As we move into the summer and fall months, the Pierce County Medical Society is excited to continue building momentum with a variety of events and initiatives. We are looking forward to reconnecting with each of you at our upcoming events.
Sunday, August 10 , is our annual Resident Appreciation event with an outing to a Rainiers baseball game. We also are in the planning process with Pierce County Project Access (PCPA) for a Fall beer & wine tasting event on October 6 . All proceeds of this event go directly to PCPA. th
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PCMS remains committed to community engagement and mentorship, continuing our work with Healthcare Careers Academy high school students (see updated pictures on page 4) and with our participating in impactful events like the ASAPC Community 5K. Our upcoming community event is the Walk to Defeat ALS on September 14 in Lakewood. Join team PCMS!
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We are planning a "Meet Your Representative" event on September 4 at TRA’s Crescent Lounge while preparing for the WSMA House of Delegates meeting September 20-21, 2025.
Be sure to check your inbox every last Tuesday for our new PCMS Brief emails, providing quick monthly updates to keep you informed and connected.
Thank you for your support and involvement in our medical community.
Warm regards,
Neil R. Batta, MD PCMS President
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s mission is to protect and improve the health of all people and places in Pierce County
July 25, 2025
Frontline clinicians are the eyes and ears of public health. Before we can respond to cases or outbreaks of reportable diseases, we need to hear about them – and that is where we rely on you.
The United States, Mexico, and Canada have all seen large measles outbreaks this year. Thankfully, we have not seen anything like that in Washington or Pierce County, though a few cases have occurred in neighboring counties. We recently shared a measles health advisory. In brief, you should consider measles in anyone who:
· Has fever ≥101°F and a generalized maculopapular rash with cough, coryza, or conjunctivitis.
· And has recently traveled internationally.
· Or has travelled domestically to a region with a known measles outbreak or other suspected exposure. If you suspect measles, call (253) 649-1412 before the patient leaves the clinic. We are available 24/7/365.
We also value your support in increasing vaccination coverage. Childhood immunization rates are still below pre-COVID-19 levels. A strong clinician recommendation improves vaccine confidence and uptake. A Lancet study estimated vaccines have prevented 154 million deaths globally over the past 50 years— mostly children’s, with measles vaccination saving the most lives. Recent changes to federal vaccine guidance and ACIP are under review with partners. We will share updates soon.
On HIV and STIs: 2024 saw the highest HIV incidence in a decade. HIV incidence is 7 times higher among Black/African American residents. More new diagnoses are happening in inpatient settings. Congenital syphilis cases are also rising.
We ask for your help in expanding outpatient HIV/STI testing and HIV PrEP access. Emergency Department testing is another promising strategy. For questions or collaboration, contact the Health Department's HIV/STI program.
Thank you for reading. I hope you have a wonderful summer!
James “Jay” Miller, MD MPH Health Officer
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department
253-649-1500 Ext. 1610
August 10, 2025
Pierce County Medical Society Upcoming Events
Annual Resident Event at Cheney Stadium - Free for residents!
1:35 pm game time
September 4, 2025 *New Date
PCMS 2nd Annual Meet your District Representative Event with TRA
6:00 pm
September 14, 2025: Walk to Defeat ALS in Lakewood, WA. Join team PCMS!
September 16, 2025
PCMS Board of Directors Meeting - Open to all PCMS Members. Resolutions
Review Meeting. RSVP to Attend: linda@pcmswa.org
6:30 pm start
October 6, 2025
PCMS and Pierce County Project Access Event
Wine and beer tasting fundraiser. All donations go to PCPA
6:00 pm start
December 9, 2025
PCMS Annual Holiday Event
5:00 pm
Questions? Email us: Tanya@pcmswa.org
Your generous contributions through our holiday card fundraiser enable us to provide grants to local nonprofit organizations. We deeply appreciate your support in 2025.
Your donations have a meaningful impact on small local nonprofits, helping them thrive and serve the community. Thank you for your continued support with your 2025 donation.
Sincerely,
Charles Weatherby MD, Larry Larson MD, and Mark Grubb MD PCMS Foundation Board of Directors
With your donations throughout the year and with the Holiday Sharing Card, you help fund local non-profits. Below is our 2025 recipients and who they support in our community.
Associated Ministries of Tacoma-Pierce County – Provides homeless response and housing services; reaches over 4,500 individuals
Catholic Community Services of Western Washington – Offers housing and mental health assistance; supports more than 4,500 individuals through its programs
Jumpstart Enterprises dba Trinity Neighborhood Health Clinic – Delivers healthcare services to the Hilltop and surrounding communities; serves over 500 underserved individuals
Mountain View Community Center – Offers food/lunch programs for school-age children, community dinners, and wellness/fitness programs for seniors; serves approximately 750 individuals
NW Infant Survival & SIDS Alliance (NISSA) – A partner of the Perinatal Collaborative of Pierce County
Pierce County Project Access – Delivers healthcare to vulnerable populations; serves over 1,200 individuals
REACH Ministries – Supports children and adults affected by HIV; currently cares for 186 HIV-positive clients and over 447 family members
The Skoolie Foundation – Mobile outreach serving the homeless with food and clothing; reaches approximately 1,500–2,000 individuals
The Wishing Well Foundation – Provides clothing and toiletries to foster children; serves over 120 children annually
Would you like to represent your colleagues in Pierce County September 20-21 in Bellevue WA?
Represent Pierce County Medical Society at the WSMA Annual Meeting and House of Delegates Meeting.
September 20-21, 2025 at the Westin Hotel in Bellevue WA
Join your colleagues at the WSMA House of Delegates Meeting this Fall. Limited stipends are available from PCMS.
Alert your colleagues that you are a delegate for Pierce County and ask for comments and recommendations on WSMA programs and policies.
Collaborate with the PCMS Delegation to review and discuss proposed resolutions, while networking with peers from across the state.
The PCMS Resolution Review Meeting will take place on September 16, 2025. RSVP to confirm your attendance.
Participation is exclusive to active PCMS members.
Date: September 20-21, 2025
Location: Westin Hotel, Bellevue WA
More information on the meeting
To be part of the PCMS Delegation, please contact Linda Krause, PCMS Exec. Director at: linda@pcmswa.org by August 15, 2025. Thank you.
Back to School FAQ’s
Do students need to be fully vaccinated to attend school? Washington state law requires any child attending in-person or online school, preschool, or childcare to show proof of the required vaccines for their age. All students must have a Washington State Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS) form on file. The CIS form must have the required vaccine dates listed and vaccination records must be provider verified. If the child does not have a complete vaccination record, they may also qualify to attend school if they have an appropriately completed certificate of exemption (COE) and/or qualify for conditional status by initiating a catch-up schedule and receiving all vaccines they are eligible to review prior to attendance; maintaining required follow up intervals.
Can a student with a Life-Threatening Health condition be excluded from school or face a delayed start? Under Washington State Law, students with a life-threatening health condition must have a care plan, orders, and the medications/supplies to carry out orders in place on the first day of attendance or shall be excluded from school.
Do provider’s orders have to match the prescription medication labels? Yes, provider orders must match the medication label, or the medication cannot be administered at school Time, route, dose, patient, and frequency must be in alignment
Do over the counter medications require a provider order for school? Yes, all medications, prescribed or over the counter, must have an order from a provider to be administered at school. There are no exceptions.
Do Assistive Medical Devices require doctor’s orders for school? Yes, students with assistive medical devices, should have orders from a provider upon return to school. Orders should outline medical device being used, length of use, and purpose of use. Devices may include crutches, heart monitors, knee scooters, canes, wheelchairs*, walkers, vagal nerve stimulators, tube feeding pumps, etc. All medical devices must be provided by the family and are unavailable for check out at school. *Permanent wheelchair users do not require a note.
Do health rooms have full time nursing coverage? No, most School Nurses serve 2-3 schools Nurses must delegate to unlicensed staff to support care of students Unlicensed staff are unable to assess or manage an unstable/unpredictable student health need.
Are there order templates that are preferred by schools? Yes! While any order template may be acceptable, School Nurses encourage you to utilize/mirror the Pierce County Medical Society School Forms These forms have all the information we need! School Forms (pcmswa org)
Can an AVS suffice as orders or directives for school? No. Medications/treatment orders must be on an order form for school, as well, signed by provider and parent/guardian. Notes for restrictions or limitations at school must be written as a directive for school by a provider with a timeline.
In Memoriam
D (March 20, 2025)
Ronald Beck, MD 1934 - February 21, 2025
Harold Boyd, MD September 20, 1950 - February 3, 2025
Kevin Schoenfelder, MD (February 28, 1952 - April 12, 2025)
Carl Wulfesteig, MD (June 7, 1943 - April 27, 2025)
Shelton, spouse of Alan
Sharon
Shelton, MD
Don’t forget to join us August 10, 2025
Annual Resident Appreciation Event at Cheney Stadium
