WSR 25-16-068
EMERGENCY RULES
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
[Filed August 1, 2025, 8:52 a.m., effective August 1, 2025, 8:52 a.m.]
Effective Date of Rule: Immediately upon filing.
Purpose: Washington's Healthcare and Emergency and Logistics Tracking Hub (WA HEALTH); the purpose of this rule is to continue to require acute care hospitals in Washington state, licensed under chapter
70.41 RCW, to report hospital maintenance and operation data to the department of health (department) through WA HEALTH in accordance with the WA HEALTH User Guide. This is the ninth emergency rule continuing the original rule filed on August 31, 2022 (WSR 22-18-060), and extended under the following filings:
WSR 23-02-036, filed December 29, 2022
WSR 23-10-047, filed April 28, 2023
WSR 23-18-015, filed August 25, 2023
WSR 24-02-023, filed December 22, 2023
WSR 24-10-015, filed April 9, 2024
WSR 24-16-139, filed August 6, 2024
WSR 24-24-102, filed December 4, 2024
WSR 24-09-003, filed March 4, 2025
Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: New WAC 246-320-700.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW
70.41.030.
Under RCW
34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.
Reasons for this Finding: WA HEALTH was developed to provide real-time data for decision-makers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It remains a critical resource for monitoring health care system impacts, including:
| |
| • | COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus hospitalizations. |
| • | Planned and unplanned patient movement. |
| • | Health care system strain and surge readiness. |
WA HEALTH continues to be used daily by state and local public health agencies to inform medical preparedness, resource allocation, and situational awareness across Washington's health care system. The information provided through WA HEALTH allows for:
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| • | Accurate and timely statewide hospital capacity tracking. |
| • | Coordinated response to disease surges and public health threats. |
| • | Readiness planning for future emergencies, whether man-made or natural. |
Without this rule and continued use of WA HEALTH, the state would lose essential visibility into system-level pressures and capacities, jeopardizing coordinated response and patient safety.
Given the ongoing vulnerabilities in Washington's hospital surge capacity, continued mandatory reporting through WA HEALTH remains essential to protect public health and ensure continuity of care.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: August 1, 2025.
Kristin Peterson, JD
Chief of Policy
for Dennis E. Worsham
Secretary of Health
OTS-3921.2
NEW SECTION
WAC 246-320-700Reporting of health system readiness data.
The purpose of this section is to outline each hospital's responsibility for reporting to the department data pertaining to the maintenance and operation of the hospital in support of health system readiness.
(1) For the purposes of this section:
"WA HEALTH User Guide" means the written instructions issued by the department for reporting to the department hospital maintenance and operation data pertaining to health system readiness.
(2) Hospitals must report data to the department in accordance with the WA HEALTH User Guide, including any amended versions thereof issued by the department. Copies of the WA HEALTH User Guide may be obtained on the department's website or by contacting the department.
(3) Any person who receives data reported under this section must maintain confidentiality of the data as required by applicable law.