Legacy of Care in Washington

This organization began—quite literally—in the Wild, Wild West, even before Washington became a state. Today at the Washington State Medical Association, we continue to build on the legacy of forward-thinking physicians who—as far back as the late 1800s—were striving to make Washington the best place to practice medicine and receive care.

That legacy is no relic of the past. In fact, on the yellowed pages that document those early meetings, an idealistic few cast a vision for the house of medicine: to encourage the unity and harmony of the profession, to advance its interests, and to promote the advancement of medical science.

Armed with a desire to meet the care needs of their communities, those WSMA members worked to keep their patients safe, to ensure the public’s health and to make Washington the best place to practice medicine and to receive care.

Today, we continue to build on their legacy and vision as a sustainable medical association that reflects the times in which we live and practice medicine, engages tomorrow’s leaders today, and creates a medical association that reflects the population it serves. We look to the past—and the present—to inform a future that is relevant, nimble, and responsive.