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Update

K. Domino
Message from the Chair

*Karen Domino, MD, MPH, Chair*

The Washington Medical Commission (Commission) has modified its interpretive
statement on opioid prescribing and monitoring for patients. The Commission is aware that some practitioners are refusing to treat patients who have taken or are currently prescribed opioids. The Commission believes that appropriate management of pain is an important part of medical care. The diagnosis and treatment of pain is an integral part of the practice of medicine for all practitioners. Continue Reading [ [link removed] ]




KKHeadshot
Executive Director Report

Several years ago, my predecessor, Melanie DeLeon, did a series of articles for this newsletter that detailed the Commission’s disciplinary process. Those four articles are still available on the Commission’s website, and I commend those articles to all readers. These articles offer a broad outline of the processes behind the Commission’s statutory mandates. These articles are particularly worthwhile considering the Commission’s January adoption of a procedure for managing conflicts of interest. Read More [ [link removed] ]


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Ed Lopez
PA News -
Medice, Cura Te Ipsum

I remember a time over four decades ago when as a young man, after finishing college and my PA education, that I had hoped for a long lasting, fulfilling and rewarding career. A career that I would dedicate my talents, my energies and my life to serving the sick and injured and then look back some day on a meaningful life and career thereafter thinking that it was worth the sacrifice and the journey. And while in general, I cannot complain so far, but medicine for many, or dare I say most of my friends and colleagues working in medicine today, has not been so great. And so, I ask myself, “What happened to that dream, that hope and that naïve ambition that we once clung to?” Was it progress, time, politics, corporate takeovers, population growth, rising costs and new paradigms that spoiled it all? Continue Reading [ [link removed] ]



QUICK FACT

The Washington Medical Commission completed legal process on 554 complaints/reports in 2024.

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Mahi
Cultural Beliefs and Health
Practices Among Washington’s Immigrant Communities: Guidance for Medical Providers

Washington State is home to a diverse and rapidly growing immigrant population, with individuals from Mexico, India, and China representing the top three countries of birth for foreign-born residents. Whether practicing in urban centers like Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma or in rural communities across the state, medical providers are likely to care for patients from these diverse backgrounds. Continue Reading [ [link removed] ]


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WPHP
What is the Washington
Physicians Health Program & How it Helps the Medical Community

In this article, we will look at the mission of the Washington Physicians Health Program (WPHP) and some of the common questions about it. An integral part of WPHP’s mission is to inform and educate the medical community about physician health and impairment. Our goal is to empower physicians with accurate information so they may make informed decisions should they find themselves, or a colleague, in difficulty. Continue Reading [ [link removed] ]


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rules
Rulemaking Efforts

Topics Include:


* New Profession:
Anesthesiologist Assistants
* General Provisions for Opioid Prescribing for Physician
Assistants (PA) and Allopathic Physicians (MD)
* Establishing the use of nitrous oxide in office based surgical settings, WAC 246-919-601
* Collaborative Drug Therapy Agreements
* Regarding SSB 5389 – define “qualified physician”
* Opioid Prescribing for Physician Assistants (PA) and Allopathic Physicians (MD)

Read More [ [link removed] ]


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Spring 2025 UPDATE!

Read the Full Spring Edition [ [link removed] ] of Update!

Message from the Chair - Opioid Prescribing and Monitoring for Patients [ [link removed] ]

 

Clinical Experience Assessment (CEA) Policy [ [link removed] ]

 

Executive Director Report [ [link removed] ]

 

PA News - Medice, Cura Te Ipsum [ [link removed] ]

 

OCHS Facilities Program [ [link removed] ]

 

Cultural Beliefs and Health Practices Among Washington’s Immigrant Communities: Guidance for Medical Providers [ [link removed] ]

 

WPHP Report - What is the Washington Physicians Health Program & How it Helps the Medical Community [ [link removed] ]

 

Expansion of Buprenorphine Treatment via Telemedicine Encounter [ [link removed] ]

 

Legal Actions [ [link removed] ]

 

Rulemaking Efforts [ [link removed] ]

 

Know Your Rights –Information from the Washington State Attorney General’s Office [ [link removed] ]

 

Members [ [link removed] ]

WAMC
CONTACT US

Washington State Medical Commission. 

PO Box 47866 

Olympia, WA 98504-7866 

Phone: 360-236-2750 

WMC.wa.gov [ [link removed] ]

[email protected] <[email protected]>

 

QUICK LINKS

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News and Announcements [ [link removed] ]

Pain Management Resources [ [link removed] ]

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Search for an MD or PA license [ [link removed] ]


ABOUT THE COMMISSION 

Your Medical Commission currently regulates about 34,000 licenses, more than 4,000 of which are Physician Assistants. 

The Medical Commission is composed of 21 governor-appointed members, including:


* 13 physicians one from each congressional district and three at-large positions
* Six public members
* Two physician assistants.

The professional staff includes attorneys and physicians. 

COMMISSION VALUES 

• We make fair, objective, and informed decisions in licensing and disciplinary actions. 

• We earn the public’s trust by being transparent and accountable. 

• We rely on evidence-based data and we look to health-based outcomes to determine our effectiveness. 

• We encourage collaboration through mutual respect and direct, effective communication. 

• We strive for innovation and continuous improvement in all our processes 

• We promote a rewarding and supportive work environment.















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