Association of Washington Public Hospital Districts

06/16/2026

Up Next in Governance Education: Doing the Right Thing: An Ethical Framework for Hospital Board Members

Join us on Monday, June 22 from 12 – 1 pm for Doing the Right Thing: An Ethical Framework for Hospital Board Members.

This webinar will leverage the classic “four principles of bioethics” to show how stewardship, generosity, humility and fairness form the ethical backbone of effective hospital board leadership. It will be a practical, foundational look at how these principles guide decision‑making in the boardroom. This webinar is the first of a 2-part series with the part two being offered in-person at the 2026 WSHA & AWPHD Rural Hospital Leadership Conference June 28 – July 1 at Campbell’s Resort in Chelan.

To register and see upcoming sessions, please click here: https://www.awphd.org/governance-education/

To register for the 2026 WSHA & AWPHD Rural Hospital Leadership Conference, click here: https://www.awphd.org/events/

In partnership with WSHA, AWPHD offers its members educational opportunities to increase their knowledge of hospital governance in Washington.

06/10/2026

This is our favorite time of year as member visits and board presentations ramp up. We made our way to Skagit Regional Health last night to deliver the Rules of the Road: Best Governance Practices board education.

Throughout the visit it was evident that this board is dedicated to their vision: improving lives through compassionate and innovative healthcare.

Thank you for having us.

05/14/2026

At AWPHD, we know public hospital district commissioners are actively engaged in their communities. We have created a one-page document to help commissioners explain their role in governing a public hospital district.

This summary provides a concise description of the fiduciary duty, role and responsibilities of a publicly elected or appointed commissioner to a PHD.

Click Here for the Commissioner Role Summary:https://www.awphd.org/wp-content/uploads/Commissioner-Role-at-a-PHD.pdf

05/07/2026

Check out the new Governance Education Video Short about what constitutes a Serial Meeting under the Open Public Meetings Act. In this short, you will walk through a few scenarios to help you, as a commissioner, avoid this potential violation.

The short video is available on the AWPHD website and through our Governance Education portal.

To view the short, visit: https://www.awphd.org/governance-education/

For a list of all available governance education shorts, please click:https://www.awphd.org/wp-content/uploads/AWPHD-Gov-Ed-Short-Flyer_26.05.06.pdf

04/30/2026

Learn how a non-hospital public hospital district managed growth from being an emergency medical services PHD to purchasing an assisted living facility and launching home care services. The recording and slides are available through our Governance Education Portal.

https://www.awphd.org/governance-education/

This session counts as 1 point towards our AWPHD & WSHA Health Care Governance Certification. Earn your Health Care Governance certification by completing 12 points by December 31st.

04/16/2026

Registration is now open for the 2026 AWPHD & WSHA Rural Hospital Leadership Conference!

Join us June 28 - July 1st, 2026, at the Campbell's Resort in Chelan. This event is an opportunity for our rural and public hospital district C-suite leaders and board members to learn together. Topics will be focused on best governance practices, member panels, and state and federal regulations.

To register, click here: https://wshaconnect.wsha.org/events/Pages/Event-Registration.aspx

04/10/2026

AWPHD staff had a sunny drive on the way to visit with Mattawa Community Medical Clinic. ☀️This is one of our non-hospital public hospital district members. MCMC offers primary care, dental and behavioral health services to their district. This clinic is essential as the nearest hospital is an hour away! This public hospital district strives to continue meeting the needs of their local community.

03/31/2026

I had such an amazing time presenting at the Harbor Regional Health board retreat. My presentation included an update on the current state of public hospital districts across the state, trends in commissioner elections and engagement, and strategies to maintain good governance practices. This board is a fine example of strategic partnership and leadership, built on a passion for their community.