If you attended our Annual Meeting this past October, you know that I am very inspired my Martin Luther King, Jr.  In fact I think the Health Advocacy movement could learn a lot from MLK's perspective. His I Have A Dream speech has inspired generations of people to dream of  what can be.  One of my favorite quotes is:  " Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."
 
I, too, have a dream: some day I can imagine that people will know what to do and whom to turn to for help when faced with a health situation. Right now, everyone feels that health care is complicated, messy, un-understandable.  I think Health Advocacy is, in part, about making navigating health care a little simpler.  Health Advocacy is not about perfection, but we all can take advantage of learning and skill-building to be more effective in our medical decision-making.  We don't have it all figured out, but I hope you will join WASHAA in building the staircase to a better, healthier tomorrow.

Here's to your good health,

Robin

Robin Shapiro
WASHAA Board Chair
Upcoming Events
The Bellevue Network on Aging has invited WASHAA to give a presentation on the Emerging Field of Health Advocacy that is free and open to the public. During this 40 minute presentation, Robin Shapiro will discuss why health advocacy skills are needed and how patients are using skills and information to get better care.  There will also be a limited number of materials (including a reprint of our Annual Meeting Resource Guide on  Conscious Living & Dying: Health Advocacy at End of Life ) that will be handed out for free.  This meeting is free and open to the public.  

8:30 - 9:15 am, Thursday, February 7, 2019
North Bellevue Community Center, 4063 148th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98007

You do NOT need to pre-register, but for more information contact  Daniel Lassiter at: dlassiter@bellevuewa.gov

Join Robin Shapiro to discuss how health innovations should get patients more involved in their health care, build patient skills and connect patients to resources.
Office Hours are conducted by members of the Cambia Grove Sounding Board to provide one-on-one appointments with those working toward health care transformation. There are four one-on-one time slots, 30-minutes each.
For more information or to register:  


(Topic: CONTRACTING AND LEGAL MATTERS)
Join experienced advocates working in the Northwest who are interested in sharing success and challenges in working in the field for networking, light hors d'oeuvres and beverages. Ever thought it might be nice to partner with another advocate to cover client load or be a back up to cover for you when you travel? Are you considering a job in health or patient advocacy and want to learn more about what the field is all about? Join advocates and other professionals who support advocates and patients for a peer-to-peer sharing event. Bring questions, challenges and success. BRING YOUR TICKET!! 

The next quarterly Networking Meeting will be: 
  • May 26
  • Sept 25
  • Dec 3
WASHAA Calendar
Feb 7 - WASHAA Presentation to the Bellevue Network on Aging
            Robin's 'Office Hours' at Cambia Grove
Feb 27 - Quarterly Professional Networking Meeting 
Mar 4-5 - Spokane
Mar 14 - To ERR is Human Movie Screening
May 26 - Networking Meeting
Sept 25 - Networking Meeting
Oct 17 - WASHAA Annual Meeting [Topic: Understanding Pain & Healing]
Dec 3 - Networking Meeting
 
Movie Screening
In partnership with the UW Center for Health Sciences Interprofessional Education, Research and Practice & UW Medicine, the Washington State Patient Safety Coalition is delighted to invite you to a  FREE  public screening of the film  TO ERR IS HUMAN  at UW Medicine's  Hogness Autorium  on  March 14th , during Patient Safety Week. 
 
Through interviews with leaders in healthcare, footage of real-world efforts leading to safer care, and one family's compelling journey from tragedy to triumph, the documentary providesa unique look at our healthcare system's ongoing fight against preventable harm.
 
Directed by Michael Eisenberg, the son of late patient safety pioneer Dr. John M. Eisenberg,  To Err is Human  is named after the groundbreaking 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine (now National Academy of Medicine). Film website:  www.toerrishumanfilm.com .
 
While the event is free, registration is mandatory  as attendance is limited.

WASHAA Members News
Trudy James, founder of Speaking of Dying movie is featured in the January 19 issue of Seattle Magazine, in "It's Time to Talk About Death."  

To follow Trudy's work, check out her Facebook page: 
 


Although WASHAA speakers can give presentation on many topics, here are a few of our popular presentations: 
  • Advance Care Planning (Just added in partnership with Honoring Choices)
  • Taming Your Medicine Cabinet (New in 2019!)
  • 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

Have a topic you wish we offered? Let us know - let's talk!

Through January 31, 2019, AmazonSmile will donate 15% the purchase price of new print magazine subscriptions.


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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