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WSMA Annual Meeting

The 2023 Annual Meeting of the WSMA House of Delegates will be held in person Sept. 23-24, 2023 at the Westin Bellevue. Visit the House of Delegates page for the report on the official actions of the 2022 WSMA House of Delegates.

A big thank you to the WSMA members and delegates who attended the 2022 Annual Meeting of the WSMA House of Delegates. Watch our brief thank you video for a peek inside the meeting.

About the WSMA Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of the WSMA House of Delegates (or the WSMA Annual Meeting) is the WSMA's premiere policy-making event, when the approximately 175 voting members of the WSMA House of Delegates gather to debate and determine policy for the association, elect officers and network with colleagues. All are welcome to attend the WSMA Annual Meeting and take advantage of the educational offerings, network and learn more about the association.

About the House of Delegates

The WSMA is governed by a House of Delegates comprising elected delegates from each county medical society, qualified state specialty societies, and members of the WSMA board of trustees. There is one resident delegate, one student delegate, and one young physician delegate. Each county society has one delegate for every 50 active WSMA members.

Each medical specialty society is entitled to elect or appoint one delegate and one alternate, provided that such specialty society has as members at least 100 active members of the WSMA, or if the specialty society has fewer than 100 members, 50% of its members must belong to the WSMA.

Delegates are expected to be available for one year of service from the beginning of the House of Delegates meeting until the House of Delegates meeting the following year. Delegates shall be available to provide input and information and guidance to the WSMA’s board of trustees and executive committee as they administer and interpret policy set by the House of Delegates, and as they make policy decisions when the House of Delegates is not in session.

All legislative power of the WSMA—including the power to alter, amend or repeal the bylaws—is vested in the House of Delegates. All business of the House is conducted according to parliamentary procedures as outlined in "The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure." The speaker of the House serves as parliamentarian. The speaker of the House is Matthew Grierson, MD, of Seattle. The vice speaker of the House is Ray Hsiao, MD, of Seattle.

Policymaking at the meeting is primarily driven by resolutions. A resolution is a proposal asking the WSMA to take a position or act on an issue. Learn more about resolutions and how they help create and guide WSMA policy.

How the House of Delegates operates

The House convenes its opening session on Saturday morning of the WSMA Annual Meeting. At this time, guests are invited to speak to the delegates and all reports and resolutions are referred to reference committees. This is followed by meetings of the reference committees on Saturday.

The House holds a second session on Sunday morning. The reference committees present their reports for consideration by the House on Sunday.

Learn more about the House of Delegates.

Reference committees

Information on the reference committees can be found in the expandable section above.

Disclaimer

Please note that the WSMA may have a photographer and/or videographer on-site at this event to gather imagery for use by the WSMA in its communications materials and channels, as well as for media outreach. These images will be the property of the WSMA, and the WSMA will not sell or otherwise market event imagery. If you have any questions regarding imagery taken at a WSMA event, please contact Milana McLead at 206.441.9762 or milana@wsma.org.

Corporate Partners and Meeting Exhibitors

The WSMA wishes to thank the following corporate partners for their generous year-long contributions. For more information, visit our Corporate Partners page, review our corporate partners brochure or contact Jessica Martinson at 206.956.3628 or jessica@wsma.org.

Exclusive Premier Partner

Founded in 1981 under the auspices of the WSMA, Physicians Insurance A Mutual Company is the Northwest's leading medical professional liability insurance company, physician-owned and exclusively endorsed to this day by the WSMA. For over 30 years, Physicians Insurance has remained the stable, committed and local insurer for physicians, clinics, facilities and hospitals, providing risk-management consulting, continuing medical education and claims administration services to more than 7,000 members in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming.

Promoters

The Polyclinic and The Everett Clinic are teaming up to deliver exceptional health care throughout the Pacific Northwest. Both organizations have strong physician leadership, deep roots in the local community, and the support and national strength of Optum. Together, we’re helping people live healthier lives and helping make the health system work better for everyone.

The UW Psychiatry Consultation Line (PCL) is a FREE, 24/7 service for prescribing providers seeking advice about managing an adult patient’s mental health and/or substance use care including diagnostic clarification, medication adjustment and treatment planning. Free. Fast. On-demand. A UW Psychiatrist is a phone call away! Funded by Washington State.

Meeting Exhibitors

The WSMA welcomes exhibitors back in-person. For more information about exhibiting, contact Jessica Martinson at 206.956.3628 or jessica@wsma.org or complete the exhibitor set-up form.

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WSMA Member News

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In New Survey, Practices Continue to Grapple with Economic Hardship

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Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/2022/november-23/in-new-survey-practices-continue-to-grapple-with-economic-hardship

<div class="col-md-12"> <div class="col-sm-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/Newsletters/MembershipMemo/2022/november/stethoscope-dollar-sign-645x425px.jpeg" class="pull-right" alt="Stethoscope in shape of a dollar sign" /></div> <h5>November 23, 2022</h5> <h2>In New Survey, Practices Continue to Grapple with Economic Hardship</h2> <p>Results from a new survey from the WSMA and the Washington State Medical Group Management Association make clear that physician practices and clinics in Washington continue to face severe economic strain, putting at risk the ability of patients to access care in communities across the state.</p> <p>Throughout the pandemic, the WSMA and the WSMGMA have jointly conducted economic impact surveys of physician clinics in Washington state to gauge the impact of the pandemic and pandemic-associated pressures on patient access to care and to help inform our advocacy on behalf of the physician community.</p> <p>A few key highlights from the latest survey, which featured responses from 82 physician practices:</p> <ul> <li>89% have experienced staffing shortages due to COVID-19. Of those: <ul> <li>77% are experiencing challenges filling administrative staff positions.</li> <li>75% are experiencing challenges filling medical assistant positions.</li> <li>40% are having trouble filling nursing positions.</li> <li>33% are having trouble hiring physicians.</li> </ul> </li> <li>46% have had to reduce patient access. Almost 40% have had to reduce their office hours, as well as services and treatments offered to patients.</li> <li>93% have less than four months days cash on hand. Industry standard is 18 weeks.</li> <li>51% said that inflation has had a significant impact on their practice, while 44% said that inflation has had some impact on their practice. Of those impacted by inflation: <ul> <li>89% noted the rising cost of labor.</li> <li>Over 30% have reduced office hours, patient access, and services/treatments offered to patients in response.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Just over 50% are not confident they'll be able to provide the same level of patient access a year from now.</li> <li>46% have had to limit Medicaid panels due to their financial situation. The most commonly cited solution: increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates to Medicare rates.</li> </ul> <p>Thank you to the practices that responded to the survey. The WSMA will use these data points as a snapshot of what is happening in practices across the state in its discussions with policymakers.</p> </div>

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The Washington Medical Commission is Recruiting

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Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/2022/november-23/the-washington-medical-commission-is-recruiting

<div class="col-md-12"> <div class="col-sm-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/Newsletters/MembershipMemo/2022/november/stethoscope-on-table-645x425px.jpeg" class="pull-right" alt="stethoscope resting on a table" /></div> <h5>November 23, 2022</h5> <h2>The Washington Medical Commission is Recruiting </h2> <p>The Washington Medical Commission is accepting applications from physicians to fill upcoming vacancies.</p> <p>The commission is looking for people willing to study the issues, review disciplinary cases, and make decisions in the best interest of the public to help fulfill its mission of promoting patient safety and enhancing the integrity of the medical profession. The commission will have openings beginning July 1, 2023, for:</p> <ul> <li>One physician representing Congressional District 2</li> <li>One physician representing Congressional District 4</li> <li>One physician representing Congressional District 10</li> <li>One physician-at-large</li> <li>Two public members</li> </ul> <p>To learn more about the positions, <a href="https://wmc.wa.gov/sites/default/files/public/Notice%20of%20Recruitment%202023.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">review the recruitment notice</a>. Additional information regarding service and a link to the governor's application can be found on the <a href="https://wmc.wa.gov/medical-commission-members">Washington Medical Commission website</a>. Applications, along with a current resume, must be received by March 24. If you have questions, contact Amelia Boyd at <a href="mailto:amelia.boyd@wmc.wa.gov">amelia.boyd@wmc.wa.gov</a> or 360.918.6336.</p> </div>

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Webinars on Long COVID and Health Care Worker Behavioral Health Support

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Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/2022/november-23/webinars-on-long-covid-and-health-care-worker-behavioral-health-support

<div class="col-md-12"> <div class="col-sm-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/Newsletters/MembershipMemo/2022/november/laptop-hands-steth-645x425px.jpeg" class="pull-right" alt="physician working at a laptop computer" /></div> <h5>November 23, 2022</h5>  <h2>Webinars on Long COVID and Health Care Worker Behavioral Health Support </h2> <p>The Washington State Department of Health is offering three upcoming sessions that may be of interest to some WSMA members.</p> <h3>The Landscape of Post-COVID-19 Conditions - Where We Are Now?</h3> <p>Dec. 2, noon<strong>-</strong>1 p.m. Free.</p> <p>In this presentation, we will cover the known epidemiology and clinical considerations of post-COVID-19 conditions. We will review updates to case definitions, discuss the current understanding of the clinical spectrum, and explore possible underlying causes and risk factors.</p> <p>Speaker: Dr. Eric J. Chow, MD, MS, MPH, chief of communicable disease epidemiology and immunization for Public Health-Seattle and King County and clinical assistant professor in the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and in the Department of Epidemiology at the UW School of Medicine.</p> <p><a href="https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8047956050867195405">Find more information and register for the webinar</a>.</p> <h3>Moral Injury and Personal Coping for Health Care Professionals</h3> <p>Dec. 16, noon<strong>-</strong>1 p.m. Free.</p> <p>Part 3 in the series: "Behavioral Health Support Refresher for Health Care Workers." Moral injury is a workplace term with origins in combat medicine that has recently been identified across work sectors with significant implications for physicians and health care professionals. This webinar will define and share more about how moral injury can "show up" at work, how some of the underlying causes can be effectively addressed, and how to recognize and divert unhealthy coping patterns to reduce symptoms of moral injury.</p> <p>Speaker: Kira Mauseth, PhD, Washington State Department of Heath's Behavioral Health Strike Team.</p> <p><a href="https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5627802314613278219">Find more information and register for the webinar</a>.</p> <h3>The Work Starts Here: Supporting Employees with Long COVID</h3> <p>Jan. 13, noon<strong>-</strong>1p.m. Free.</p> <p>This lecture serves to establish ways that employers can help identify, accommodate, and support employees with ongoing COVID-19 symptoms.</p> <p>Speaker: Kyla Haggith, BSN, RN, PCCN-K, employee health services clinic and exposures team, Harborview Medical Center.</p> <p><a href="https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/9123738018847843853">Find more information and register for the webinar</a>.</p> </div>

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Join or renew your membership today!

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WSMA Annual Meeting

About the WSMA Annual Meeting

About the House of Delegates

How the House of Delegates operates

Reference committees

Disclaimer

Corporate Partners and Meeting Exhibitors

Exclusive Premier Partner

Promoters

Meeting Exhibitors

GOLD EXHIBITOR

SILVER EXHIBITORS

WSMA Member News

Questions