Virtual Reference Committees

WSMA’s virtual reference committees allow WSMA members the opportunity to review and provide feedback on resolutions in the weeks prior to the Annual Meeting of the WSMA House of Delegates in the fall. These secure, password-protected members-only discussion forums provide for greater access to the policymaking process, allowing WSMA members from across the state ample opportunity to participate in the WSMA’s primary policymaking engine and helping to streamline the reference committee process.

Testimony provided in the virtual reference committees is compiled and provided to the reference committee members prior to the Annual Meeting and distributed to members attending the in-person reference committee hearings at the meeting. Testimony provided in the virtual reference committees is given equal weight to that of in-person testimony.

How to join and access the virtual reference committees

The WSMA Virtual Reference Committees have moved to a new secure platform, Mobilize.io, designed to make it easier for members to comment and keep up with discussions related to proposed House of Delegates policy.

To ensure these discussions are secure, you must submit a one-time request to join the Virtual Reference Committees, then create a dedicated password. To do so:

• Submit a request to join the Virtual Reference Committees.
• Once access is granted by a WSMA administrator (usually within 24 hours), you will receive an email with a “visit community” link; clicking that link will prompt you to create a unique password to the Mobilize platform.
• Use your new password to log in to the Mobilize platform and visit the Virtual Reference Committees to join the discussions.
• For further guidance once logged in to the platform, review the “Welcome” post with details on how to post, reply, set your notification preferences, search resolutions, update your profile, and more.

If you already have an account, go directly to the Virtual Reference Committees:

Visit

Ease of use

With our new Mobilize platform, it’s easier than ever to jump into the conversation. When a resolution is posted, all Virtual Reference Committee members will receive an email notification. Simply “reply all” to the email notification to leave a comment on the resolution—it’s as simple as that.

For smartphone users, to optimize your experience, download the Mobilize Community Management app from the Apple App Store or the Mobilize Group Communication app for Android from Google Play after your Mobilize account has been created.

You can also review resolutions and leave comments in the Virtual Reference Committees online by logging into your account at community.wsma.org.

For assistance with joining, logging in, posting, or replying, contact WSMA IT Director Troy Brown.

Call for Feedback: Review and Comment on Proposed WSMA Policy

More than 30 resolutions are now available for member feedback in WSMA’s Virtual Reference Committees ahead of the 2023 Annual Meeting of the WSMA House of Delegates, being held Sept. 23- 24 in Bellevue.

Your feedback on these proposed policies and directives in the Virtual Reference Committees – whether you are a member of WSMA’s House of Delegates, a member of WSMA’s leadership, or a member of the WSMA – helps ensure a broad range of diverse perspectives and expertise are considered and allows for a more streamlined, efficient policymaking process at the Annual Meeting.

Comments left on the virtual committees are compiled and considered by the reference committee members at the meeting when drafting their recommendations for House of Delegates action and are given equal weight as in-person testimony. WSMA members may also provide in-person testimony at the reference committee hearings on Sept. 23 at the Annual Meeting.

Resolution B-1: Resolution of Condolence Jonathan Sugarman MD, MPH, FAAFP
This is a memorial resolution recognizing the life of Dr. Jonathan Sugarman and directs the WSMA to provide a copy of this memorial resolution to his surviving family as an expression of deep condolence and high professional regard.

Resolution B-2: Unionizing Physicians
This resolution compels the WSMA to support the rights of physicians to unionize and engage in collective bargaining and directs the WSMA to provide the physician community resources, education, and support with regard to unionization. Additionally, this resolution directs the WSMA to collaborate with health care organizations to advocate for policies safeguarding the rights of physicians to unionize.

Resolution B-3: Ensuring Nondiscriminatory Use of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
This resolution compels the WSMA to adopt a position on the use of artificial intelligence in medicine and advocate to the American Medical Association to formally adopt a position on artificial intelligence.

Resolution B-4: Decarbonizing the US Health Sector
This resolution compels the WSMA to engage on the issue of decarbonizing the US health care sector in various ways.

Resolution B-5: Elimination of Buprenorphine Dose Limits
This resolution compels the WSMA to support flexibility in dosing of buprenorphine and directs the WSMA's AMA delegation to ensure AMA policy supports flexibility in dosing of buprenorphine.

Resolution B-6: Increase Access to Methadone Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
This resolution directs the WSMA to coordinate with the American Society of Addiction Medicine to support congressional legislation increasing access to methadone treatment for opioid use disorder.

Resolution B-7: Support for Assistant Physicians and MDs in Residency Transition Programs
This resolution compels the WSMA to engage on the issue of residency transition programs in various ways including, but not limited to, supporting the establishment of a residency transition program in Washington state.

Resolution B-8: Preventing Medical Title Misappropriations
This resolution directs the WSMA to engage on the issue of medical title misappropriations in various ways including, but not limited to, advocating for enforcement of strict regulations and guidelines and supporting initiatives that raise public awareness about different health care disciplines.

Resolution B-9: Suicide Fatality Review by Local Health Departments
This resolution directs the WSMA to recommend to the Washington State Legislature that all local health departments perform a fatality review on suicides and fatal overdoses involving persons discharged from a hospital setting within 30 days of the unexpected death. Additionally, this resolution directs the WSMA to recommend that the Washington State Department of Health compile all fatality reviews to address preventable causes of mortality.

Resolution B-10: Increasing Access to Mental Health Care for Older Adults
This resolution compels the WSMA to support measures and policies designed to decrease barriers to geriatric mental health care.

Resolution B-11: Improving Continuous Glucose Monitor Access for Patients with Diabetes
This resolution compels the WSMA to endorse legislation that seeks to improve health by advocating for reductions in barriers to patient access to continuous glucose monitors.

Resolution B-12: Support for Innovative Models of Primary Care Practices
This resolution compels the WSMA to support the growth and development of innovative models of primary care such as direct primary care in various ways.

Resolution B-13: Promoting Transparent, Ethical, and Adaptable Use of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
This resolution directs the WSMA to adopt a position on the use of artificial intelligence in medicine and develop guidelines defining “patient-facing AI.” Additionally, this resolution compels the WSMA to adopt policies on artificial intelligence.

Resolution B-14: Support Independent Practices
This resolution directs the WSMA to publish a statement of support for independent physicians in private practices and to develop educational materials to support independent physicians. This resolution also compels WSMA's AMA delegates to encourage the AMA to draft and publish a statement in support of independent practices and provide education to early physicians about options for pursuing a viable independent private practice.

Resolution B-15: Improving Access to Post-Acute Medical Care for Patients with Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
This resolution compels the WSMA to advocate for nondiscrimination against patients with a history of substance use disorder and advocate in collaboration with the AMA and local and state governments to remove barriers to opioid agonist therapy at skilled nursing facilities. Additionally, this resolution asks the WSMA to support insurance coverage for substance use disorder and opioid use disorder treatment in skilled nursing facilities.

Resolution C-1: Incentivizing Quality Patient Outcomes by the Washington Health Care Authority
This resolution directs the WSMA to work with the Washington State Health Care Authority to reevaluate HCA's reimbursement policies in the interest of returning to a reimbursement approach that incentivizes and rewards health care professionals for positive patient outcomes and disparity reductions.

Resolution C-2: Adverse Event and Incidents Reporting in Washington State
This resolution compels the WSMA to support a legislative study that introduces a model of reporting for adverse events and incidents applicable to psychiatric facilities, amending RCW 70.56. This resolution also compels the WSMA to advocate for funding to support compliance with RCW 70.56.

Resolution C-3: Physician Noncompete Laws and Improvements
This resolution directs the WSMA to engage on the issue of physician noncompete laws in various ways, including but not limited to supporting the inclusion of provisions in employment agreements that clearly state noncompete restrictions and disclosure to the physician during an employment offer and advocate to lawmakers, legal professionals, and health care organizations for refinement and improvement in physician noncompete laws.

Resolution C-4: Compliance with CMS Rules Concerning Hospital Discharges
This resolution directs the WSMA to work with the Washington StateDepartment of Health to recommend that its licensees develop and make public their plan to focus on psychiatric and behavioral health patients. This resolution also directs the WSMA to recommend to the Legislature that it increase surveillance of CMS-required discharge planning and that DOH publicly reports its findings at a reasonable frequency.

Resolution C-5: Expanding AMA's Position on Health Care Reform Options
This resolution compels the WSMA's AMA delegation to support AMA resolutions at the House of Delegates that support universal access to health care, including single payer health care reform.

Resolution C-6: Reaffirmation of WSMA End of Life Policies
This resolution compels the WSMA to reaffirm two existing policies.

Resolution C-7: Ensuring Access to Maternal Blood Pressure Monitoring
This resolution compels the WSMA to support blood pressure monitoring devices being free of charge to all pregnant patients and directs the WSMA to advocate to private and public insurers for coverage of blood pressure measuring devices.

Resolution C-8: False Advertising as a Doctor
This resolution directs the WSMA to engage on the issue of the false advertisement of a health care professional being a doctor in various ways, including but not limited to, supporting enforcement of strict regulations and guidelines by health care organizations to prevent false advertising and misrepresentation of medical qualifications.

Resolution C-9: Firearm Safety Education in Public Schools
This resolution compels the WSMA to support the development of public school education programs promoting firearm safety and to pursue legislation that will dedicate funding from the state's education legacy trust account for education programs promoting firearm safety.

Resolution C-10: Non-Competition Clauses in Employment Contracts
This resolution compels the WSMA to support Washington state banning noncompete clauses for physicians.

Resolution C-11: Against ‘Ultra High-Speed' Rail and for Cascades Long-Range Plan
This resolution compels the WSMA to engage on the issue of ultra-high-speed rail and the Cascades Long-Range Plan in various ways, including but not limited to, supporting rapid implementation of Cascades Long-Range Plan updates and calling for rapid electrification of all modes of transportation as a health and climate solution.

Resolution C-12: Supporting Safe Obstetrics and Newborn Care by Creating a Transfer System for Rural Hospitals
This resolution directs the WSMA to convene a work group in partnership with the Washington State Hospital Association and other professional groups to improve provisions of high-quality obstetric and neonatal care for all Washington residents by developing a coordinated statewide transfer network.

Resolution C-13: Maintain Access to Prenatal and Perinatal Care
This resolution compels the WSMA to advocate for policies to help improve access to maternity care services and efforts to adequately fund and update the existing alternative maternity care service delivery system under RCW 74.09.810.

Resolution C-14: Supporting PA Title Change
This resolution compels the WSMA to support the PA title change from “physician assistant” to “physician associate” and to work with the Washington Academy of Physician Assistants in its efforts to adopt and implement the title change within state government.

Resolution C-15: Teleparity
This resolution compels the WSMA to support legislation requiring insurers to reimburse telemedicine services provided to patients who have a prior established relationship and directs the WSMA to encourage the AMA to support this requirement at the federal level.

Resolution C-16: Increasing Investment in Primary Care, Including Utilization of the Making Care Primary Model
This resolution requires the WSMA to establish new policy related to primary care investments.

Resolution C-17: Expanding Psychiatric Care and Training
This resolution directs the WSMA to collaborate with the legislature, Washington's congressional delegation, the AMA, and other stakeholders to fund and establish a six-month psychiatric training program for physicians wishing to transition to psychiatric care and encourage the WMC to acknowledge the hybrid training.

Resolution C-18: Resolutions on Rules
This resolution encourages reference committee members to provide sponsors of resolutions, or their appointed representative, an opportunity to give both opening and closing remarks when their resolution is under consideration in reference committee meetings.