Rachel Clement, MD

Specialty: Anesthesiology

Years in Practice: 7

Works at: Hospital, Wenatchee

Society memberships: WSMA, Washington State Society of Anesthesiologists, American Society of Anesthesiologists, American Medical Association

Why WSMA: WSMA means coming together, healthy debate, advocacy for patients and physicians, and a community of people who care deeply about the same common mission and goals. I respect the amount of knowledge and passion that the staff, board, and house of delegates bring to the work we do. I am constantly inspired and invigorated by the commitment that everyone has to protecting and improving healthcare for Washingtonians.

Why serve on WSMA’s Board: I wanted to serve on the WSMA board for two reasons. The first is that as an anesthesiologist I have the privilege of taking care of one patient at a time, which is immediately and immensely gratifying. What I found that I missed was improving healthcare on a larger scale—thinking about the challenges that are affecting all patients, not just those in the operating room, and then working collaboratively with others to address those challenges. My other reason for becoming involved with WSMA is that in order to improve our healthcare system, physicians have to be involved in advocacy. I have watched the medical landscape in the United States change for years and believe that physicians are the ones who have the information, expertise, and boots-on-the-ground experiences to address these systemic problems.

Why should physicians lead: Physicians are essential to addressing health care challenges in Washington and the United States because we are confronted with them every day in our daily practice. The intimate knowledge we have about what patients and physicians face while navigating the health care system means that we can accurately define the problems and identify effective solutions.

How do you help further WSMA’s vision to make Washington state the best place to practice medicine and receive care: At this point I still feel quite new to WSMA and am working hard to both learn from the board and develop relationships with our state legislators. While on the board I have served on reference committees, worked to rebuild our county society, and been a link between WSMA and my local health care system. I work hard to integrate the mission of WSMA with my employer’s vision, because translating the advocacy and legislative efforts of WSMA into action at the local level directly improves our state’s ability to take care of our patients and physicians.

Fun fact about you: I grew up in a family where sled dogs were a part of our family. We would go into the northern Maine woods with a sled and dog team to get our Christmas tree every year.