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B U L L E T N

PCMS Officers

CONTENT

President Elect

Julian S. Arroyo, MD

Secretary/Treasurer

Courtney Kennel, DO

Immediate Past President

Dina C. Titova, MD, PhD

PCMS Directors

Neil Batta, MD

C. Blair Campbell, MD

H. Matt Davis, MD

JT (John) Heffernan, MD

Nicholas Rajacich, MD

Camille Samujh, DO

Yancey Sloane, MD

Z. Roger Wang, MD, PhD

Anthony L-T Chen, MD (Ex-Officio)

Executive Director

Linda Krause

Membership Coordinator

Tanya McClain

Cover photo "morning sun" by Alex Bruda - rgbstock.com

Continuing Our Mission to Advocate

C. Blake Perry, MD PCMS President

Thank you for being a member of Pierce County Medical Society. We have been in existence since 1888. We hope you will join our membership event on December 6th where we will celebrate 135 years of the Pierce County Medical Society (PCMS). We will be at the Museum of Glass and look forward to meeting you.

Pierce County Medical Society’s mission is to represent and advocate for Pierce County physicians and physician assistants and to ensure that you can thrive professionally while providing the best care for your patients. Looking ahead, the PCMS board of directors is focusing on advocacy issues related to prior authorization, non-compete clauses and increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates to Medicare levels. You can learn more about these advocacy issues by reviewing this link: 2023 Issue Brief

Additionally, later this summer, PCMS will host “meet and greets” with district representatives. If you would like to hear from your district representative and their priorities for 2024, let us know. Meet and greet details are still in the works. Staff are considering a casual coffee meet up or inviting a representative to your practice for a tour and discussion on issues and concerns facing your practice.

Legislators want to hear from their constituents and the interim is the best time to meet and talk about issues concerning health care. During the legislative session, you may get 10-15 minutes to talk to district representatives. During the interim, schedules allow for longer meetings and legislators have more availability to meet with you; in-district.

Let us know if you are interested in meeting your district representative with Pierce County Medical Society directors. PCMS -Meet with your District Representative Form

Thank you and see you in December!

GOT DELEGATES?

JOIN YOUR PEERS AT THE WSMA

HOUSE OF DELEGATES THIS FALL -

LIMITED $400 SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

• Collaborate with the PCMS delegation on proposed resolutions and network with colleagues from across the state.

• Review the "Official Actions" of the previous House of Delegates and the WSMA ByLaws.

• Alert your colleagues that you are a delegate to the WSMA and seek their comments and recommendations on WSMA programs and policies.

• Attend in-person meeting September 23-24, 2023. Must be WSMA Active Member to participate.

*this activity may be approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit.

To be part of the PCMS delegation contact Linda Krause, Executive Director, linda@pcmswa.org by August 31.

24, 2023

FOR RESIDENTS, PCMS MEMBERS, FAMILY & FRIENDS FREE TO RESIDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES (PCMS MEMBERS & FAMILY $25/EA)

INCLUDES GAME TICKETS, FOOD & BEVERAGES (PARKING NOT INCLUDED)

Happy Retirement!

AnthonyL-TChen,MD,MPH DirectorofHealth,TPCHD

“You have been my teachers, partners, and friends for the past 14 years. Together, we have accomplished so much, strengthened the Health Department, and made our communities healthier.”

- Anthony Chen, MD, MPH

On June 28th, the Tacoma-Pierce Health Department celebrated Dr. Chen’s retirement in style! His many accomplishments were celebrated with Dr. Gregory Tanbara as the master of ceremonies. This was followed by a photo-video montage of Dr. Chen’s time with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. Following the commemoration was a collector car show viewing and dance lessons. A great time was had by all who attended.

Dr. Chen has often been described as steadfast and passionate. He led the Health Department through many challenges and health issues facing Pierce County with stalwart determination. He has served as an ex-officio member of the Pierce County Medical Society Board for over 14 years and contributed many articles to our newsletter.

Thank you for your dedication to Pierce County. We wish you the best In your retirement. Keep up with the Rumba lessons!

Attention MultiCare Physicians and PAs: Membership Dues Changes in 2024

Over the years, MultiCare physicians and PAs annual membership dues to PCMS were paid and renewed by MultiCare Beginning in 2024, your membership dues will not automatically renew by your employer.

MultiCare will still pay for your membership dues to Pierce County Medical Society, but it will be at your request and through your annual CME funds provided by MultiCare

We appreciate your membership in PCMS over the years and look forward to your continued support in 2024. If you have any questions about renewing your membership dues with us next year, please let us know. We value your support.

We will send out more information about this change in the coming months. If you have any questions, please let us know. PCMS Office: 253-572-3667 or email us at:

pcms@pcmswa.org

Thank you,

Linda Krause Executive Director

LINDA KRAUSE Executive Director

It is OK not to be OK

Mid-April was hard for me, and it was not just because it was Tax Day A dear medical school friend died by suicide 15 years ago April 13, three days shy of her birthday on April 16. We had spent summers conducting health fairs and organizing communities in rural North Carolina. I was at her wedding when she married a classmate Our sons had the same name She always had a smile that would crinkle her eyes. But she never told me about her progressive medical condition that one day made her lose hope.

April 15 was also the Boston Marathon bombing anniversary. During lunch 10 years ago, I opened my browser to the horrific images and immediately recognized that the first bomb at the finish line was in front of the running store I had visited frequently For anyone who had ever run the Marathon, it was a personal attack. Reading the anniversary articles unleashed the tears again. The anger and grief had never gone away

I got past that weekend. Luckily, I reached out to friends and family to share my grief and they supported me. I spent time outside forest bathing.

Anthony Chen, MD

Thankfully, anniversaries only come once a year. But my friend’s inherited condition was inescapable and disability eroded her joy of life. The bombing victims were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Yet others live in the wrong place and suffer toxic social, economic, and environmental conditions—all the time.

As physicians and medical professionals, we live in uniquely challenging environments. Our training and work are mentally and physically strenuous. Electronic health records, insurance restrictions, and productivity expectations add to the pressure These factors can lead to burnout, alcohol and substance abuse, and exacerbation of underlying conditions like depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated everything.

(continued page 11)

It is OK not to be OK There are many reasons to not feel or function well May was Mental Health Awareness Month and reminds us: it is important to ask and talk If you are not feeling well, ask for help. If someone you know appears not well, ask how they are. Take advantage of employee wellness programs and employee assistance programs. Help and treatment is available, and recovery is possible. Above all, cultivate your own garden: make time to nurture your physical, mental, and social health.

The best way to help a mental health challenge is to reach out for help Seek treatment, connect with others and join support groups. Find ways to connect with mental health services on our website.

Small, individual steps can also go a long way:

· Eat healthily

· Get exercise.

· Get rest.

Practice mindfulness.

Are you or someone you know struggling with mental health in Pierce County? Find help on our website or reach out to:

United Way's 211

Crisis Lifeline at 988

Crisis Text Line at 741741 or 911

Many people struggle with mental health in silence due to stigma. We want everyone to live their best possible lives.

"If you are not feeling well, ask for help. If someone you know appears not well, ask how they are."

Toshio J. Akamatsu, MD

November 20, 1933 - May 31, 2023

Toshio "Tosh" J. Akamatsu, MD, was born in November, 1933 in Omaha, NE. The family moved to St. Paul, MN, where Tosh was raised. He was one of only a dozen Japanese-Americans living in the area during WWII.

Tosh attended Harding HS where he was the goalie for the school hockey team. He attended U of MN (microbiology) before graduating from medical school in 1959 He did his internship at Mercy Hospital in Toledo, OH, where he met his wife of 60 years, Suzanne, a nurse In 1960, Tosh did his residency in anesthesiology at UW Medical Center in Seattle, WA

He and Suzanne married in 1963 and had three children before Tosh was drafted into the US Army in 1968 He was Chief of Anesth at Fort Benning,GA, and Asst Chief of Anesth at Walter Reed in WA DC, before his discharge in 1970 as Lt Colonel The family returned to Seattle for Tosh to take the position of Chief of Obstetric Anesth at UW Medical Center in 1970; he was also a professor at UW School of Medicine.

A fourth child was welcomed in 1970 Tosh remained at UW until 1978 when he took a position at St Joseph in Tacoma, WA, as Chief of Anesth; he was appointed Chief of Staff in 1985 Tosh became licensed in CO in the 1980s so he could spend time skiing in the winter with his family (which often led to memorable road trips) In 1991, he became a member of the Amer. Acad. of Pain Mgmt.

He retired from practice in 1997. In his spare time, he volunteered for Food Connection and enjoyed the croissants he was given for his service. In 2003, Tosh was honored as Amer.'s Top Physicians in Anesth/Surgery by Consumer Research Council of Amer.

Tosh loved the outdoors whether he was playing tennis, golf, scuba diving in the San Juans, volunteer ski patrolling for free lift tickets, or skiing destinations around the world He could be seen riding his bike to/from work every day, occasionally stopping at Johnson Candy for chocolates for the family He was a big fan of UW football Tosh was a great storyteller, although stories often took different turns and embellishments He was blessed with the gift of gab and could command a room. He was a loyal friend and caring father who ensured his children had the necessary life skills, particularly in DIYing, finding uses for styrofoam, and car repair. Tosh's was a life well spent with a small, close family and voluminous friends. Tosh had a great sense of humor that he imparted to his children, and especially enjoyed the movie "Young Frankenstein", quotes from which have made it into the family lexicon. His mottoes were "a hungry tiger fights best" and "get the tools". As a last gesture towards medical education, Tosh donated his body to the UW Willed Body program.

Tosh is preceded in death by his parents Jiro "Willy" and Yoshiko "Ruth" Akamatsu, and his beloved dog Daisy He is survived by his wife Suzanne; children John (Richard Hughes) Akamatsu, Jiro David Akamatsu, Annie Akamatsu, and Joe (Gwendolyn) Akamatsu; his adored granddaughters Remy and Sylvie Akamatsu; his sister Hideko Tachibana; nieces Chris Tachibana (Jurgen Hansen), Julie (Eric) Varness, and Jennifer Wilson; and nephews Christopher (Haida) Blanchard and John Blanchard.

The family requests any donations be made to Tacoma-Pierce Co Humane Society, St. Leo's Food Connection, or the UW Dept. of Rehab Med TBI Program.

George Gilman, MD passed on peacefully in Seattle on March 26, 2023.

George was born on May 28, 1928 in Osceola, Iowa. In 1952 he graduated with a Doctor of Medicine from Northwestern University. Following his medical residency and military service, he chose to settle in Tacoma, Washington where he enjoyed his career as an orthopedic surgeon with Tacoma Orthopedic and Fracture Clinic from 1963 until 1995. Generous with his expertise, he routinely volunteered his services to medical facilities that served the impoverished.

He treasured the Pacific Northwest, especially the mountains and the Sound, on both of which he loved to ski. An accomplished and joyful athlete, his rhythmic style could easily be picked out of a crowd He was a wonderful dancer, enthusiastic harmonica player and could always be counted on to uplift those around him His loved ones remember his sharp sense of humor and swear they never heard him complain

He is survived by his sister Jean, his children Gina, Jay and Amy, his wife of 40 years Heida Brenneke, her son Russell, and adored grandchildren Shelby, Sampson, James, Analucia, Ariana, and Jillian.

No public memorial is scheduled at this time. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Sea Mar Community Health Centers at seamar.org/donate or Attn: Donations, 1040 S Henderson St, Seattle Wa 98108.

Published by News Tribune (Tacoma) on

George C. Gilman, MD

May 28, 1928 - March 26, 2023