Ed Note: I was contacted (see below) today by the Washington Seriously Ill Care Coalition about good news on the legislation moving to a committee hearing on the 16th. I plan to testify and have submitted my comments and the “My Take” article I wrote for the Seattle Times. Please consider adding your support and comments.
Dear Colleague/Stakeholder/Washington Resident,
PLEASE HELP IMPROVE ACCESS to POLST: Ensure people get the care they want!
There is a long awaited bill ( HB 2166 “POLST Access”) being proposed that will do TWO important things:
It will:
1) mandate the DOH to establish a POLST registry with 24/7 accessibility
2) establish protocols for EMS to honor certified “evidence” of a POLST/DNR order, which could take the form of a wallet card, or jewelry (we have asked that this also include smartphone app).
The hearing for this bill is set for January 16th at 1:30 pm.
We ASK that everyone DO THIS TODAY: please use the link below to log into the page for the public hearing and
At a minimum:
1) Choose the 3rd option
“I would like my positions noted for the legislative record”
Then indicate “PRO” for your support of this bill!
Also,
2) We encourage as many people as possible to choose to testify on behalf of this bill
(Choose the option of in-person, remote, or submit a written statement)
If you choose to testify:
We hope to focus on the following points:
1) giving emergency responders immediate access to POLST orders via a 24 hour accessible registry will ensure that people will get care in the field that aligns with their wishes and honors medical plans that those individuals have thoughtfully created with their care team.
2) Having 24/7 access to a person’s stated and medically ordered wishes to receive or NOT receive CPR is the only dependable way to ensure that people’s rights to have a voice in their care and that they do not receive unwanted care in an emergency.
3) having these orders certified on wearable jewelry items or other forms of evidence brings peace of mind to those wishing that anyone who might find them unresponsive will have a way to know what their wishes are.
4) A fully functional registry will take more than legislation!
It will involve significant dedicated funding to:
—create a system that functions well in both the uploading of documents and the 24/7 accessibility.
—that the system will take into account the interface with electronic POLST in existing EMRs.
—launch a public campaign to educate about the benefits of using the registry and the expanded evidence (jewelry)
—develop/disseminate education and support to ensure that medical teams are aware of/empowered to upload documents,
—ensure that the access to the registry is well-thought out: secure electronic access, 24/7 staffing,