WSMA Joins Others in Calling for HHS Secretary Kennedy’s Resignation

WSMA President Bridget Bush, MD, this week issued a message to WSMA members:

“Earlier this year, the Washington State Medical Association issued a statement reaffirming its support for the AMA Principles of Medical Ethics, a code of conduct for the physician profession that calls for a dedication to professional integrity and a recognition of patient welfare as paramount. That statement was prompted by a series of concerning actions from our federal administration, central among them the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the country’s leading authority on matters of health care over the concerns of thousands of physicians and scientists who pointed to his lack of credentials, his lack of respect for scientific evidence, and his attacks on established medical approaches to disease prevention, such as vaccination, as rendering him unsuitable for assuming the charge of Americans’ health and welfare.

“Soon after releasing that statement, the WSMA was compelled to sue Sec. Kennedy and the Department of Health and Human Services to stop the deletion of vital public health and science data from taxpayer-funded websites. We believed this nonpartisan action was critical for restoring information access, promoting transparency, and supporting the evidence-based decision-making at the heart of the patient-physician relationship, and fully in accordance with the ethical principles that guide the physician profession.

“Now, at the request of the Infectious Diseases Society of Washington, the WSMA has joined more than 50 medical organizations, including more than 20 national medical associations, in signing on to a letter calling for Secretary Kennedy’s resignation to protect the health of the American people. This decision was reached after careful consideration by our executive committee and board of trustees.

“This is not a political or partisan stance, but rather one grounded in what’s best for patients and community health and wellness. As trained health care professionals, we have a responsibility to speak when we see anti-science actions that undermine public health and safety of our patients. In the past several months, we have witnessed a consistent pattern of behavior that has undermined scientific integrity, disrupted the work of our Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Department of Health and Human Services, sowed vaccine policy disinformation and confusion, and helped to spread unproven and dangerous medical advice.

“We cannot stand by and tolerate these injustices to our population which will inevitably cost lives. We stand with the 50 medical organizations, as well as the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, and others who call for the replacement of Secretary Kennedy with an appointee who has appropriate experience and expertise, who will make health care decisions based on accurate data and scientific findings.”

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