Addressing Common Challenges. Union and Employer recognize that a set of political, economic, and labor-relations challenges can inhibit improvements in the quality of care that Washington citizens in nursing facilities receive, the Employers’ economic ability to sustain responsible operations, and nursing facility worker wages, benefits and quality of life. Public education and political advocacy is essential to maintaining and improving public investment in nursing facility care, especially in light of the successive unfunded rapidly escalating minimum wage increases that Seattle-based nursing home operators are subject to starting January 1, 2016. Union and Employer recognize that they can resolve the foregoing challenges more effectively by working together rather than by working separately. Following ratification of this Agreement, Union and Employer shall use best efforts to increase the net level of Medicaid reimbursement to Employer’s Center to fully fund the additional costs of enhanced minimum wage standards in all subsequent rate rebasing, either as part of the base rate or through an add-on payment, as necessary thereafter. The parties will use best efforts to collaborate as necessary to ensure that Washington’s Medicaid rate-setting authority accurately quantifies the Centers’ operational cost of implementing the pending Seattle minimum wage increases and provides for additional funding to pay for the resulting new financial obligations of Employer.
Addressing Common Challenges. As a result of an ageing population and the empowerment of citizens, demands on health and social care are continuously rising. The benefits of interoperable eHealth applications provide significant advantages, for instance, enhanced information to providers and citizens, including accessibility and timely availability of medical data; improved workflow; new clinical applications; seamless information flows across healthcare and social care organisation boundaries; etc. It is right that the benefits should be weighed against costs of eHealth investments. All ultimately should lead to improved quality and efficiency of care, reduction of adverse events including errors and therefore containment of costs. The transformation of the delivery of healthcare through information and communication technologies can of course provide better care. Successful introduction of technology, however, needs a solid ground of organisational connectivity, with a focus on optimisation of seamless healthcare process. Substantial benefit will occur, if data recorded only once, can become available for secondary uses such as quality assurance and benchmarking, management of resources including control of expenditures, planning and reimbursement, disease surveillance and emergency preparedness, decision support, and research, which will ultimately generate knowledge and research.
Addressing Common Challenges. The Union and the Employer recognize that a set of political, economic, and labor-relations challenges can inhibit improvements in the quality of care that Washington citizens in nursing facilities receive, the Employers’ economic ability to sustain responsible operations, and nursing facility worker wages, benefits and quality of life. Public education and political advocacy is essential to maintaining and improving public investment in nursing facility care, especially in light of the successive unfunded rapidly escalating minimum wage increases that Seattle-based nursing home Employers are subject to starting January 1, 2016. Union and Employer recognize that they can resolve the foregoing challenges more effectively by working together rather than by working separately. Following ratification of this Agreement, Union and Employer shall use best efforts to increase the net level of Medicaid reimbursement to Employer’s Center to fully fund the additional costs of enhanced minimum wage standards in all subsequent rate rebasing, either as part of the base rate or through an add-on payment, as necessary thereafter. The parties will use best efforts to collaborate as necessary to ensure that Washington’s Medicaid rate-setting authority accurately quantifies the Centers’ operational cost of implementing the Seattle minimum wage increases and provides for additional funding to pay for the resulting new financial obligations of Employer.
