President's Letter

Dear Colleagues:
I hope all of you are aware of our upcoming conference, “Emergency Medicine without Borders”, at the Bell Harbor Conference Center in Seattle, May 27-29.  The last two years, the conference was held in Vancouver, BC, but we moved it closer to home to help stimulate the local economy and to improve attendance.

The following are examples of the outstanding speakers and educational opportunities this year.

• Greg Henry, MD -- Human Issues of Risk Management
• Rob Vissers, MD -- Procedural Sedation
• He will also be conducting a Difficult Airway Workshop
• ACEP Past-President Frederick Blum, MD -- Risk Management, Pediatric Controversies
• Brad Younggren, MD -- Vascular Access Workshop
• William Hurley, MD, Washington Poison Center -- Unexpected Drug Reactions  
• Other topics include: Pediatrics, Brain Trauma, Neurologic Emergencies, Malpractice Prevention.
• We will also have a welcome reception on Thursday evening.

Click here for the entire schedule

We hope that you are aware of this great opportunity. The price is fantastic for such a superb group of speakers.  This is also a good opportunity to complete your required risk management CME.  Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged. 

WA-ACEP Thanks Dr. Michael Copass for Years of Service
The WA-ACEP extends its deepest gratitude to Michael Copass, MD for his remarkable dedication, his decades of service to patient care, and to his development of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Washington State.  During the last 35 years, as Medical Director of Harborview Emergency Department and faculty of the University of Washington School of Medicine, Dr. Michael Copass has educated hundreds of physicians caring for patients throughout our state, the WWAMI region and the nation.  Dr. Copass’s achievements are legendary.  During his tenure he developed a world-class pre-hospital care and paramedic training system that is used nationwide.  He also founded and skillfully managed Airlift Northwest to assist citizens of Washington both in urban and rural areas, as well as those needing services in the WWAMI region.  His efforts have benefited patients, families, physicians and hospitals throughout the state.  The members of the Washington Chapter of ACEP recognize and applaud his remarkable legacy and his contributions to the care of the citizens of Washington State.

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Washington Poison Center Funding Cuts
Effective July 1, 2009, the Washington State budget calls for a 50% cut in funding to the Washington Poison Center.  This lack of funding will likely cause the poison center to shut its doors. Cutting funds will cost lives and millions of dollars. According to the State Department of Health’s June 2008 Injury and Violence Prevention Guide, poisonings and drug overdoses are the leading causes of unintentional injury-related deaths in Washington State, surpassing motor vehicle crashes.  That same guide also states that “every call to a poison control center saves $175 in other medical spending.”

The WA Poison Center has been a national leader in advances in healthcare.  They were the first to develop and promote patient safety initiatives like child-resistant packaging, child-safe reduced dose packages, and anti-scribbling legislation.  The WAPC is now a leader in integration of the Poison Center into disaster response and development of disaster response phone centers.  This ground-breaking work will cease if the Poison Center closes.  Please ask your local legislator to restore our funds. You can go to www.wapc.org for more information and help finding your local legislator.

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WSMA Legislative Summit
Over 150 physicians and medical practice managers attended the WSMA Legislative Summit, January 26th in Olympia. 

Four issues were focused on:  The state budget crisis’s impact on access to care; expanded scope of practice for medical assistants to allow them to orally administer drugs they now are able to administer intravenously; the wrongful death act that, if passed, would expand the cause of action in wrongful death cases; and public health funding. 

Governor Chris Gregoire was the keynote speaker.  In addressing the summit attendees, Governor Gregoire noted the need to make tough decisions on services and cuts as the legislature must find $6 billion in cuts in a $30 billion budget (where only 40% of which is “cut-able”).   She said US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has assured her that the SCHIP bill, that will be passed out of the Senate shortly, should treat the state more fairly, after all these years.  The bill will provide an additional $94 million to our state for the current fiscal year and over $500 million over the next five years, to bring coverage to all kids up to 300% of the federal poverty level.  Our current Medicaid federal matching rate is 50/50, but the house federal budget proposal now in markup in the Senate should provide an additional $2 billion to the state to undo some of the cuts in the governor’s budget. 

The governor asked the WSMA to maintain and build its partnership with her as health care budget and reform issues move ahead in Olympia.  She said the “working group” on health care reform, called for in legislation passed two years ago and intended to hold public meetings around the state to take input on health care reform options, may still be funded (it isn’t in her draft budget), but it would be on a “shoestring.”

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Access to Emergency Medical Services Act to be Re-introduced in February
In preparation for the re-introduction of the “Access to Emergency Medical Services Act” in the 111th Congress, ACEP 911 Network Team Captains and Members will be contacting prior cosponsors to ask for their renewed support with this key legislative initiative.  We expect the bill will be re-introduced by Reps. Bart Gordon (D-TN) and Pete Sessions (R-TX) in the House and Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Arlen Specter (R-PA)in the Senate, sometime in February.  ACEP is working with the bill’s sponsors on a strategy for its introduction, including a press event on Capitol Hill. The legislation will be nearly identical to the Senate version (S.1003) of the bill in the 110th Congress.

Of the 163 House members that cosponsored the legislation in the last Congress, 140 have returned to the 111th Congress.  Of the 24 Senators who co-sponsored the bill, 22 have returned.  It is our goal to secure their support early on – if possible, as “original cosponsors” of the bill when it is introduced.

After the bill is reintroduced, all ACEP members will have the opportunity to contact their legislators about the bill by accessing the Advocacy section of the ACEP website.  A sample letter will be available on the website that you can email directly to your legislators’ Capitol Hill office.  An issue paper and list of prior cosponsors will also be available on the website.  Stay tuned for more information on our advocacy campaign to promote the “Access to Emergency Medical Services Act.”   We would like to have as many communications as possible sent to Capitol Hill encouraging legislators to cosponsor the legislation and urging congressional hearings on the state of emergency care in our nation.

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CMS Delays Enforcement of Physician Enrollment Regulation
In response to joint efforts by ACEP and EDPMA, CMS published a revision to its Enrollment FAQs stating that the Agency is in the process of developing implementation instructions for Medicare contractors regarding the enrollment provision that reduces allowable retroactive billing from 27 months to 30 days.  CMS intends to phase in enforcement and will begin actively monitoring provider compliance with this provision beginning on April 1, 2009.  We will be closely monitoring the contractor turnaround times for processing enrollment applications so please keep us posted of any problems your group may encounter.

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Health Advisory: Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium
Action requested:

• Be alert for symptoms of salmonellosis: fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea that may be bloody

For patients with symptoms consistent with salmonellosis:

• Ask about the following within the 5 days prior to symptom onset:
• Food history, including peanut butter and peanut butter-containing products, and all restaurant meals
• Travel
• Contact with ill persons
• Contact with animals
• Obtain a stool culture to test for enteric pathogens including Salmonella
• Immediately report suspected and confirmed cases to Public Health at (206) 296-4774.

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HHS Issues Final Icd-10 Code Sets and Updated Electronic Transaction Standards Rules
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released two final rules that will facilitate the United States’ ongoing transition to an electronic health care environment through adoption of a new generation of diagnosis and procedure codes and updated standards for electronic health care and pharmacy transactions.

The first final rule replaces the ICD-9-CM code sets now used to report health care diagnoses and procedures with greatly expanded ICD-10 code sets, with a compliance date of Oct. 1, 2013.  The second final rule adopts an updated X12 standard, Version 5010, for certain electronic health care transactions, an updated version of the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) standard, Version D.0, for electronic pharmacy-related transactions, and a standard for Medicaid pharmacy subrogation transactions.  Version 5010 includes updated standards for claims, remittance advice, eligibility inquiries, referral authorization, and other administrative transactions.  Version 5010 also accommodates the use of the ICD-10 code sets, which are not supported by Version 4010/4010A1, the current X12 standard.

Both regulations are on display today at the Federal Register and may be viewed at http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/public-inspection/index.html. 

Emergency Room Doctors Sue State of California
Frustrated emergency room doctors filed a class-action lawsuit against California State, January 27, 2009, saying that California's overstretched emergency healthcare system -- which ranks last in the country for emergency care access -- is on the verge of collapse unless more funding is provided.

Across the state, scores of hospitals and emergency rooms have shut their doors in the last decade, leading to long waits, diverted ambulances and, in the most extreme cases, patient deaths.

Thomas R. Anderson, MD – Newcastle
Larry S. Cohen, MD, MPH, FACEP – Lakewood
Jeffrey P. Roger, MD – Bainbridge Island
Renee M. Schroetlin, MD – Walla Walla

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JOB POSTINGS

Washington, Longview- Democratic group of 14 EM board certified physicians seeking a BC or BE physician to join our single hospital group. We have enjoyed 30 years with our partner hospital, St. John Medical Center, a 193 bed, level III trauma center with an ED census of 50,000 adult and pediatric pts/year.  We offer a generous compensation package with consideration for full and equal partnership after one year.  Several physicians plan to retire shortly; therefore we continue to hire.  Our brand new ED has 36 beds.  In the shadow of Mt. St. Helen, our location offers a variety of outdoor opportunities.  Longview is a charming and affordable city along the banks of the Columbia River.  Our community is less then an hour drive from Portland and two hours from Seattle.  Send CV to: Holly Liberatore MD, Liberatoreh@comcast.net or Cascade Emergency Associates, PO Box 2404, Longview, WA 98632

Seattle - Highline Emergency Physicians is democratic independent group of physicians currently seeking full-time ABEM prepared/certified physician. We are a one hospital, two-facility group with 8-hour shifts triple coverage in our high volume facility (45 K visits annually) and single coverage in our low volume facility (15 K visits annually). Friendly work environment with rapid patient turnaround and a anticipated completion of a new department on the March 2010 and EMR Mar 2009. Flexible scheduling allows for ample free time to enjoy the Northwest's abundant opportunities for outdoor recreation. Great nurses! We provide competitive compensation and paid malpractice, health and dental. We are a well-established group (contract held for 30 years), respected by the medical staff and community. Send CV to Carter Hill MD; e-mail: carterhill@comcast.net or Fax 206-236-8063, Mobile # 206-409-7598. Position is available summer of 2009 for qualified and credentialed candidate!

Mason General Hospital Emergency Physicians is seeking a partner to join 7 full-time board certified emergency physicians. We are a completely democratic group that staffs a single critical access hospital in Shelton. Excellent contract with paid medical liability insurance. ED Volume approximately 22K/yr. Physician staffing of 34 hours daily. You will be a partner from day one and paid the same as the rest of the group on an hourly rate. We are at the base of the Olympic Peninsula about 20 minutes north of Olympia. Send your CV to Dean Gushee, MD (dgushee@masongeneral.com) or call 360-427-6791.

Needed-a physician to work at Pasco Worker Care, an Occ Med Clinic providing care to injured workers.This is a full time job with competitive salary and benefits. No weekends, nights or major holidays. Experience in EM preferred. Send a resume to drted@yakimaworkercare.com.

Sterling Healthcare is seeking EM physicians to join a growing group and practice in a beautiful setting in Spokane, WA. This Level III trauma center operates 24/7 and is staffed with more than 40 registered nurses experienced in emergency, trauma, and critical care.  The Emergency Services Department also includes cardiac treatment rooms and a separate Express Care Unit.  Physicians work 8 hour shifts with double coverage by physicians and mid- levels in the main ED.  The Express Care unit is open 16 hours a day and staffed by mid-level providers.  Annual ED volume is 43,000 with 21 beds. Candidates must be BC Emergency Medicine or Primary Care with recent ED experience. ACLS, ATLS, and PALS certification required. Sterling Healthcare offers flexible scheduling, independent contractor status, professional liability insurance, CME, and competitive compensation. Please contact Molly Smith at 1-800-877-5520 ext 1020 or email molly.smith@sterlinghealthcare.com or fax CV to 904-805-1418

Magnificent North Olympic Peninsula of WA State: Emergency Physician Openings.  Waterfront or mountain side living, driving distance to Seattle, ferry boat ride to Victoria, BC! Excellent full and part time opportunities now available in our stable, cohesive and collegial group of practitioners. Offering:  private, stable, single hospital democratic group, equally shared night/weekends, excellent pay/benefits, flexible scheduling, no buy-in, equal partnership, 12 hours shifts with mid-level support, 27k annual volume in expanding dept, Level 3 Trauma Center.  We are located at the foot of the Olympic National Park on the bluffs overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca, providing magnificent views everywhere you look!  Port Angeles is in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains with wonderful out door activities and a wide range of community attractions.  It is the site of Olympic National Park (a World Heritage Site) and a beautiful salt water location with easy access to Seattle and Victoria, B.C.  Email or send CV to: James Wallace, MD c/o Nancy Buckner, Physician Recruiter, Olympic Medical Center, 939 Caroline Street, Port Angeles, WA  908362, 360 417 7231, nbuckner@olympicmedical.org or James Wallace, 360-417-3281, Jwallace@olympicmedical.org.

Tacoma Emergency Care Physicians (TECP) is a 19 member democratic group of Board Certified/Board Prepared Emergency Physicians staffing two hospitals in Tacoma, WA. We seek a full time emergency physician. Our primary hospital (Tacoma General) is an urban level II trauma facility with high acuity and superb medical staff in all specialties. Shifts are eight hours with excellent compensation. TECP provides malpractice insurance.  Physicians are eligible for partnership after one year. Located on Puget Sound 35 minutes from downtown Seattle and one hour from the Cascade Mountains, recreational and cultural opportunities abound. Visit our website at www.tecp.net.  Contact Heather Marshall, heathermarshallmd@comcast.net, 253-820-6412.

Eastern Washington - Full Time Opportunity. Samaritan Hospital, Moses Lake, has an annual patient volume of 13,000. The shifts are 12 hrs. with 10 hrs. of PA/NP coverage.  The physician will see an average of 1.25 patients per hour with 12% admission rate. Trauma Capabilities and Resources:  Samaritan Healthcare serves a 75,000 population area with 32,000 in the local area.  Patients transferred are sent by ground ambulance to Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee or by helicopter to Deaconess Medical Center, Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, or Harborview, Seattle. Physical Description of the Emergency Department:  9 rooms and 10 beds.  This ED includes a trauma/cardiac room, 2 cardiac bays, a pediatric room, casting room, OB room, 2 minor medical rooms, a mental health room and a room with an undesignated function. Availability of Ancillary Services:  Radiology – 24/7, Nighthawk:  nights, CT 24/7, Ultra Sound 24/7, MRI off-site, Pharmacy, Pyxis system, Lab, Respiratory Therapy. Brief Description of Community: Moses Lake is the commercial hub of the Columbia Basin in Grant County located at the intersection of Interstate 90 and State Highway 17.  The lake, Moses Lake, is the largest, natural body of fresh water in the county, with over 120 miles of shoreline.  Due to the large number of lakes, streams and the Columbia River this is a fisherman’s paradise, with trout, salmon, bass, spiny ray and walleye pike plentiful. The area is in the path of the Pacific flyway, goose and duck hunting is a sportsmen attraction.  Deer hunting is excellent in nearby Clockum and Blue Mountains which have large elk herds.  Winter sports include an outdoor ice skating rink, downhill skiing at several locations within a few hours drive, as well as cross country skiing and snowmobiling.  The area provides several golf courses, tennis courts, a family aquatic center with water slides and an Olympic size competitive pool.  A large area in nearby sand dunes has been designated for ORV and recreational use. Average annual rainfall is about 8 inches and average snowfall is 15 inches.  For more information about this opportunity, please call: Emily Enck (800) 336-8614 x 2115 or email: emily_enck@teamhealth.com Quality of Care.  Fairness.  Integrity. Professionalism

Full Time Opportunity at Kadlec Medical Center in Richland, Washington a 181 bed acute care facility with a 20 bed CCU, a 19 bed intermediate care unit and a 12 bed short stay unit.  Hospital has a new open-heart surgery suite, an additional cardiac catheterization lab, and new outpatient imaging center.   Summer of 2008, Kadlec will open a new 71.8 million, six story building which will include new operating rooms, a clinical decision unit and a floor of private patient rooms.  Emergency Department consists of 26 beds with state of the art equipment including a robust intranet linked to PC’s throughout the ED and hospital and a separate Fast Track.  Applications include:  MUSE, Micromedex – (Poisondex, drugdex, Emergidex), Web PACS, and internet access, ED includes electronic medical records and Electronic "T" system.  Providers care for 48,000 patients annually with 56 hours of physician and mid level coverage.  Community offers, excellent school systems, golf courses, wineries, and much more.  For more information, please contact: Emily Enck at (800) 336-8614 x 2115 or email: emily_enck@teamhealth.com

Seattle: Academic Pediatric Emergency Medicine (Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center) The Department of Pediatrics at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center/University of Washington School of Medicine is recruiting one or more board certified/eligible Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician(s) (MD or DO required) at the Assistant/Associate Professor/Professor level. Position(s) may be full-time or part-time. Contact Tony Woodward, MD, MBA, Chief, Division of Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Emergency Medicine B-5519, 4800 Sand Point Way, NE , Seattle, WA 98105, 206-987-1371, Fax 206-729-3072, E-mail: Tony.Woodward@seattlechildrens.org

Seattle: Pediatric Urgent Care and Emergency Medicine (Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center) The Department of Pediatrics at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center/University of Washington School of Medicine is recruiting two board certified/eligible Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physicians ((MD/DO required) at the Assistant/Associate Professor/Professor level. Contact Tony Woodward, MD, MBA, Chief, Division of Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Emergency Medicine B-5519, 4800 Sand Point Way, NE , Seattle, WA 98105, 206-987-1371, Fax 206-729-3072, E-mail: Tony.Woodward@seattlechildrens.org

Washington, Walla Walla:  Independent, democratic group seeking BC/BE emergency physician to join our growing group.  We staff St. Mary Medical Center ED which has a 20k patient volume.  Good specialty backup and hospital administration support.  Both St. Mary Medical Center and our ED physicians are ranked in the top 1% nationally.  Level III trauma center for adults and pediatrics.  State of the art 3 yr old ED. You are equal in terms of shifts, salary and benefits from day one.  Come live and work in the heart of WA wine country at the foot of the Blue Mountains.  Contact Byron Miller, MD at Walla Walla Emergency Physicians 401 W. Poplar Walla Walla, WA 99362 (509) 522-5802 or email your CV to byron.miller@providence.org    

At Legacy Salmon Creek ED in Vancouver we have two physician openings: 1) BC/BE residency-trained Emergency Physician AND  2) BC/BE Pediatric Emergency Physician.  Legacy Salmon Creek is a 164 bed hospital which is being built out to 220 beds.  The ED saw 48,300 patients in 2007 and about 13,500 are children.  We continue to grow.  We have a separate Pediatric Emergency Department staffed by 3 BC Peds EM physicians, a Peds Critical Care (PICU) physician and Peds-trained and dedicated RNs for 9 to 14 hours/day.  We seek to replace one PEM physician who is returning to Chicago for family reasons and expand our Peds ED hours.  The hospital has an inpatient pediatric service staffed by pediatric hospitalists 24/7, a level 3B NICU and very busy Family Birth Center.  We work closely with Legacy Emanuel Hospital which is a tertiary pediatric Children’s Hospital with PICU.  In 3 years Legacy Children’s Hospital will build a $260 million dollar 7-story Children’s Hospital with 32-bed Pediatric ED.  It is also a Level 1 Trauma Center.  The Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital ED has no trauma designation, but sees trauma, nonetheless. We staff 5 x 8 hour shifts/day (40 hours) in the ED and 2 shifts/day (12 hours) in the ambulatory section of the ED.  The ED and hospital opened just 3 years ago.  The ED is a beautiful, 32-bed state-of-the-art facility.  Due to rising census, a 16 bed extension to the ED is being considered. Our 140 member Emergency, Pediatric Emergency, and Ambulatory physician group ( Northwest Acute Care Specialists (NACS)) staffs the five Legacy Health System Hospital EDs and an Ambulatory Clinic in St. Helens.  NACS is a democratic, independent physician group which contracts exclusively with the Legacy Health System to care for 230,000 patients/year.  We are the largest democratic, independent Emergency Physician Group in the Northwest. Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital is located in a new and growing section of Vancouver, WA with 15 minute access to Portland via I-5.  For more information, contact:
J. Michael Albrich MD FACEP FACP
President, Northwest Acute Care Specialists
Medical Director, Emergency Services
Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital
Vancouver, WA 98686
Office: 360.487.1475
Fax: 360.487.1499

Yakima Regional Medical Center-FT and PT Physician Openings
Yakima, WA – Yakima County - 214 Bed Hospital / 21-bed ED including 10-bed Fast Track and designated trauma bays- Estimated Annual Volume of 29K, 2.38 PPH - BC/BE Emergency Medicine, PALS required - 12 hr shifts with 24 hrs of physician coverage + 8 hrs Family Nurse Practitioner coverage in ED - Additional 8 hrs physician assistant coverage in Fast Track - Competitive Fee For Service Incentive Plan - “A” Rated Malpractice Insurance Program with No Tail Obligation upon departure! Yakima is located in the heart of Washington State, only 2 hours from Seattle. The beautiful agricultural settings include national forests, wildlife viewing, lakes, streams, rivers, skiing and hiking. The Yakima Valley is also the state’s most densely populated wine region. For more information, please contact John Torres, Physician Recruiter at 800-230-5160 ext 3025, email: john_torres@emcare.com, fax: (805) 564-5087. Please visit our website at www.EmCare.com.

Abrupt retirement of a full partner for health reasons has caused us to have immediate opening for a board el/cert emergency physician at Stevens Hospital, Edmonds, Wa. at 42K ED staffed by Edmonds Emergency Physicians, a democratic, single hospital group. Please contact Richard McClelland MD FACEP at richard.mcclelland@comcast.net or at 425-742-3708.

Immediate FT Locum position and PT position available with Associated Emergency Physicians, Inc. at Valley Medical Center. Potential for FT continued employment. Stable independant democratic group, staffing a single hospital with over 72,000 visits. Level III trauma center. New 56-bed ED under construction. Competitive compensation and benefits. Must be residency trained and board eligible or board certified. Send CV or contact Pattie Giuliani:425/228-3440x2975. Fax: 425/656-5016 email: pattie_giuliani@valleymed.org.


Are you considering a change of employment? If so, don't make a move until you give us a call. At any one time we have physician openings across, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Northwest Emergency Physicians-TEAMHealth is the largest employer of emergency medicine physicians in the Northwest. Contact: Emily Simpson (800) 336-8614 x 2115 or email: emily_simpson@teamhealth.com or Lynn Benson at (800)336-8614 ex 2123/fax (253)838-6418 or lynn_benson@teamhealth.com

CRAssociates, Inc. (CRA) is a national healthcare management company that is committed to the delivery of high-quality health care services. We have a need for full-time Emergency Medicine Physician to support the Naval Hospital Bremerton. Requirements include:
· Board Certified as an Emergency Medicine Physician
· Min one year exp in last 3 years
CRA is proud to offer you a team environment, excellent compensation and benefits, as well as company-paid professional liability insurance. Please send your resume to Human Resources at one of the following: Fax: 866-550-1476 (Toll Free) Email: ckm@crassoc.com CRA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Washington, Kitsap Peninsula: We staff two brand-new ED's seeing a total of 60,000 pts/annually and seek a full-time BC EM Physician to expand coverage. Established, progressive, democratic group with excellent compensation and benefit package. Mountain and Ocean recreation opportunities abound. One-hour ferry ride to Seattle. See Website: www.harrisonmedical.org E-mail CV to: Gail Donavan at gdonavan@harrisonmedical.org

Immediate Full-Time Position for BC/BE EM Physician with Kennewick Emergency Physicians, a Democratic Group staffing a single hospital, 30,000 annual visits with moderate acquity on the banks of the Columbia River. Generous Competitive Package, Guarantee plus Incentive Compensation, Liability Insurance included, Relocation Expenses included, Full Partnership Tract in 18 months, 8-11hour shifts, Double coverage during peak hours, average 12-14 shifts/month with 3 weeks off/quarter built into schedule. Enjoy a peaceful lifestyle in this friendly community of approximately 200,000. Take advantage of hundreds of miles of waterways- fishing, water sports and beautiful sunsets- all near the mountains, over 300 days of sunshine annually, over 40 local wineries. Contact Louis K. Koussa DO, FACEP; 509-521-3396 or 509-627-1798 and email your CV to loukoussa@yahoo.com

WANTED: Emergency physicians for bipolar company. Quark (www.quarkexpeditions.com) leases Russian Icebreakers for 10 to 25 day voyages to the polar regions. We are in need of ED physicians willing to serve as ship’s doctor. On any ship, there at most 110 passengers and 50 crew members. No dressing up and no night life except the scenery and animals. Contact Dr. Dan Zak at zak38@aol.com. Please let your colleagues know about this as well.

Looking for FT & PT physicians in Central WA. (180 miles from Seattle). Enjoy this desert garden with the finest fruits and vegetables as well as the home to award-winning wineries! Washington State designated Level-4 Trauma Center with a 17K estimated annual patient volume. Efficient support staff with a great pace & good mix of patients. Medium to low acuity. Qualifications: BC/BE EM or IM and FP accepted with significant ED experience. We offer an A-rated malpractice insurance program with no-tail obligation upon departure. This is an Independent Contractor facility with a competitive hourly rate and generous sign-on bonus! For more information, please contact John Torres, (800) 230-5160 ext. 3025, john_torres@emcare.com Visit our website at www.emcare.com

To have your job posting included free in future WA/ACEP NewsWatch transmissions, send your information to WA/ACEP