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Welcome to the event page for the 2026 Annual Meeting of the WSMA House of Delegates, Sept. 26–27 at the Historic Davenport in Spokane. For information about the makeup of the House of Delegates, visit our House of Delegates page.
The WSMA Annual Meeting is the WSMA’s premier policymaking event, when the voting members of the WSMA House of Delegates gather to debate and determine policy for the association, elect officers, and network with colleagues. All are welcome to attend the WSMA Annual Meeting and take advantage of the educational offerings, network, and learn more about the association.
Official Actions of the 2025 House of Delegates
For the official policies and other business acted on by the 2025 WSMA House of Delegates, download the Official Actions of the 2025 WSMA House of Delegates (June 2026 update) For the compendium of all policies passed by the House of Delegates, visit our What’s Our Policy? page.
Vinay Gupta, MD, to Keynote the 2026 WSMA Annual MeetingWe’re excited to welcome keynote speaker Vinay Gupta, MD, for his presentation “Leading Through Change: What Physicians Need to Thrive in the Future of Healthcare.” In his presentation, he’ll explore how physicians can lead through a period of extraordinary change in health care—rather than simply react to it, focusing on the themes of using technology to restore the human side of medicine; the changing role of the physician; trust and medical falsehoods; physician leadership and advocacy; and more. Click the “Speakers and Presentations” menu below for all the details on Dr. Gupta’s keynote.
Dr. Gupta is a practicing pulmonologist, public health expert, and health care innovator. Formerly chief medical officer at Amazon, Dr. Gupta is known to many as the medical analyst for NBC News and MS NOW and today is a managing director of health innovation at Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, LLP.
This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM.
Resolutions received after midnight on Aug. 27 will not be posted in the virtual reference committee. Per the WSMA Bylaws, late resolution submissions will be distributed on Saturday morning of the House of Delegates and will require consent of two-thirds of the House at the opening session to be considered by the House this year. Learn more about resolutions here.
The delegate handbook is your guide to all the reports and resolutions for the 2026 House of Delegates. View or download the 2026 Delegate Handbook.
The WSMA has created two videos to help delegates and members better understand how the WSMA House of Delegates works.
How the 2026 WSMA House of Delegates Is Improving the Delegate Experience – In our first 5-minute video, WSMA staff review new processes introduced this year that are designed to improve efficiency, accessibility, and delegate engagement. Updates include an online resolution submission tool, expanded use of the virtual reference committee, and revised deadlines that provide more time to review policy proposals before the annual meeting.
How Physician Ideas Become WSMA Policy – In our second, in-depth video, Speaker of the WSMA House of Delegates, Matthew Grierson, MD, walks through the policymaking process at the House of Delegates, from identifying an issue and developing a resolution to the virtual reference committee, testimony, amendments, reference committee recommendations, and final House consideration. Audio-only version: MP3 | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
The WSMA Resolution Submittal Form will go live.
Virtual reference committee will open to facilitate debate, discussion, and suggested amendments to resolutions.
Per the WSMA Bylaws, final deadline for receipt of on-time resolutions. The WSMA will send a confirmation email upon receipt of the submission. Resolutions must be submitted and approved by WSMA prior to the Aug. 27 on-time submission deadline to be considered on time. No resolution edits/corrections/additions to previously accepted resolutions will be permitted after the on-time submission deadline.
All resolution submissions approved for acceptance by the on-time deadline will be posted to the virtual reference committee for review and comment.
Resolutions received after the deadline will not be posted in the virtual reference committee but will be distributed on Saturday morning of the House of Delegates. They will require consent of two-thirds of the House at opening session to be considered.
The delegate handbook will be available for download on the WSMA website.
Virtual reference committee will close at noon. Resolution authors will be given an additional 24 hours until noon on Sept. 12 to address issues raised.
Preliminary reference committee reports posted to the WSMA website, virtual reference committee, and distributed via email.
2026 WSMA Annual Meeting at the Historic Davenport in Spokane.
Noon–4 p.m. — Executive committee meeting
4 p.m. — WAMPAC meeting
6 p.m. — WSMA board of trustees dinner
6:45 p.m. — WSMA board of trustees meeting
Also on Friday: The Spokane County Medical Society will present Medicine 2026, a full day of learning for primary care physicians. Separate registration required. This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM.
7 a.m. — Registration and breakfast
8 a.m. — House of Delegates
9–9:30 a.m. — Department of Health Presentation on Partnering with the Practicing Physician Community — Dennis Worsham, Secretary, Department of Health
9:30–10 a.m. — Break with exhibitors
10 a.m. — Reference committees
12:30 p.m. — WAMPAC luncheon
2 p.m. — Apple Awards presentation and recognition of 50 Year Club members
2:30–4 p.m. — Leading Through Change: What Physicians Need to Thrive in the Future of Healthcare – Vinay Gupta, MD
4 p.m. — Break with exhibitors
4:30–5:15 p.m. — Physician Advocacy in Action: Lead. Transform. Innovate. — Lasé Ajayi, MD, chair, AMA board of trustees
5:30 p.m. — Check in opens for Presidential Inauguration and WSMA Foundation gala dinner
6 p.m. — Program begins at gala dinner
7 a.m. — WSMA past presidents’ breakfast
7 a.m. — Early career joint governing councils meeting
7 a.m. — CMS caucuses
8 a.m. — House of Delegates
Join your colleagues at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26, for our annual WAMPAC Luncheon. This year’s luncheon will feature House Health Care Committee Chair Rep. Dan Bronoske (D-Lakewood) and Ranking Member Rep. Joe Schmick (R-Colfax) to share what is ahead for health care policy during the 2027 state legislative session.
We’ll present Rep. Bronoske with the WSMA 2026 Legislator of the Year award in recognition of his partnership with the physician community, particularly his efforts to safeguard access to vaccines in Washington state.
We’ll also be joined by AMPAC Chair John Poole, MD, and WAMPAC Chair Tony Quang, MD, JD, for a conversation on the importance of physician engagement in advocacy, moderated by Sheila Rege, MD.
The WAMPAC Luncheon is one of the most popular events at the WSMA Annual Meeting and frequently sells out—be sure to get your tickets early. Tickets are $50 and may be purchased online when preregistering for the Annual Meeting. The luncheon is free for WAMPAC Diamond Club members; you can join the Diamond Club online.
The WSMA and the WSMA Foundation cordially invite you to attend its Future Physician Scholarship Fundraising Gala Banquet on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 6-8 p.m.
Join us as we inaugurate WSMA’s incoming president, Matt Hollon, MD; honor Rod Trytko, MD, for his years of service on the AMA Delegation; introduce the Foundation’s first Future Physician Scholarship recipient, Isabela Lydston; and fundraise for the Scholarship and Diversity Advancement Fund.
There will be dinner and music provided by Imagine Jazz.
The auction and paddle raise will benefit the WSMA Foundation’s long-term vision to fund scholarships for medical students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine at all three Washington medical schools.
Tickets are $125 and may be purchased online when preregistering for the Annual Meeting. Ticket fees and additional donations will support the WSMA Foundation Scholarship and Diversity Advancement Fund and its goals of building a more inclusive house of medicine.
Can’t make it? Make a donation at foundation.wsma.org.
Bindu Nayak, MD, WSMA Foundation President
Bridget Bush, WSMA President (outgoing)
Keynote presentation: Vinay Gupta, MDIn his keynote, Dr. Gupta will talk about how physicians can lead through a period of extraordinary change in health care—rather than simply react to it.
Some of the themes he will explore:
This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM.
Vinay Gupta, MD, is a practicing pulmonologist, public health expert, and health care innovator whose career spans clinical medicine, global health, health technology, and public communication. A physician with more than a decade of service in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, he has held roles with the CDC, World Bank Group, China CDC, and the Pentagon’s Center for Global Health Engagement, focusing on pandemic preparedness and global health security. His research has been published in leading medical journals, including The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, and BMJ.
Dr. Gupta has also held leadership roles across the health technology sector, contributing to the development of health features for Apple Watch and serving as chief medical officer for Amazon Pharmacy and New Health Initiatives. He is currently managing director of healthcare innovation at Manatt Health, where he advises health care systems on digital transformation and generative AI adoption.
A medical analyst for NBC News, MS NoW, and CNBC, Dr. Gupta is a trusted national voice on health care, public health, and innovation. He’s a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and sits on the National Board of Directors of the American Lung Association.
Plenary presentation: Lasé Ajayi, MD, chair-elect, American Medical Association board of trusteesToluwalasé “Lasé” Ajayi, MD, emigrated from Nigeria to the U.S. at the age of 7 as a political refugee, growing up in Lawrence, Kansas. She earned her medical degree from the University of Kansas, completed her pediatric residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center, and further specialized in adult and pediatric palliative medicine at the Institute for Palliative Medicine at San Diego Hospice.
In June 2022, Dr. Ajayi was elected to the American Medical Association board of trustees, previously serving as past chair of the California Medical Association Council on Medical Services and past president of the San Diego County Medical Society. Dr. Ajayi holds a joint faculty position as a clinical professor at UC San Diego in both the departments of pediatrics and medicine. She is also the program director for the UC San Diego and Scripps Health Palliative Medicine Fellowship program. Her translational research is conducted at the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Center for Health Innovation, where she leads initiatives on digital health equity. Clinically, Dr. Ajayi practices at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego as a newborn hospitalist and home-based physician for medically fragile children.
Dr. Ajayi’s research intersects innovative digital medicine technologies with unmet needs in health disparities, maternal fetal health, pain, and palliative medicine. She has been actively involved with the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program, the Palliative Care Research Cooperative, and was the principal investigator for PowerMom, a study exploring how mobile health technologies can optimize pregnancy outcomes through real-time, patient-reported data.
Plenary presentation: Dennis Worsham, Washington State Secretary of HealthAs Washington state’s secretary of health, Dennis Worsham is dedicated to defending and strengthening Washington’s public health system and infrastructure by partnering with tribal, state, and local health officials in both public health and the health care system and is committed to ensuring accessibility and addressing systemic inequities that impact communities at scale.
A Washington native, Worsham grew up in the small town of Othello and attended Eastern Washington University. He previously served as director of Snohomish County’s Public Health Department and has over 32 years of public health experience. He has held several state and local executive leadership positions, including deputy secretary for health at the Washington State Department of Health and interim director of Public Health – Seattle & King County. His broad professional experience spans roles such as deputy director, chief of policy, community partnerships and communications, regional health officer, and TB control program manager. During his career at the Snohomish Health District, he served as HIV/STD/Hepatitis program manager and worked as a health educator for the LGBTQ+ community during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
All legislative power of the WSMA is vested in the House of Delegates. The House of Delegates meets once a year, typically in September or October, to set policy for the association and elect officers. The House may also be called into special session at any time by the WSMA president on the written request of 15 members of the House.
All business of the House of Delegates is conducted according to parliamentary procedures as outlined in “The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure.” The speaker of the House serves as parliamentarian. The speaker of the House is Matthew Grierson, MD, of Seattle. The vice speaker of the House is Ray Hsiao, MD, of Seattle.
The WSMA House of Delegates comprises elected delegates from each county medical society, qualified state specialty societies, and members of the WSMA board of trustees. There is one young physician delegate, one resident delegate, and three student delegates (one from each of the three medical schools in Washington state). Each county society has one delegate for every 50 members of the county society who are active or active limited WSMA members.
Each medical specialty society is entitled to elect or appoint one delegate and one alternate, provided that such specialty society has as members at least 100 active members of the WSMA, or if the specialty society has fewer than 100 members, 50% of its members must belong to the WSMA.
The House convenes its opening session on Saturday morning of the WSMA Annual Meeting. At this time, guests are invited to speak to the delegates and all reports and resolutions are referred to reference committees.
Following the opening session, the reference committees commence. Reference committees, similar to legislative committees, allow for debate and refinement of resolutions. All WSMA members are invited to testify on resolutions during the reference committee sessions. The work of each reference committee is guided by a three-person team of WSMA members familiar with the House of Delegates and two WSMA staff members. Nonmembers may attend and testify during the reference committee at the invitation of the committee chair.
The House convenes a closing session on Sunday morning. The reference committees present their reports for consideration by the House on Sunday and the House proceeds to act on the items of business.
Learn more about resolutions and how they help create and guide WSMA policy.
WSMA’s virtual reference committee is a secure online forum for members to provide testimony on resolutions and other proposed policy in the weeks prior to the Annual Meeting of the WSMA House of Delegates in the fall.
Starting in 2026, testimony submitted through the virtual reference committee will be used by the reference committee members and staff to draft preliminary reports prior to the meeting. All WSMA members are encouraged to visit the virtual reference committee to review resolutions and provide testimony in the weeks prior to the meeting.
Testimony provided in the virtual reference committee is given equal weight to that of in-person testimony. The virtual reference committee is secure and password protected.
Learn how to join and access the virtual reference committee.
If you are interested in serving as a delegate, contact your county medical society or state specialty society. If you are unsure who to contact, email WSMA staff at hod@wsma.org.
Delegates are expected to be available for one year of service from the beginning of the House of Delegates meeting until the House of Delegates meeting the following year. Delegates shall be available to provide input and information and guidance to the board of trustees and executive committee as they administer and interpret policy set by the House of Delegates, and as they make policy decisions when the House of Delegates is not in session.
To fulfill your responsibilities as a delegate:
Reference Committee Hearings & Reports – An in-depth overview of the role of the virtual reference committee, reference committee members, the new preliminary reference committee reports, and the in-person reference committee hearings in shaping policy at the WSMA. Includes the rules that govern the in-person committee hearings.
House of Delegates Orientation – An overview of the WSMA House of Delegates, why it exists, the roles and responsibilities of individual delegates, and how the decision-making process at the House of Delegates works. Includes the general rules of order during the House sessions, and information about the structure of resolutions and how they’re debated.
The WSMA designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
The content of this activity is not related to products or services of an ACCME-defined ineligible company, also known as a commercial interest; therefore no one in control of content has a relevant financial relationship to disclose.
The WSMA may have a photographer or videographer on-site at this event to gather imagery for use by the WSMA in its communications materials and channels as well as for media outreach. These images will be the property of the WSMA, and the WSMA will not sell or otherwise market event imagery. If you have any questions regarding imagery taken at a WSMA event, please contact Milana McLead at 206.441.9762 or milana@wsma.org.
The WSMA wishes to thank the following corporate partners for their generous contributions.
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Sept. 26–27, 2026
Member: Free
Physician nonmember: $560
Physician assistant nonmember: $130
Other: $100
The Historic Davenport Hotel
10 S. Post St.
Spokane, WA 99201
Rooms at the Historic Davenport and Davenport Towers are $189-$199/night until Aug. 26. Book your room at the WSMA conference rate here.
206.441.9762 or wsma@wsma.org.