May facilities refuse to honor a POLST?

Yes. The Natural Death Act RCW 70.122 allows health care facilities or personnel to refuse to participate in withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment due to moral or ethical objections. Residents or patients must be informed of this policy or practice when the provider or facility becomes aware of the existence of a directive or POLST order they do not intend to honor. If an individual provider objects, the facility should try to make a willing staff member available to provide care according to the patient's POLST order. If the facility objects, it should cooperate with the patient or resident and family in finding and transferring the patient to another facility willing to honor the POLST order.