Community Alliances

Puget Sound, Washington

Aligning Forces for Quality/Puget Sound

The Americans for Quality Health Care Team works with the Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) Alliances.

AF4Q is the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) signature effort to lift the overall quality of health care in targeted communities, reduce racial and ethnic disparities and provide models for national reform.

AF4Q asks the people who get care, give care and pay for care to work together toward common, fundamental objectives to lead to better care.

The Puget Sound Health Alliance (the Alliance) leads the area's AF4Q initiative. For more information on the Alliance, visit their community snapshot or their web site.

Community Information on Quality in Puget Sound

This section includes various organizations that provide quality information or are engaged in quality work, or both. To suggest an organization that should be included in this section, please contact project staff at qualitycarenow@nationalpartnership.org.

Association of Washington Business Health Choice
Health Choice is a purchasing co-op with multiple carriers.

The Leapfrog Group
The Leapfrog Group is a national public-private partnership that works to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety. The Leapfrog Group provides the latest hospital patient safety performance results in Washington.

MacColl Institute for Healthcare Innovation
The MacColl Institute focuses on research and quality improvement efforts to improve the quality of care for the chronically ill. The Institute is the national program office for The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s program on Improving Chronic Illness Care. More information can be found at www.improvingchroniccare.org.

“Patient Safety and Quality”
This report describes programs that work to improve safety and quality, hospital quality reporting requirements, and past legislation that helps hospitals improve quality.

Public Health Seattle and King County
The Public Health System of Seattle and King County works to improve health throughout King County by providing public health services which promote prevention and wellness. Information on successful approaches to improving the delivery of preventive services to low-income children is available here.

Puget Sound Health Alliance (Health Alliance)
The Community Checkup report is produced by the Health Alliance. The Health Alliance is a non-profit organization formed as a partnership among doctors, hospitals, patients, employers, unions, health plans and others working together to improve health care in the Puget Sound region. The goal is to increase health care quality and value across King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish and Thurston counties in Washington State.

Washington Community Action Network (Washington CAN!)
Washington CAN! is a statewide, grassroots lobbying organization that works to expose and overcome the systemic inequity individuals experience in gaining access to quality health care. This site provides information about access to quality health care in Washington and opportunities to participate in efforts to increase access and improve quality.

Washington Health Care Association (WHCA)
WHCA is a statewide non-profit organization representing over 330 assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. WHCA’s web site includes directories for nursing and residential car facilities as well as brochures on choosing the right home.

Washington Healthcare Forum
Washington Healthcare Forum is a coalition of health plans, physicians, hospitals, and purchasers working to improve the health care system.

Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA)
HCA administers four health care programs to improve the safety, quality and affordability of health care.

Washington State Department of Health
The Department of Health programs and services help prevent illness and injury, promote healthy places to live and work, provide education to help people make good health decisions and ensure the state is prepared for emergencies.

Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA)
WSHA is a membership organization representing community hospitals and several health-related organizations. The following link gives an overview of the organization, including the Association’s Patient Safety Project.

Washington State Medical Association
The Washington State Medical Association works to represent member physicians and patients and to promote effective physician leadership in health care throughout Washington State. This link has a physician locator, patient brochures and resources on a variety of public health issues for physicians and patients.

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