WSMA Members at the Capitol: A Recap of the 2026 Legislative Summit
WSMA member physicians, physician assistants, residents, and medical students converged at the state Capitol in Olympia this week for WSMA’s annual Legislative Summit. This year’s Summit was a sold-out event, reaching room capacity within two months of announcing registration—a first for the WSMA and a strong sign of the interest in WSMA members for hands-on engagement in legislative advocacy.
The Columbia Room at the Capitol filled quickly with members ready to hear from several of our state’s health care leaders and from WSMA’s government affairs team on our priority issues for this session, including preserving physician practices and patients’ access to care; defending against inappropriate scope of practice expansions; medical title transparency; and preserving access to preventive services, including vaccines.
WSMA President Bridget Bush, MD, FASA, kicked off the morning with a welcome message, followed by WSMA Senior Director of Government Affairs and Policy Sean Graham for the dos and don’ts of meeting with legislators.
Up next, Washington state’s new Secretary of Health Dennis Worsham talked about his journey from growing up in the small town of Othello, Washington, to a long career in public health before being appointed as our state’s top health officer. He emphasized the Department of Health’s commitment to data integrity, preserving access to vaccines, and strengthening population health. He highlighted the importance of physician advocacy, saying, “The ability to have a policy affect the entire state and larger populations is really important, and it’s great that you all do your individual practices and services directly to people you care for, but also, I’m grateful that you are stepping into this larger arena that sets policies and practices that have a greater impact across our systems to make sure that we are affordable and accessible for those people who need those services and our preventative services.”
Dr. Bush then handed the microphone to the morning’s surprise guest, Gov. Bob Ferguson, who similarly emphasized the state’s commitment to making public health decisions based on science, highlighting the formation of the West Coast Health Alliance, and acknowledging the budget challenges the state is facing as a result of H.R. 1., federal legislation passed last summer that includes more than $1 trillion in cuts to health care. In closing, he said, “I appreciate the partnership for all you do for Washingtonians and I hope you have a really wonderful day here at the Capitol.”
After a full morning, members braved the rainy weather to pose for our annual “white coat” photo on the steps of the Capitol, then headed back to the Columbia Room for a box lunch before our last presentation of the day—a Q&A with legislators Rep. Dan Bronoske, Sen. Ron Muzzall, and Rep. Joe Schmick, three out of four heads of our Legislature’s health care committees, who thoughtfully answered member questions.
Members then disbursed throughout the Capitol campus to attend meetings with legislators from their districts, bringing front-line advocacy home to lawmakers.
Those of you who weren’t able to attend the sold-out event, keep an eye out for more opportunities for engagement this session through our weekly session update videos, calls to action, and opportunities to testify in public hearings. For year-round advocacy opportunities, visit wsma.org and look under Advocacy and Physician Advocacy for ways to engage.
Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s event! We’ll share the date for the 2027 Summit as soon as it’s available.