Teresa Richter, ND

03/02/2024

02/01/2024

Please read the post below, click the link and help support healthcare providers in Washington state. Thank you!

**HB 1655 lives! We need YOU to help keep it that way!!!**

Friends! Supporters! Advocates!

We are ELATED to share that - mere moments ago - the House Committee on Health & Wellness voted to advance SHB 1655 to the House Committee on Appropriations!

The bill that would require annual cost of living increases in insurance reimbursements for any independent health care practitioner (not employed by or affiliated with a hospital system) is still alive in this short session - thanks in part to YOUR incredible efforts signing in PRO and sharing our Calls to Action when the bill was heard in the health care committees in both state legislative chambers!

But now the real advocacy work begins. To stay alive this short session, SHB 1655 must be heard in the House Appropriations Committee **by Monday, February 5**.... and it needs all of us working together to get it there.

This time, we've got only a single step process for you (though we hope you'll take a second step to share this advocacy action with all of your contacts!):

Simply go to https://mstr.app/9c1e1fe4-2a91-4846-80bb-342c32de53fc to send the message we've already drafted to Committee leaders asking them to schedule this bill for a hearing.

**Remember that the bill must be heard by Monday, so please do this RIGHT NOW in order for your message to count!**

Thank you for taking action TODAY to increase your PAY!!

10/14/2023

We need your help!

Please make a comment to the department of health to help us be able to serve more patients by expanding our scope. This will help doctors in rural areas to give more comprehensive care, save the state money by alleviating 2 doctors doing the same work on the same patient all so that they can be prescribed a medication, and will help ND’s to be able to help patients get off of certain medications that we couldn’t work with before. This expansion of scope will help our doctors to fill the healthcare gaps that are so much larger now after COVID..

Please go to sunrise@doh.wa.gov and make a comment in support of this change and how this change kay personally affect your healthcare for the better.

Thank you so much for your support!

📣📣 In case you missed it: the Public Comment period for our Sunrise Review is officially open! 📣📣

This review is a deep dive by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) into Senate Bill 5411, which aims to expand naturopathic prescriptive authority to include controlled substances in Schedules II through V of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act as necessary in the practice of naturopathy; enable naturopathic physicians to sign and attest to any documents or certificates that any primary care provider is routinely expected to sign; update defining language under “minor office procedures” and “physical modalities”; and update the RCW to reflect that our profession is now regulated by an established board rather than by the Office of the Secretary of Health.

We have submitted an in-depth applicant report (https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-10/NaturopathySunriseAppReport2023.pdf?uid=65208b53a2046) making our case and now we are asking our community of allies, advocates, patients, doctors, and other supporters to take a few minutes to submit comment directly to the Department expressing why YOU support this effort to align our scope of practice with our legal status as primary care providers.

All comments must be submitted by email to sunrise@doh.wa.gov by 5 pm on Monday, November 20, 2023.

Any interested party is invited to submit comment and we certainly hope that our patients, employers, friends, teachers, researchers, and colleagues are all interested in this effort!

You can learn more about this process at https://doh.wa.gov/about-us/programs-and-services/executive-office-prevention-safety-and-health/health-systems-quality-assurance/sunrise-reviews

Never hesitate to contact us with questions at info@wanp.org.

Thank you in advance for your advocacy on behalf of the naturopathic profession in Washington!

07/04/2023

Have a happy and safe 4th of July! The office will reopen with normal business hours Thursday July 6th.

03/13/2023

Endometriosis pain may be felt before during or after menstruation, during ovulation, when passing urine, during or after sexual in*******se, or in the lower back.

Other symptoms include: diarrhea or constipation, abdominal bloating, heavy or irregular menstrual bleeding, and fatigue.
https://endometriosis.org/endometriosis/symptoms/

🎗

03/08/2023

It is generally acknowledged that an estimated 10% of all women during their reproductive years (from the onset of menstruation to menopause) are affected by endometriosis This equates to 176 million women throughout the world, who have to deal with the symptoms of endometriosis during the prime years of their lives. 💛

https://endometriosis.org/endometriosis/

💛

03/07/2023

After April 3rd, masks will no longer be required when you come in to the office.

Effective April 3, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) will end the Secretary of Health Mask Order, which currently requires universal masking in healthcare, long-term care, and adult correctional facilities for people age 5 and older.

DOH infection prevention and control guidance continues to recommend masks for patients, healthcare providers, and visitors in healthcare settings. Licensed healthcare facilities are required to have infection prevention policies and programs consistent with CDC guidance.

Several worker protection requirements enforced by the state’s Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) remain in effect, including that employees and contractors may choose to use facemasks or other personal protective equipment (PPE) on the job without employer retaliation. Additionally, under the state Health Emergency Labor Standards Act (HELSA) rules, several key worker protections remain in place until the federal pandemic response declaration ends May 11.

The current Secretary of Health Mask Order will remain in place until 11:59pm on April 2. Local or tribal governments, facilities, and providers may choose to continue to require masks in these or other settings.

Read more at https://doh.wa.gov/newsroom/masking-requirements-healthcare-long-term-care-and-correctional-facilities-end-april-3

03/04/2023

Teresa Richter, ND has been selected for the 2023 Best of Kirkland Award in the Naturopathic/Holistic category by the Kirkland Award Program.

Read the press release here: https://kirkland.businesses-honor.com/PressReleaseub.aspx?cc=DMN5-ZBLY-9WQQ

02/20/2023

Kirkland Natural Medicine will be closed 2/21/2023 in observance of President’s Day. We will reopen 2/22/2023 with regular business hours.

02/19/2023

‘I thought I had the flu’

Even though heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States, women often chalk up the symptoms to less life-threatening conditions such as acid reflux, the flu or normal aging.

A heart attack strikes someone about every 40 seconds. It occurs when blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart muscle is severely reduced or cut off completely. This happens because the arteries that supply the heart with blood can slowly narrow from a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances (plaque). https://www.heart.org

♥️ ❤️

02/16/2023

February is American Heart Month. Do you know if your blood pressure readings are accurate? Do you know if proper technique is being used when your blood pressure is being taken in the doctor's office? Hypertension is known as the "silent" killer" Click the link to find out more. https://www.drteresarichter.com/is-your-high-blood-pressure-reading-accurate/

♥️ ❤️

02/15/2023

Happy Valentine's Day! From Dr.Richter and Dolores!