Washington State Medical Association (WSMA)

WSMA members: The 2024 WSMA Annual Meeting is 3 weeks away, and there are now 40+ policy resolutions available for you to leave your feedback on in our password-protected virtual reference committees. If you're not signed up for access, learn how here: https://bit.ly/3OUAPgU

Registration for our all-virtual Physician Leadership Course closes next Wednesday, Sept. 4! The PLC is designed to help you develop core leadership skills you can use in you practice, whether you are in solo practice or work in a large clinic or group. Learn more about the course and register: https://bit.ly/3qNPSRq

August is National Immunization Awareness Month! Vaccines help protect people of all ages throughout their life. Talk with your physician or practitioner about recommended vaccines for every age, and check out Washington State Department of Health's vaccine info page: https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/immunization

We're headed back to the beautiful Historic Davenport Hotel in Spokane (Have you had the peanut brittle? IYKYK) for the WSMA Annual Meeting this Sept. 28-29. Make sure to book your room by 8/28 to get our special rate, and register free for the meeting: wsma.org/annual-meeting.

Members: Our next Health Equity M&M session hosted by Edwin Lindo is this Friday, Aug. 9! This series fosters a space conducive to building a community of professionals focused on achieving , allowing for discussions of charged but necessary topics. This series is exclusively for WSMA members; register free: https://bit.ly/2YtlKc2.

When people cannot access doctors or APPs because of their insurance, their suffering is likely to increase and conditions worsen. 8 in 10 people denied care named at least one consequence due to their inability to get care with their plan. Learn more at takeaction.wsma.org.

Join us for our newest webinar series starting next Monday, Aug. 12! A new expert each month will dive into a different element of physician and practitioner wellness, starting with Kurt O'Brien of the MHA program at the UW Department of Health Systems and Population Health, who will talk about wellness as it applies to health care leaders, systems, and communities. Plus, this series offers CME and is available free to WSMA members and nonmembers. Register: https://bit.ly/4d1Xlzh

For a stronger health care workforce, Washington needs more physician residency slots—a priority for the physician community. Learn more about how the WSMA and others in organized medicine advocate for patients and the practice of medicine at wsma.org.

One week left to submit your policy ideas for consideration by the WSMA House of Delegates at the Annual Meeting! Get your resolutions in by 8/9 to be included in the delegate handbook. Everything you need to know about writing & submitting your resolution: https://bit.ly/3kESysQ

Have a policy idea you would like the WSMA House of Delegates to consider? Aug. 9 is the deadline to submit resolutions ahead of the 2024 Annual Meeting! Visit our How to Write a Resolution webpage for everything you need to know: https://bit.ly/3kESysQ

In addition to our Health Equity in Medicine podcast & Health Equity M&M series, the WSMA website has a host of other valuable resources on inclusive language, culturally sensitive care, and much more. Find it all here: https://bit.ly/3y6GT1p

The Aug. 9 deadline to submit policy resolutions ahead of the WSMA Annual Meeting is just under a month away! If there's an issue in medicine you want the WSMA to act on or take a position on, this is your chance to make your voice heard. Everything you need to know about writing and submitting a resolution: https://bit.ly/3W2UazS

We're headed back to Spokane this Sept. 28-29 for the 2024 Annual Meeting of the WSMA House of Delegates, with the beautiful Historic Davenport Hotel as our venue. Members can register free for this weekend of policymaking, opportunities, socializing with colleagues from across the state, and more. Register at wsma.org/annual-meeting.

Supporting physicians with questions about mental health care is one of the many ways physicians are working to strengthen Washington's health care workforce. Learn more about how the WSMA and others in organized medicine advocate for patients and the practice of medicine at wsma.org.

As of Jan. 1, Washington physicians and practitioners have a new health equity CE requirement! A new engaging and informative four-part podcast with health equity expert Edwin Lindo has you covered. Available only on the WSMA website: bit.ly/3VcCOBS (free for WSMA members).

Registration is now open for the 2024 WSMA Annual Meeting at the beautiful Historic Davenport Hotel in Spokane! All members are invited to join us for our annual policymaking weekend featuring sessions on trauma-informed care, POLST, and more. Register free at wsma.org/annual-meeting.

Low payment rates and rising costs make it increasingly hard for doctors to see low-income families and provide needed primary and specialty care, but there’s a way forward: Learn more about how the WSMA is addressing this at takeaction.wsma.org.

The WSMA fully supports Governor Jay Inslee's directive issued yesterday to protect emergency abortion care in the state of Washington. A statement from WSMA President Nari Heshmati: https://bit.ly/45huWlL.

Have an hour to spare this Friday for a valuable discussion on health equity? Join Edwin Lindo at noon on 6/14 for an hour well-spent exploring how implicit biases and systemic racism affect patient care. This free series is exclusively for WSMA members: https://bit.ly/2YtlKc2

New laws for physician assistants in Washington were passed during the 2024 legislative session. Join the Washington Medical Commission tomorrow, 6/7 at 10 a.m. for a free webinar covering the physician assistant compact and physician assistant collaborative practice. Register here: https://bit.ly/4bNLCUk

From the May/June issue of WSMA Reports, WSMA Past President Katina Rue, DO, wrote about an issue close to her heart: the increased licensure exam burden on DO medical students. Read her full column on the WSMA website: https://bit.ly/4c8tep1.

It's Time for Equal Acceptance of COMLEX and USMLE Many GME programs require only USMLE, doubling the burden on DO students.

ICYMI: Last month we partnered with Washington's three medical schools to release a joint statement in support of DEI efforts in medicine, adding our voices to those of national health care organizations and associations across the country. Read the full statement: https://bit.ly/3VsjeBr

Starting in January of this year, all physicians and health care practitioners must meet a state requirement of 2 hours of health equity education every 4 years. Our new engaging podcast series with Edwin Lindo meets the requirement and is free for WSMA members: https://bit.ly/3yITibW

Yesterday in The Seattle Times: WSMA CEO Jennifer Hanscom and WSMA President Nari Heshmati on how patients across WA are feeling the effects of declining reimbursements and rising costs when trying to see their doctors in outpatient settings, plus what the WSMA is doing about it.

Can't get into your doctor's office? You're not alone | Op-Ed The lack of access to care in the outpatient community, aka the physician’s office, should be as concerning to every Washingtonian as our struggling hospitals.

The Washington state advance directive has been updated and is now a WSMA-supported form. Join us for a free webinar reviewing all the changes plus other valuable resources to support your patients' care preferences in serious illness, end of life, and after death. https://bit.ly/3V0rokf

Our new health equity podcast, which fulfills the new state requirement of 2 hours of health equity education once every 4 years for physicians and health care practitioners, is now available! Free for WSMA members & available to purchase for individuals not eligible for WSMA membership: https://bit.ly/3wDeijp

Help us recognize your peers who are making a difference in medicine in Washington! Submit your nominations for the 2024 WSMA Apple Awards by Monday, 5/5, and we'll present the awards at the Annual Meeting this September. Submit here: https://bit.ly/4a0eGGy

The Leadership Development Conference is less than a month away! Spend the weekend in Chelan with us and an excellent lineup of speakers who will talk about AI and disruption in health care, health equity, building a culture of wellness, and much more. Register: http://wsma.org/LDC

Looking for a different approach to leadership coaching? Coaches for WSMA's new LEAD Program integrate both traditional 1:1 coaching with tactical mentorship advice to help you address gaps in knowledge or skill. Learn all about the program at: bit.ly/49VYeId