Whatcom Alliance for Healthcare Access

Information for Healthcare Professionals

Working with Whatcom County Medical Society, Whatcom Project Access (WPA) will ensure the equitable distribution of lower income, uninsured patient cases among participating ancillary providers and specialists who are willing to donate care for eligible patients.

For more information contact Felicia Boettger at (360) 788-6534

WPA Provider Resources

Physician Recruitment and Retention

The major healthcare practices in Whatcom County including St. Joseph Hospital and the Whatcom County Health Department are working as a community oversight committee to establish physician recruitment needs for Whatcom County and a collaborative recruitment strategy.

WAHA with assistance from Western Washington University’s Small Business Development Center is working on the following:

Assessments and Planning: Conduct ongoing community needs assessments and long term planning for physician recruitment

Recruitment: Facilitate the implementation of a collaborative recruitment strategy aimed at ensuring access to care in Whatcom County

Retention: Provide targeted business consulting services for eligible physician practices as part of a multifaceted recruitment and retention program

For more information contact Nancy Blume at (360) 788-6588

Health Policy Education

The Alliance is a nonpartisan group committed to progress on health policy issues that achieve improved health care access for all residents of Whatcom County.

Recent focus has been on:

Preserving private practice involvement in the community safety-net through:

1) reducing the administrative burden on physicians and

2) providing targeted financial incentives, including possible State Business and Occupation (B&O) tax relief [more info]

Comprehensive Medical Malpractice reform [more info]

Informing elected officials about the impact of proposed cuts in Medicare reimbursements on access to care for area seniors

For more information contact Sue Sharpe at (360) 788-6531

Tools to Use

These simple information sheets were designed to help patients and advocates sort out insurance options and make the process of applying for public and commercial insurance easier.