Healthcare - RANGE Media (Page 2)

A 12-year-old killed herself at a Spokane hospital that recently closed its youth psychiatric unit

Workers say girl’s death is an example of what they feared from Providence closing the unit.

By Kaylee Tornay, InvestigateWest and Whitney Bryen, InvestigateWest

/ 23 Apr 2025

Allegations against Washington gender-affirming surgeon stir fears of backlash for trans patients

‘Any moment could be the last.’ Red states could preview gender-affirming care under Trump

An Idaho law banning state insurance from covering gender-affirming care could foreshadow a national ban on Medicaid spending for transgender care.

By Erin Sellers

/ 26 Feb 2025

‘Scissors, scissors’: Washington patients could soon have informed consent for IUD insertions

IUD insertions can be painful and often, patients aren’t notified of pain management options. House Bill 1077 in the WA legislature could change that.

By Erin Sellers

/ 18 Feb 2025

‘The mission doesn’t pay the bills.’

Employees at the local Planned Parenthood are considering unionization over what they characterize as low pay and bad working conditions. The CEO is paying a union-busting firm the equivalent of 17 medical assistants’ hourly wages to persuade them not to.

By Erin Sellers

/ 19 Dec 2024

Local workers for city projects: Proposed ordinance would support local labor

SRHD board defers treatment services decision again

The drawn-out process on studying the possibility of privatizing opioid treatment services is starting to have real consequences.

By Erin Sellers

/ 1 Nov 2024

PODCAST: The stakes for employees of SRHD's opioid Treatment Services if it goes private

Union Representative Suzie Saunders sat down for an interview with RANGE to outline the stakes for employees and patients, should the Board of Health vote to continue down the road to privatization for Treatment Services.

By Erin Sellers

/ 28 Oct 2024

Initiative 2124: Long-term care ballot measure could kill program before it can start to pay out

If Initiative 2124 passes, it would amend the 2019 WA Cares Act to allow people to opt out of paying, decreasing funding for the entire program. The act established a state long-term care insurance program meant to help people pay for care.

By Valerie Osier

/ 3 Oct 2024

Q&A: What’s at stake for employees as Spokane Regional Health District considers privatizing their opioid treatment services?

Union Representative Suzie Saunders sat down for an interview with RANGE to outline the stakes for employees and patients, should the Board of Health vote to continue down the road to privatization for Treatment Services.

By Erin Sellers

/ 25 Sep 2024

“Please do not trade sober lives for monetary gain. Please!”

After a July SRHD board meeting, community members worry the detailed process to consider potentially privatizing Opioid Treatment services is getting rushed, to the detriment of vulnerable patients

By Erin Sellers

/ 27 Aug 2024

Are SRHD’s opioid treatment services better off privatized?

The Spokane Regional Health District is considering privatizing its decades-old opioid treatment services. Here’s the information you need to know to understand the issue and participate in public forums!

By Erin Sellers

/ 18 Jul 2024

‘Don’t leave me here, I need help!’

RANGE takes a ridealong with the BRU, one of the units addressing Spokane’s opioid crisis on the ground.

By Erin Sellers

/ 16 Jul 2024

Fentanyl facts vs. fiction: from smoke to skin contact

To separate fentanyl’s very real hazards from some truly absurd myths, we talked to experts at the Washington Poison Center.

By Holly VanVoorhis

/ 27 Jun 2024