Legislative Summit
WSMA's annual Legislative Summit will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 28,
2026!
The Summit takes place at the Washington State Capitol in Olympia and
gives Washington's physicians, physician assistants, residents, and
medical students an opportunity to amplify our advocacy message with state
legislators.
About the Legislative Summit
The event will include updates from health care policy leaders,
information on WSMA’s legislative agenda, and optional meetings with your
local legislators.
We know your time is valuable: We’ll provide breakfast and lunch,
legislative updates, and we’ll work to schedule personal meetings with
your state legislative delegation.
The 2026 legislative session is a short, 60-day session, and legislators
will have no shortage of challenges ahead, including closing a worsening
state budget gap and addressing the impacts of cuts from H.R. 1 at the
federal level. In addition, there are several newly appointed agency
leaders who will inform many policy decisions, such as a new Secretary of
Health, Health Care Authority Director, and more.
There’s a lot at stake, and we appreciate your interest in joining us in
Olympia to help advocate for WSMA’s 2026 legislative priorities.
The event is free for WSMA members. If you have any questions about
registration or have special accessibility needs, please email Malorie
Toman at
malorie@wsma.org.
Issues
Attendees at the Legislative Summit will help advocate for WSMA’s 2026 legislative priorities. Download the following issue briefs to learn more about the specific policy and budget issues we’ll focus on during the summit.
Event Agenda
8:15 a.m.
Registration and light breakfast
8:30 a.m.
Opening remarks
Bridget Bush, MD, FASA, WSMA president
8:45 a.m.
WSMA legislative priorities and tips for meeting with legislators WSMA
government affairs staff
9 a.m.
Updates from the Washington State Department of Health
State Secretary of Health Dennis Worsham
9:30 a.m.
WSMA priority issues and legislative landscape overview
WSMA government affairs staff
11 a.m.
Updates from the Washington State Health Care Authority
HCA Director Ryan Moran
11:45 a.m.
Group photos — Bring your white coat!
Noon
Lunch
12:15 p.m.
Panel discussion with legislative health care leaders
Rep. Dan Bronoske, Sen. Ron Muzzall, and Rep. Joe Schmick
1 p.m.
Legislative landscape overview wrap-up (if necessary)
Speakers
Dennis Worsham is Washington state's Secretary of Health. Before his appointment in 2025, Worsham served as the first director of public health for the Snohomish County Health Department, after the Snohomish Health District integrated into county government in 2023. He has held several leadership roles throughout his career at both local and state levels, including deputy secretary for health at DOH and interim director of public health for Seattle and King County. Worsham began his career in public health at the Snohomish Health District in the 1990s. There he worked as an HIV/STD/hepatitis program manager and health educator.
Ryan Moran is the director of the Washington State Health Care Authority. Before his appointment in 2025, he most recently oversaw Maryland's Medicaid program and served as acting secretary of health at the Maryland Department of Health. He currently serves as a member of the board of directors of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, which seeks to elevate and support 56 state and territory Medicaid programs in providing coverage to those they serve. Moran holds a doctor of public health degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where his research explored peer recovery specialist interventions to address opioid use and reduce acute care costs. He was named a John Hume Scholar at Johns Hopkins for his potential in future significant contributions to the field of public health.