How to Get Involved in Advocacy
Do you want to get involved in WSMA’s advocacy efforts, but don’t know
where to start? There are various opportunities throughout the year that
you can be a part of—whether it’s reading the WMSA Outreach & Advocacy
Report, testifying on pending legislation during session, responding to
WSMA’s calls to action, and so on—keep reading to find the opportunity
that works best for you!
Testifying
Before each legislative session, WSMA’s leadership team and government
affairs staff carefully curate a legislative agenda that reflects WSMA’s
top priorities for the upcoming year. There will be various opportunities
to testify on WSMA priority legislation, as well as on issues that are of
particular interest to you. While WSMA staff regularly advocate on your
behalf, testimony provided by physicians can be extremely powerful, as
legislators appreciate hearing your first-hand experience and expertise.
To join WSMA’s list of physician testimony advocates, you may reach out to
Alex Wehinger at alex@wsma.org.
WSMA Legislative Summit
WSMA’s annual Legislative Summit in Olympia gives Washington state
physicians, physician assistants, and medical students an opportunity to
amplify our advocacy message. The event includes updates from health care
policy leaders, a presentation on WSMA’s legislative agenda, and optional
meetings with your legislative delegation. Lunch is provided. For more
information on the Legislative Summit, visit the event webpage.
WSMA Annual Meeting
At the Annual Meeting of the WSMA House of Delegates, typically held in
the fall, delegates propose and debate policy and elect organization
leaders, among other activities. In advance of the Annual Meeting, WSMA
members can submit resolutions to the House of Delegates for
consideration. These policies help guide WSMA advocacy in the rulemaking
and legislative processes and can be key factors in determining how the
WSMA will orient to various issues.
Questions about the resolution process can be sent to WSMA’s policy team
at policy@wsma.org. For more
information on the Annual Meeting, visit the event webpage.
WSMA Calls to Action
Throughout the legislative session, the WSMA distributes calls to action
via email asking our physician and physician assistant members to reach
out to their legislative delegation on specific urgent issues. These
issues are often high priorities for the WSMA, and as such, we will
provide background information and talking points and prepare draft emails
for you to use when contacting your local elected officials. Watch your
inbox for opportunities to send a message to lawmakers.
WSMA Outreach & Advocacy Report
The WSMA’s Outreach & Advocacy Report is distributed via email weekly
during the legislative session and biweekly during the interim. The report
covers upcoming events, legislative developments, campaign news, policy
updates, and more! Reading the OA Report is a great way to stay up to date
on issues the WSMA is currently engaging on. If you would like to receive
the OA Report, email Sean Graham at
sean@wsma.org to request to be added to
the mailing list.
WAMPAC
Want to help influence state elections that could affect house of medicine
policymaking at the Capitol? Join WAMPAC, the WSMA’s nonpartisan political
campaign arm, which was established to help identify and support
candidates for political office whose priorities align with the physician
and physician assistant communities. In campaigns for federal offices,
WAMPAC partners with AMPAC, the American Medical Association’s campaign
arm, to formulate and deliver contributions to candidates.
All contributions to WAMPAC are welcome, and we encourage you to join your
physician and physician assistant colleagues in the WAMPAC Diamond Club
for special perks, including recognition in WSMA publications, special
election updates, and opportunities to connect with elected officials. You
can join at any membership level and membership runs on a two-year cycle
to coincide with election timelines.
- Bronze level: $250
- Silver level: $500
- Gold level: $1,000
To learn more about WAMPAC, visit the
WAMPAC webpage. To
donate or join WAMPAC’s Diamond Club, visit the
Give to WAMPAC page.