2026 WSMA Apple Awards Recognize Member Physicians, Kaiser Permanente Washington for Service to Patients and Profession
Three physicians and one health care organization have been recognized by the Washington State Medical Association, the state’s largest physician professional association, for extraordinary leadership, service, and contributions to medicine and patient safety. The recognitions were part of the WSMA Apple Awards program, named after a symbol of good health and one of Washington state’s most popular agricultural exports, presented during the 2026 Annual Meeting of the WSMA House of Delegates on Saturday, Sept. 26 at The Historic Davenport in Spokane.
Two WSMA physician members received 2026 Grassroots Advocate Awards, honoring physicians for their advocacy efforts on behalf of WSMA’s legislative priorities: Claire Brutocao, MD, a psychiatrist at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane and associate program director of the Providence Psychiatry Residency Spokane, for her leadership advocating on behalf of patients and the profession as co-chair of the Washington State Psychiatric Association’s Government Relations Committee, including her work opposing legislation that would have expanded prescribing authority without adequate patient safety guardrails and her efforts mentoring resident physicians to engage in advocacy at the state and federal level; and Daniel Low, MD, a family medicine physician at HealthPoint in Renton, for his sustained advocacy on behalf of Washington’s low-income and immigrant communities, including his work helping to pass House Bill 2143, expanding medical school loan access for undocumented students, and House Bill 1866, the Apple Health and Homes Act, and for founding the HealthPoint Health Scholars Program and a Medical Advocacy Micro-Skills curriculum that has trained medical students and residents throughout the region to become advocates for their patients and communities. Dr. Low was unable to attend the ceremony in person.
Named after the late WSMA Past President William O. Robertson, MD, a champion for patient safety, risk management, and quality improvement, the 2026 William O. Robertson, MD, Patient Safety Award, which recognizes innovative patient safety initiatives in the ambulatory care setting, was awarded to Kaiser Permanente Washington. The organization was recognized for a systemwide initiative to close a persistent gap in hepatitis C screening: working with its IT department, the team built a new electronic health record tool that flags patients who have not been screened for HCV and prompts clinicians to order testing, then paired the tool with education and a relaxation of prior authorization requirements for treatment. The result was a dramatic increase in screening and treatment: annual HCV screening volumes rose from about 46,000 tests to more than 75,000, and the share of hepatitis C treatment delivered within Kaiser Permanente Washington clinics rose from less than 20% to more than 60% of eligible patients. Peter Barkett, MD, accepted the award on behalf of the Kaiser Permanente Washington team, led by Stanley Shyn, MD, and John Dunn, MD.
Finally, the 2026 President’s Unsung Hero Award, which recognizes the WSMA member who contributes extraordinary service to the profession and our community, was presented to Chelsi Goodman, MD, a family medicine physician on faculty with MultiCare’s East Pierce Family Medicine residency program in Puyallup, where she serves as the liaison for obstetrics, gynecology, community medicine, and medical student education. As the East Pierce OB/GYN group navigated an extended period of clinician turnover, Dr. Goodman helped the practice maintain access to obstetric care for patients in the Puyallup area. She also pursued additional training so the clinic could offer medication abortion in early pregnancy, expanding access to care in the wake of the Dobbs decision, and she volunteers at a community free clinic serving the Tacoma area. Outside the clinic, Dr. Goodman competes in endurance events with My Team Triumph, pushing an athlete with a disability across the finish line. Her colleagues describe her as one of the most hard-working and dedicated physicians they have had the privilege of working alongside.
“These individuals and organizations have distinguished themselves by extraordinary displays of passion, engagement, and commitment that are the hallmarks of good medicine and public service” said WSMA’s outgoing 2025-2026 president, Bridget Bush, MD, FASA, who presented the awards during the association’s meeting. “We are grateful for the gifts of their time, their leadership, and their dedication to the health and welfare of Washingtonians.”
Download hi-resolution photos of the honorees receiving their awards at the 2026 WSMA Annual Meeting. Photos courtesy of Lisa Venticinque Photography. Please credit if using.
Outgoing WSMA President Bridget Bush presenting award to Claire Brutocao, MD
Outgoing WSMA President Bridget Bush presenting award to Chelsi Goodman, MD
Contact: Graham Short, WSMA Director of Communications, 206.956.3633, gfs@wsma.org
* * *
About the Washington State Medical Association
The Washington State Medical Association represents more than 14,000 physicians, resident physicians, physician assistants, and medical students across all specialties and practice types in Washington state. The WSMA has advocated on behalf of the house of medicine for more than 137 years. Our vision is to make Washington state the best place to practice medicine and receive care.