Public Health

Tochi Iroku-Malize, MD, MPH, MBA, FAAFP, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, wrote an op-ed in The Seattle Times on the importance of stopping and reversing the erosion of public trust in vaccines. The piece ran on Aug. 18. “As we think about returning to school and with more people going back to…

The Washington State Department of Health, in conjunction with the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families and the Washington State Hospital Association, announced that Eat, Sleep, Console is the new best practice for babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome. “The announced change formally recognizes Eat, Sleep, Console as the new best practice for birthing hospitals,”…

Our colleagues at the Washington State Department of Health remind you to promote viral hepatitis testing, vaccination, and treatment with your patients. The following resources are curated by DOH for you and your patients: Visit the DOH’s provider information webpage for more details. If you have questions or need support, please contact them at hepatitis@doh.wa.gov.

The Washington State Department of Health has announced that its masking directive for health care, long-term care, and adult correctional facilities for people ages 5 and up will end April 3. DOH will continue to recommend masking, though local or tribal governments, facilities, or clinicians may choose to continue requiring masks. The State of Oregon…

The Washington State Department of Health is urging family physicians and pediatricians to increase their testing on blood lead levels (BLL) in children. While DOH notes testing has increased over the past decade, Washington is still well behind the nation in testing rates (4.2 percent vs. a 17.6 percent national average). The emphasis comes in…