| 2026-ampac-candidate-workshop-returns-april-17-19 | 2026 AMPAC Candidate Workshop Returns April 17-19 | Early career | Shared_Content/News/advocacy-report/2026/February 20/2026-ampac-candidate-workshop-returns-april-17-19 | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-sm-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/Newsletters/advocacy-report/2026/february/US-Capitol-1024px.jpg" class="pull-right" alt="Image of US Capitol highlighting the 2026 AMPAC Candidate Workshop" /></div>
<h5>Feb. 20, 2026</h5>
<h2>2026 AMPAC Candidate Workshop Returns April 17-19</h2>
<p><em>Registration now open!</em></p>
<p>Ever wonder how physicians get elected to Congress or your state Legislature? Considering a run for office yourself? The <a href="https://ampaconline.org/political-education/ampac-candidate-workshop">AMPAC Candidate Workshop</a> will teach you how to run a winning political campaign because it is designed to help you make the leap from the exam room to the campaign trail and give you the skills and strategic approach you will need to make a run for public office.</p>
<p>At the Candidate Workshop, Republican and Democratic political veterans work together to give you expert advice about being a successful candidate and how to run a winning campaign. You will learn the importance of a disciplined campaign plan and message; the secrets of effective fundraising; what kinds of advertising may be right for your campaign; how to work with the media; and how to build your campaign team and a successful grassroots organization. </p>
<p>Attendees include physicians, spouses of physicians, residents, medical students, and state medical society staff interested in becoming more involved in politics.</p>
<p>Please note the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>The Candidate Workshop is open to American Medical Association physician members, member spouses, residents, medical students, and state medical society staff.</li>
<li>Registration fee is $250 for AMA members/spouses and $1,000 for non-AMA members. This fee is waived for AMA-member residents and students; however, space is limited and the AMPAC board will review and select four participants from the pool of qualified resident and student applicants.</li>
<li>Faculty, materials, and all meals during the meeting are covered by the AMA. Participants are responsible for their registration fee, travel to and from Washington, DC, and hotel accommodations (the AMA will provide you with a list of nearby hotels within walking distance of the AMA offices).</li>
<li>Participants will be required to bring a laptop or Wi-Fi-enabled tablet with them.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://ampaconline.org/political-education/ampac-candidate-workshop">Registration for the 2026 AMPAC Candidate Workshop is now open</a>. Space is limited and the deadline for registering is March 20, or sooner if maximum capacity is reached. For more information contact <a href="mailto:Politicaleducation@ama-assn.org">Politicaleducation@ama-assn.org</a>.</p>
</div> | 2/19/2026 12:00:00 AM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |
| community-advocacy-patient-trust-themes-of-2026-leadership-development-conference | Community Advocacy, Patient Trust Themes of 2026 Leadership Development Conference | Early career | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/2026/February 12/community-advocacy-patient-trust-themes-of-2026-leadership-development-conference | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-sm-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/Newsletters/MembershipMemo/2026/february/2026-LDC-Email-Graphic-645x425px.png" class="pull-right" alt="illustration of a doctor standing by a giant piggy bank" /></div>
<h5>Feb. 12, 2026</h5>
<h2>Community Advocacy, Patient Trust Themes of 2026 Leadership Development Conference</h2>
<p>
<em>Kelly Casperson, MD, and Jim Krieger, MD, headline weekend conference May 15-16</em>
</p>
<p>
The politicization of health care, the spread of incorrect or misleading health information, increasing downstream effects of social drivers of health … today's health care environment is presenting unique challenges for care teams and their patients—challenges that threaten the foundation of patient care: the trust between a patient and physician. As we face these new challenges, new competencies may be required—some that may extend beyond the walls of the exam room or clinic.
</p>
<p>
The <a href="[@]wsma/events/ldc/leadership_development_conference.aspx">2026 Leadership Development Conference</a> will feature speakers and sessions that explore the role of physicians and care teams in their communities as patients advocates, and how our voices and actions on behalf of evidence-based medicine can help restore the sacred patient-physician bond. Topics will include leading as community health advocates, using communication technologies to elevate physician voices and evidence-based information, and embracing opportunities to harness cutting-edge solutions to social drivers of health.
</p>
<p>
Keynote speakers include:
</p>
<ul>
<li>Kelly Casperson, MD, is a board-certified urologic surgeon, CEO, and founder of The Casperson Clinic, a modern practice dedicated to hormones and sex medicine. She is a renowned public speaker, sex educator, and host of the top-ranking podcast You Are Not Broken. Dedicated to empowering women, Dr. Casperson blends humor, candor, and science to demystify sexual health, intimacy, and midlife wellness. </li>
<li>Jim Krieger, MD, MPH, is a clinical professor emeritus at the University of Washington School of Public Health and executive director of Healthy Food America. He previously worked for 25 years at Public Health – Seattle &amp; King County as chief of chronic disease prevention and assessment, policy development, and epidemiology. He has contributed to implementation of the nation's second menu labeling regulation, adoption of sweetened beverage taxes, front-of-package food labels, and development of ultra-processed food policy. </li>
</ul>
<p>
More speakers and sessions will be announced in the weeks ahead. This activity has been approved for <em>AMA PRA Category 1 Credit<sup>TM</sup></em>.
</p>
<p>
With a lakeside setting at Campbell's Resort on Lake Chelan, family-friendly activities, and an agenda structured with plenty of time for social events and recreational activities, the WSMA Leadership Development Conference provides an opportunity for physicians, physician assistants, and clinical teams to develop their leadership skills in a relaxed setting. For more information and the conference agenda, visit the <a href="[@]wsma/events/ldc/leadership_development_conference.aspx">conference webpage</a>.
</p>
<p>
Also of note:
</p>
<ul>
<li>Your LDC event registration receipt will include a special promotion code to get 5% off registration to WSMA's <a href="[@]wsma/physician_leadership/center-for-leadership-development.aspx">immersive leadership courses</a> to support members wishing to further develop their leadership skills. Leadership courses include our popular Physician Leadership Course, Team-Based Leadership Course, and Leadership Masterclass.</li>
<li>The Leadership Development Conference is a popular event and rooms at Campbell's Resort go fast. The deadline to book rooms at WSMA's special conference rate is Tuesday, April 14, or until our room block is full. Please call the resort directly at 1.800.553.8225 for room reservations and ask for the WSMA special room rates: $188 for a traditional room and $218 for a deluxe room.</li>
</ul>
<p>
Thank you to our corporate partners for their generous support: Physicians Insurance a Mutual Company, Northern Capital Management, Gohagan &amp; Company, Optum, Resolve, HEALWA, and UW Medicine.
</p>
</div> | 2/12/2026 12:00:00 AM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |
| wsma-urges-congress-to-curb-ice-enforcement-uphold-health-standards-in-detention-facilities | WSMA Urges Congress to Curb ICE Enforcement, Uphold Health Standards in Detention Facilities | Early career | Shared_Content/News/Press_Release/2026/wsma-urges-congress-to-curb-ice-enforcement-uphold-health-standards-in-detention-facilities | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-sm-5 pull-right"><img src="/images/Logos/Press-Release-Graphic-2019-Branding.png" class="pull-right" alt="WSMA press release logo" /></div>
<h5>Feb. 5, 2026</h5>
<h2>WSMA Urges Congress to Curb ICE Enforcement, Uphold Health Standards in Detention Facilities</h2>
<p>
This morning, the president of the Washington State Medical Association, representing more than 13,500 physicians, resident physicians, physician assistants, and medical students in Washington state, issued the following statement in response to ongoing Congressional negotiations on potential changes to U.S. Department of Homeland Security enforcement activities.
</p>
<p>
"Yesterday afternoon, Congress adopted a continuing resolution to fund the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 13, a compromise intended to keep the government open while negotiations on potential changes to DHS enforcement activities are considered.
</p>
<p>
"As they deliberate, we urge our elected representatives to act promptly to protect the health of our patients and our communities in the face of current Immigration and Customs Enforcement strategies.
</p>
<p>
"First, we urge an immediate return to the previous restrictions on ICE and Customs and Border Protection activities in or near health care facilities and other sensitive locations, restrictions that were rescinded by executive order when President Donald Trump took office. These prior common-sense limitations preserved critical access to medical care without compromising legitimate enforcement activities.
</p>
<p>
"Since these restrictions were rescinded, we have seen ICE enforcement activity in and near health care facilities and clinics here in Washington state and across the country. This activity is, understandably, having a negative impact on the welfare of patients. In a national survey of immigrants, nearly half of immigrant adults, a group that includes lawfully present immigrants and naturalized citizens, said that they or a family member had avoided seeking medical care since January 2025 due to fear of detention. This is concerning to us as a physician community."
</p>
<p>
"Second, we urge Congress to act to codify medical standards for Department of Homeland Security detention and holding facilities and to conduct rigorous oversight to ensure that ICE and Customs and Border Protection are abiding by their policies on safe and sanitary conditions and access to medical care. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is accountable for providing detainees with appropriate medical care, food, water, and other basic human needs. Yet, a January 2026 report by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office found that 'CBP developed policies and guidance for providing medical care to individuals in custody but has not consistently implemented them.' We are deeply troubled by recent reports that detainees at ICE facilities are experiencing inadequate sanitary conditions and are not receiving needed medical care or having basic human needs met, such as food and water.
</p>
<p>
"While we urge Congress to act, physicians and health professionals in Washington state and across the country are not waiting. We have been responding to this unfolding crisis with our minds and hearts first and foremost on our patients, regardless of immigration status. Clinics and health centers have stepped up by trying to increase telemedicine visits to allay the fears of in-person confrontation. They are expanding home visits to meet our patients in their home and eliminate the fear of leaving the house for care. And we are educating our fellow health professionals about immigrants' policies and rights.
</p>
<p>
"Now, we need our legislators to act. We are shocked, saddened, and in some cases, enraged, in response to the reports on the ground in Minnesota - including the killing of ICU nurse and Good Samaritan Alex Pretti - as well as from the constant drip of news of ICE enforcement in previously protected spaces like health settings. We ask Congress to act on these requests immediately for the sake of our country and all of its residents."
</p>
<p>
For more information contact:
</p>
<p>
Graham Short<br />
WSMA Director of Communications<br />
<a href="mailto:gfs@wsma.org">gfs@wsma.org</a> / 206.329.6851 cell/text</p>
<p>
Interviews available upon request.
</p>
<p>
<em>For WSMA's official letter to Washington state's congressional delegation, <a href="javascript://[Uploaded files/News and Publications/Press Room/letter-from-wsma-president-ice-and-cbp-enforcements-rep-randall.pdf]" target="_blank">click here</a>.</em></p>
<p>
<em>For relevant WSMA policy, the following policies regarding the protection of patient access to care regardless of immigration status were passed by the WSMA House of Delegates in September of 2025:</em>
</p>
<ul>
<li><em>The WSMA recognizes immigration enforcement and policy as a public health issue that negatively impacts access to care, trust in medical providers, and overall health outcomes.</em></li>
<li><em>The WSMA advocates for legal and policy protections that prohibit immigration enforcement actions within or targeting health care facilities and their data systems.</em></li>
<li><em>The WSMA supports expanded funding and infrastructure for telehealth services, especially for immigrant and undocumented communities, as a means of improving access and minimizing risk of exposure to enforcement activities.</em></li>
<li><em>The WSMA encourages education for medical providers and staff on patient privacy rights, emergency preparedness in the face of enforcement actions, and culturally safe communication with immigrant patients.</em></li>
</ul>
<p>
* * *
</p>
<p>
<strong>About the Washington State Medical Association</strong>
</p>
<p>
The WSMA represents more than 13,500 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 135 years. Our vision is to make Washington state the best place to practice medicine and receive care.
</p>
&nbsp;</div> | 2/5/2026 12:00:00 AM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |