BULLET N PIERCE COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY | WINTER 2024
Serving our members and community since 1888 www.pcmswa.org
The Bulletin is a publication of: Pierce County Medical Society 1019 Regents Blvd Ste 202 Fircrest WA 98466 253.572.3667 www.pcmswa.org
CONTENT ________________
PCMS Officers
Winter 2024 President Julian S. Arroyo, MD 3 President's Message
President Elect Neil Batta, MD
4 Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Update Tacoma Public Schools
Secretary/Treasurer Courtney Kennel, DO Immediate Past President C. Blake Perry, MD
5 2023 Annual Holiday Event
PCMS Directors
6 Pierce County Project Access White Glove Service with Commencement Bay Brokers
C. Blair Campbell, MD
7 Save the Dates! March 14, 2024 - Provider Engagement Event
H. Matt Davis, MD JT (John) Heffernan, MD
2024 Residents’ Social at Cheney Stadium August 25, 2024
Nicholas Rajacich, MD Camille Samujh, DO
8-9 Pierce County Medical Society Foundation 2023 Annual Holiday Sharing Card
Yancey Sloane, MD
10 TRA Medical Imaging Scholarships 11 PCMS Member Corner-In my opinion... Op-Ed: Amtrak Cascades Needs Track and Service Improvements
Cover photo "Ski region Amadei Austria" by Lusi - rgbstock.com
Executive Director 12-13 PCMS 2024 Membership Dues ATTENTION MULTICARE CLINICIANS
Linda Krause Membership Coordinator Tanya McClain 2
President's Message
PCMS Member Colleagues, I hope 2024 is off to a good start for everyone. It is an honor to be the next President of Pierce County Medical Society for 2024. I want to thank Blake Perry for his time and leadership he provided in 2023. He set a high bar and I will do my best to continue to move our society forward. I would like to introduce myself to those that don’t know me. I am an orthopedic surgeon at Puget Sound Orthopaedics. I was born at Tacoma General and grew up in Bremerton. I attended UW where I met my lovely wife, Seleta. I went to Creighton Medical School in Omaha and stayed at the University of Nebraska for orthopedic surgery residency. I did my fellowship in New York at Columbia Presbyterian on the Shoulder Service. Outside of work I try to take full advantage of the Northwest with golf, fishing, boating, and skiing. Some of PCMS accomplishments in 2023 were working with the Tacoma School district in career development for students at Mt. Tahoma and Stadium High Schools. PCMS donated $10,000 to their Healthcare Careers Academy program as well as over 100 scrubs for their students. Over $11,000 was raised through the Holiday Sharing Card program for the PCMS Foundation. Thank you, donors. Going forward, we are working on developing scholarships for students wanting to work in healthcare. It is my goal this year to bring back some of the memorable and positive experiences PCMS has had in the past. In our current hectic medical environment, it is difficult to meet and engage with our peers. We will have quarterly social engagements to provide an opportunity to see each other in a relaxed and fun environment. We are working to develop a CME program for 2025, similar to what we used to do in Whistler, British Columbia. As always, we will continue to work at the local and state levels to promote and represent our members. If anyone else has ideas and goals that they would like to see accomplished, I would love to hear from you. My email address is: j.arroyo@proliancesurgeons.com or contact Linda Krause at Linda@pcmswa.org. Let’s have a great year. Julian
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Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s mission is to protect and improve the health of all people and places in Pierce County. While the Health Department waits for new leadership in the Director of Public Health and Health Officer positions, two veteran Health Department staff continue to direct strategy and operations for the agency and ensure the Health Department’s vision of healthy people and healthy communities. Cindan Gizzi serves as the Interim Director of Health of Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, while Anthony L-T Chen remains in a Director of Health Emeritus role to provide Health Officer services.
UPDATE! New as of February 20, 2024: Chantell Harmon Reed has been selected as the next director of public health. Congratulations Chantell! Pending confirmation from the Pierce County and City of Tacoma councils on February 27, 2024, she will begin her new role on March 18, 2024. One of her first job responsibilities will be to complete the final steps to select the next Health Officer for the Health Department. You can read more about Chantell Harmon Reed and what’s next in this release TPCHD website
Pierce County Medical Society (PCMS) is partnering with Tacoma Public Schools in updating our School Forms to improve medication/treatment orders commonly used in schools. These are accessible to all Pierce County schools and the goal is to improve clarity and remove barriers to student attendance. If you would like to provide input, please reach out to PCMS at: linda@pcmswa.org. There are three forms that have been updated on our website: The Healthcare Provider Medication Request and Treatment Plan for Respiratory Conditions; Health Care Provider Epinephrine Request and Treatment Plan for Anaphylaxis; and Licensed Health Provider’s Feeding Tube Procedure Request at School. Pierce County School Nurse Leads meet the second Thursday of each month. This is an excellent opportunity to collaborate and share information with district health services teams across the county. Please reach out to Shallae Hobbs, Director of Health Services for Tacoma Public Schools, if you are interested in attending: Shobbs1@tacoma.k12.wa.us. The next meeting date is March 14, 2024 at 9:15 am. Please RSVP with Shallae if you would like to attend. Thank you, Shallae Hobbs, BSN, MN, RN, NCSN. Director of Health Services-Tacoma Public Schools.
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2023 Annual Meeting - 135 year Celebration PCMS members and guests, Thank you for your attendance at our December Holiday event. It was a success and great to see everyone in attendance. If you missed the event at the Glass Museum, you will not want to miss this year’s meeting. Plan to join us! A date and venue will be set soon! Stay tuned for more information on our 2024 Annual Membership Event.
Left to Right: Blake Perry MD, Dina Titova MD and Julian Arroyo MD
Left to Right: Vita Pliskow MD, Raymond Pliskow MD, Patricia Anwar, Mian Anwar MD, Rosemary Lukens and David Lukens DO
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NEEDS YOU! Ready to Volunteer? Need more information? Contact Michael Swenson Executive Director of PCPA (253) 336-4812 michael@pcprojectaccess.org PCPA proudly maintains a 1% patient no show rate! Join 700 of Your Peers. PCPA is always seeking volunteer primary and specialty providers. You determine how many referrals to accept yearly and receive additional malpractice protections under the Good Samaritan Act. High Demand Practice Areas Needed: Vascular Surgeon | Anesthesiology Otorhinolaryngology | Primary Care Plastic Surgery | Rheumatology
READY TO VOLUNTEER
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Read reviews from Pierce County Physicians
Save the dates! Thursday, March 14, 2024 from 6pm-8pm at the TRA Crescent Lounge at 1304 S. Fawcett Ave. Suite 300, Tacoma WA. This is a social event with food and drinks, great company, college basketball and an early St. Patrick’s Day Celebration! Join us Sunday, August 25, 2024 at Cheney Stadium and support your community residents! We will provide the food and beverages on the party deck! Have a premium beverage with some BBQ and a fun time! Vegetarian and gluten friendly options will be available.
RSVP by March 8 to attend the basketball/St. Patrick’s Day social event
RSVP Today! CHENEY STADIUM 2502 S TYLER ST TACOMA WA 1:35 PM GAME SACRAMENTO RIVER CATS AT TACOMA RAINIERS EVENT REGISTRATION INFO WILL BE SENT AT A LATER DATE
PCMS BOARD OF DIRECTORS INVITE YOU TO CONTINUE THE TRADITION! JOIN US! FAMILIES WELCOME!
CONGRATS 2023 GRANTEES
Associated Ministries of Tacoma Pierce County Catholic Community Services Healthcare Careers Academy Neighborhood Clinic Perinatal Collaborative of Pierce County Pierce County Project Access Raising Girls Salvation Army of Tacoma The Wishing Well Foundation Trinity Neighborhood Free Clinic
"The proper aim of giving is to put the recipients in a state where they no longer need our gifts." –C. S. Lewis
https://www.pcmswa.org/pcms-foundation
Thank you so much!!! FOR YOUR DONATIONS TO THE PCMSF ANNUAL HOLIDAY SHARING CARD CAMPAIGN
Your generous donations contributed to local non-profit agencies in their efforts to provide assistance for those needing help in Pierce County.
Our sincerest apologies to Dr. Richard Schoen who made a very generous donation to the Foundation but was inadvertently left out of the card.
Also, a big thank you to those whose donations were received after the card went to press: David Coons DO Mark & Jinny Craddock Colleen Gant Mark Grubb MD Stan & Debi Harris Joseph Pham MD
Again, an enormous thank you to those who donated. We sincerely appreciate your generosity. www.pcmswa.org/pcms-foundation
TRA Medical Imaging Foundation Awards $50,000 in scholarships to five students in the Tacoma Community College Imaging Science Program Tacoma, January 29, 2024: The TRA Medical Imaging Foundation is pleased to announce that it has accepted five Tacoma Community College (TCC) students into the Foundation's scholarship program. This group of students from the 2023 Fall cohort are in their first year of the Radiologic Technologist program. The Spring cohort will have the opportunity to apply beginning April 26, 2024. Recipients of the TRA Medical Imaging Foundation scholarships are chosen based on financial need and career aspirations. The program is dedicated to supporting students facing financial constraints while also providing mentorship to help them achieve their professional goals and aspirations. This involves connecting students with experienced technologists, radiologists, and other healthcare professionals who offer resources, ongoing support, guidance, and accountability throughout the program. The TRA Medical Imaging Foundation Education Fund, established in 2020 with four scholars, has witnessed significant growth. By 2023, the Foundation proudly celebrated the graduation of 11 scholars from TCC's Imaging Science programs, encompassing both Radiological Technology and Diagnostic Medical Sonography. These graduates successfully completed the Scholar and Mentorship program. Many post-graduation scholars are actively participating in the TRA Medical Imaging Foundation Alumni Association, contributing to the advancement of medical imaging as a profession through advocacy and raising awareness of the numerous career opportunities available to medical imaging professionals. As the TRA Medical Imaging Foundation continues to expand, our overarching goal is to broaden educational offerings and opportunities in CT, MRI, and Mammography. By doing so, we aim to generate employment, address workforce shortages, and enhance the quality of healthcare services in our community. Meet the scholarship recipients: https://www.tramedicalimagingfoundation.org/education-scholarshiprecipients. To read more about Tacoma Community College’s Radiology program,visit: https:// www.tacomacc.edu/aca.../programs/radiologic-science/ To read more about the scholarship application process visit: https://www.tramedicalimagingfoundation.org/ scholarships About the TRA Medical Imaging Foundation: Located in Tacoma, WA, the TRA Medical Imaging Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit entity, was created with the mission to promote better health and wellbeing by advancing access to medical imaging services and workforce development opportunities. Through the generosity of a giving community and philanthropic support of caring and committed donors, TRA Medical Imaging Foundation works to “give back” by supporting and promoting advancements in healthcare and education for those with whom they share this beautiful region.
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PCMS Member Corner: In My Opinion
Upgrade Amtrak Cascades or build highspeed rail? The choice is clear By Breck Lebegue, MD and Tim Gould
There are two visions for future passenger rail in Washington: Cascadia High Speed Rail and Amtrak Cascades. Because they run at different speeds, the cost, infrastructure and land requirements are vastly different. We oppose the proposed HSR plan and recommend Amtrak Cascades as a wiser use of land. British Columbia, Washington and Oregon signed an agreement to build ultra high-speed rail to run at speeds of 220 miles per hour or more from Vancouver, B.C., to Portland. The high-speed rail proposal would be costly, chiefly in infrastructure and land requirements. An independent consultant summary and full final report to the Washington Legislature’s Joint Transportation Committee details the approach’s complexity, decades-long timeline and cost — likely up to $150 billion. Land requirements are vast: 220 miles of straight level right of way and 90 miles of tunnels under cities. To achieve high speed, only three stops are indicated. There are no published stations or routes. The track would need a strip of land the area of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport — about 3,000 acres — and take decades, not years to build, as is occurring in California. Meanwhile, Amtrak Cascades is our current 18-stop regional line from Vancouver, B.C., to Eugene, Ore., but speed and reliability are limited by inadequate infrastructure. Only a few U.S. trains, such as Acela (Boston to Washington, D.C.), and Florida’s new Brightline, run faster than 79 mph. Amtrak Cascades has never met the 2.5-hour trip time between Seattle and Portland specified by our Legislature in 1993. It was only 47% on-time in 2022 — clearly unacceptable. The Washington State Department of Transportation’s new Amtrak Cascades Service Development Plan has five options. None will achieve reliable 2.5-hour trip times without new infrastructure investments. Among them: Point Defiance Bypass curve revision, where speeds are now limited to 30 mph, a new fast-rail bridge over the Nisqually River for both Amtrak and Sound Transit trains, a 110-mph third track between Lacey and Centralia, and more. The coalition of rail, health and climate groups that we represent advocates for those upgrades, costing less than $15 billion, on about 300 new acres — compared to 3,000 for the high-speed rail proposal. That’s one-tenth of the cost, and one tenth the new land requirement. WSDOT, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the Nisqually Tribe, and Pierce and Thurston Counties must decide how best to carry people and goods across the Nisqually River. WSDOT’s plan to widen Interstate 5 to eight lanes will increase the vehicle-miles traveled past Billy Frank Jr. National Wildlife Refuge. That is contrary to legislative intent to decrease such travel, and thus greenhouse gases, statewide. An upgraded Cascades and Sounder extension to Lacey can induce I-5 drivers to shift to passenger rail to avert this egregious climate mistake. We must choose wisely in 2024. Tell your legislators how you and your children want to use our precious green land. We need Amtrak Cascadehigh-speed rail in 2050, for our health and climate. Breck Lebegue, MD MPH, belongs to the Sierra Club Transportation & Land Use Committee, WA Physicians for Social Responsibility, Climate Rail Alliance, Solutionary Rail and All Aboard Washington. Tim Gould is chair of the Transportation & Land Use Committee for Sierra Club Washington. Reprinted with permission by The Urbanist - November 2023 The opinions expressed in this column are solely the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of the PCMS.
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Attention MultiCare Physicians and PAs: PCMS Membership Dues Changes in 2024 Over the years, MultiCare physicians’ and PAs’ annual Pierce County Medical Society membership dues 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
PIERCE COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY
Have You Renewed Your PCMS Membership? WE HAVE GONE PAPERLESS 2024 RENEWAL NOTICES WERE SENT BY EMAIL GO TO WWW.PCMS.ORG TO RENEW TODAY! Select benefits Physician referrals Quarterly Professional & Collegial activities Quarterly bulletin We advocate for you in Olympia Educational and Professional Events 20% off first year full active membership; special rate for US military, USPHS & VA; residents | first year practice join free
Pierce County Medical Society has been supporting Pierce County physicians, PAs and patients for over 135 years. PCMS represents the interests of local physicians and physician assistants from all specialties and practice types at all stages of their careers.
Questions? Need help logging-in? Contact Tanya McClain, Membership Coordinator tanya@pcmswa.org | 253.572.3667 www.pcmswa.org
1019 Regents Blvd Ste 202 Fircrest WA 98466
Don’t forget to join us March 14, 2024 at the TRA Crescent Lounge 6pm-8pm 1304 S. Fawcett Ave. Ste 300, Tacoma WA 98402 Provider Engagment Event with TRA Medical Imaging and PCMS RSVP to attend
thank you to our generous sponsors