KING COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY ACTIVITY

RESULTS FROM THE WSMA HOUSE OF DELEGATES MEETING

SEPTEMBER 2024

🌟Quotes From Our Doctors 🌟

“Covering KCMS memberships for our doctors is a responsibility our hospital takes seriously. Membership ensures their voices are heard and they are supported by us.  Why wouldn’t every hospital system do the same? It’s crucial for delivering the best care to patients and our physicians.”

“We are all crazy busy – but KCMS has been essential for my professional growth, offering resources and a strong voice in healthcare.”

“Being part of KCMS is like voting – if you don’t join, you can’t complain. Our collective voice is crucial for making real changes in healthcare.”

“THANK YOU to the KCMS for getting community healthcare providers vaccinated. You are the only agency that has made such an organized effort on our behalf. Thanks for your hard work!!”

“Covering KCMS memberships empowers our physicians with crucial resources and advocacy. Any hospital not doing this is failing to fully support their staff. It’s our duty to ensure our doctors have the support they need.”

“KCMS has excellent leadership, strategic management, & collaborative skills. It’s nimble & responsive. To quote Hamilton, “‘We get the job done!”

“Doctors cannot be passive observers; we want to set the standards, not have someone else tell us what the standards are.”

“I’m a great believer in the physician as an advocate focused on the welfare of patients.”

“Using the KeyBank mortgage discount saves me $1,000 per month!”

“We have to send the message to our mentees to get involved with organizations. The organization gains, and you gain. And I think it’s critical to advocate for the policies … and funding that will make a difference … All of us have to be part of the solution.” Dr. Ralph Sacco

🌟Meet Our Future Doctors 🌟

🌍 Student Quote: “I realized I was not limited by my birth circumstances but rather by how hard I was willing to work. My journey is about more than becoming a physician; it’s about uplifting communities through healthcare education and access.”💬

🌿 Student Quote: “I am dedicated to advocating for health equity and providing culturally competent care to Native communities.” 💬 

💡 Student Quote: “Growing up as the son of two Filipino immigrants, I experienced firsthand the disparities in healthcare access. My dream is to advocate for equitable healthcare policies and provide compassionate care to underserved communities.” 💬 

🩹  Student Quote: “Witnessing the lack of medical resources in rural communities sparked my interest in osteopathic medicine, focusing on the whole patient, including socioeconomic and cultural aspects.” 💬 

✨ Student Quote: “Living with low income made it difficult for my patient to access fresh foods and safe areas to exercise, impacting her health. My goal is to empower patients like her to achieve their health goals.” 💬 

🩺 Student Quote: “As an aspiring physician, I strive to overcome healthcare disparities by adopting a growth mindset and promoting health equity for underserved communities.” 💬

📚 Student Quote: “My background as a bilingual speaker and my experience in community health work have shown me the importance of representation in healthcare.” 💬 

🌟 Student Quote: “Medicine must transcend social, religious, and political differences. I aim to provide equitable surgical care to underserved populations.” 💬 

💪🏽 Student Quote: “Observing medically underserved communities, I was confronted with the disproportionate disease burden and barriers to care. I strive to use my experiences to better serve marginalized communities.” 💬

2024 KCMS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

 🌟Grant Winners🌟

The KCMS Community Foundation is delighted to announce the three winners of the 2024 Foundation Grant. After a thorough review, our Grant Committee selected these outstanding recipients from nearly 30 applicants across the three medical schools in Washington State. We are thrilled to recognize their exceptional dedication to their communities and medical careers.

Salsabeal Alsaedy – from the Washington State University School of Medicine. From Salsabeal: “I grew up in the Greater Seattle region and attended the University of Washington, where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. I am committed to serving patients holistically, especially those in medically underserved populations. I find all areas of medicine fascinating, but I am interested in internal medicine. This grant provides me with more motivation and confidence, pushing me to strive even harder toward my goals.”

Luis Sanchez – from the University of Washington School of Medicine. From Luis: “I am deeply honored to receive the King County Medical Society Community Foundation (KCMS-CF) Grant. As a second-year medical student and the first in my family to graduate from high school and university, this achievement holds special significance for me. My journey from being a first-generation immigrant from Mexico to pursuing a career in medicine has been driven by my personal experiences with healthcare disparities, particularly those faced by migrant farmworkers and underserved communities.
Growing up, my family worked as seasonal migrant farmworkers, and I witnessed firsthand the challenges of accessing quality healthcare. These early experiences ignited my passion for medicine and my commitment to addressing these inequities. My work at Sea Mar Community Health Centers, along with my teaching and volunteer experiences, has further solidified my dedication to serving marginalized populations, including immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community. Receiving this grant is not just a milestone in my education but a validation of my commitment to becoming the first doctor in my family. It empowers me to continue working toward a future where everyone, regardless of their background, has access to the healthcare they need and deserve.”

Gabriela Gomez – from Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences. From Gabriela:“Growing up in an inner city in Los Angeles, CA, I became accustomed to seeing the effects of inequality, poverty, violence, and discrimination that impacted most of my community. From a sense of hopelessness to help, I used my desire to bring change to communities like my own and fueled it into finding resources and opportunities to improve my professional development. Along my journey, I had the fortune to be a part of amazing organizations where I could not only expand my skillset but bring medical care to some of our most vulnerable communities. As a first-generation Latina, I carry my culture with me and use my lived experiences to connect with other like me who dream to become the first doctors in their family. My aspiration as I prepare myself to become a medical doctor is to bring representation and improve access to medical care for marginalized communities. In addition, I want to demonstrate to students, who like me, come from academic institutions with limited resources and poor academic success that entering higher education and professional careers is not just a dream but attainable… With this grant, I now feel less of a burden on budgeting and planning for unexpected emergency and can channel those fears into training to become a well-rounded physician and volunteer with organizations to continue to advocate for increased representation.”

💡Grant Is Open for Donations

✨ Why Donate?  Your contribution, no matter the size, can make a significant impact on students like Salsabeal, Luis, and Gabriela.
💲  Pay It Forward: Help the next generation of doctors on their journey.
💖Every Dollar Counts! Tax-deductible, quick, easy, and truly life-changing!!
💡 How to Donate? Click the link to donate.

EVENTS

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KCMS News & Updates

KCMS does not review, investigate, or discipline physicians. The WMC is responsible for that process.

KCMS is a member of the NAM Action Collaborative on Decarbonizing the U.S. Health Sector. Learn more HERE.

Listen to the KCMS Legislative Summit conversations with WA State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Representative Tina Orwall, and Senator Ann Rivers!

Information about the KCMS Community Foundation’s

Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) Scholarship

Free KCMS CMEs Available for you!
1) “Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning” for credit.  CLICK HERE.
2) “Racism in Medicine”  for credit. CLICK HERE.

BI-WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS & INFO BLASTS

Missed a KCMS newsletter? No problem, if you are a KCMS member you can see our full menu, or register to receive the newsletter.

From one of our members to his colleagues,
“Hi, Team. If you’re not a member of the KCMS, I would suggest you’re missing out. Their publication (forwarded) is the best of its kind, an example of genuine quality and efficiency in communication. Take that left-over CME money and join this year to support your local medical society.”

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

KCMS welcomes all doctors to Join Today. Once a member of KCMS, you can

  1. Become a KCMS Delegate.
  2. Be nominated for the KCMS Board of Trustees.
  3. Serve on a Committee, KCMS has active committees found HERE.
  4. Take advantage of the member benefits, including reduced mortgage rates at Key Bank for physicians.

IN THE NEWS

“What Abortion Bans Do to Doctors”
In states like Idaho, harsh abortion laws are forcing doctors to choose between their training and the law—putting both their patients and their livelihoods at risk.

The toll these laws are taking on physicians is becoming unbearable.

Read the full story of how doctors are grappling with these life-and-death decisions in this powerful article from The Atlantic written by Sarah Zhang.

👉 Click here to read more

BECOME A MEMBER OF KING COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY

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