for patients receiving health care in Washington, in all care settings.
Our Vision
Safe care: every patient, every time, everywhere.
Our Values
- Patient-Centered: The methods used and promoted by the Coalition will be driven by the needs of the patient.
- System-Oriented & Sustainable: The Coalition will focus on system changes that create and sustain a safe environment.
- Evidence-Based: The Coalition will strive to promote methods and activities that are evidence-based, while accommodating new research and emerging applications.
- Inclusive: The Coalition’s work will recognize the diversity of our community and will strive to include all populations and stakeholders.
- Resource-Sensitive: The Coalition will be sensitive to the resources required to implement and sustain change.
Our Approach
We will partner with patients, families and the healthcare community to improve safety within and across all care settings by:
- Facilitating the exchange of information about best practices.
- Identifying and promoting new knowledge and practices.
- Supporting coordinated collaborative efforts and partnerships.
- Encouraging patient advocacy and engagement.
- Cultivating a culture of safety that is evidenced in our strategies, policies, and activities.
Join Us!
1) Download the form
2) Fill out the required information
3) Select the membership category that best describes your organization
4) Mail it in with your payment
If you have any questions, please contact Steve Levy.
Our History
In the early 2000s, the Department of Health (DOH) and the Health Care Authority (HCA) approached the Foundation for Health Care Quality to convene and facilitate a work group of those interested in addressing patient safety challenges. The Foundation was asked to serve in this role because it is recognized and respected as a safe space where representatives from throughout the health care system can come together to work on shared goals. These initial participants included provider associations, purchasers, consumers, health plans/health care delivery systems, and organizations devoted to quality improvement and risk reduction. This initial group of participants from the DOH, HCA, Boeing, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Foundation developed an invitational conference in June 2002 as its first event in creating a broad, collaborative statewide effort. The 100 participants were representatives and leaders from across the health care delivery system committed to improving safety. Following this Inaugural Conference, the Steering Committee used the full reports and summaries of the work groups to develop the Coalition structure and goals.
Our CQIP Status
The Washington Patient Safety Coalition is recognized by the State of Washington’s Department of Health as a Coordinated Quality Improvement Program (CQIP). CQIP status provides exemption from disclosure for information and documents specifically created for, collected, and maintained by an approved program. Being a CQIP provides important legal protection for the quality improvement activities carried out under the auspices of the Coalition, and enhances the ability of Coalition partners and participants to collaborate on patient safety issues. The WPSC’s CQIP document includes information about the Coalition’s structure and activities. For additional information about Washington’s CQIP and related laws, see the Department of Health website.
Steve Levy
Steve currently serves as the Executive Director for the WPSC. As a long-time Patient Safety and Process Improvement professional, he is dedicated to helping to foster a national healthcare environment where communities, individuals and those who provide care are free from harm. He works with healthcare organizations and health systems to increase value through the application of patient safety initiatives, healthcare quality initiatives, patient engagement and performance improvement strategies. Steve comes to the WPSC with an enormous amount of experience in and enthusiasm for patient safety and communication resolution, including having in the past has served in roles including Executive Director for the Michigan Hospital Association’s Patient Safety Organization and Director of Patient Safety and Performance Improvement for WSHA here in Washington.
The Foundation for Health Care Quality
The Coalition is a program of the Foundation, which provides the organizational home for the Coalition, including staffing, facilitation and technical support, and serves as the fiscal agent for financial support and outlays.
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee provides leadership and strategic planning and direction for the Coalition, determines its priorities, measures progress toward goals, and provides guidance and coordination for the subcommittees and work groups. Its membership is comprised of representatives of major interests and stakeholders in health care and patient safety, and is drawn from organizational members of the Coalition.
Current Steering Committee Members:
Cat Mazzawy – Chair, Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA)
Jonathan Stewart – Vice Chair, Individual, BETA Healthcare Group
Jessica Yanny-Moody, UW Medical Center
Jackie Valentine – Former Chair, Seattle Children’s
Rosalee Allan, Individual (Eastern WA University) –
David Allison, PeaceHealth
Karen Birmingham, Kaiser Permanente
Gloria Brigham, Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA)
Karen Brigham, University of Washington, Collaborative for Accountability & Improvement
LuAnn Chen, MD, Community Health Plan of Washington
Nancy Fisher, CMS
Kelli Hamblin, CHI Franciscan
Steve Hodson, DOH
Dana Kahn, Virginia Mason
Debbie Heitstuman, Pullman Regional Hospital
Christopher Kim, UW Medical
Ann Lervold, First Choice Health
Steve Lovell, Patient Representative, PFAC at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA)
Tosha Mackness, Northwest Kidney Centers
Elena Madrid, Washington Health Care Association (HCA)
Jessica Martinson, Washington State Medical Association (WSMA)
Randal Moseley, Confluence Health
Tonya Niverson, AmeriGroup
Rodica Pop, Polyclinic
Jeff Rochon, WSPA
Anita Sulaiman, Patient Advocate, Patient/Family Representative (IBEX)
Kathi Trussell, Othello Community Hospital
John Vassall, Comagine Health
Executive Subcommittee
The Executive Subcommittee is comprised of the Chair, Vice-Chair, the Immediate Past Chair of the Steering Committee and the chairs of the standing subcommittees.
Subcommittees
Standing subcommittees are chaired by members of the Steering Committee and are populated by interested individuals from Coalition membership. Each group identifies, prioritizes, coordinates and implements activities to improve patient safety consistent with the Coalition’s strategic direction or priorities. Current subcommittees consist of the three Action Planning Subcommittees, which change every two years based on our current initiatives, and the Conference Planning Subcommittee.
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