President's Letter

Esteemed Colleagues:
With my current term as Washington ACEP President coming to a close, I wanted to use this last Newswatch to promote 3 areas that I believe are crucial to us as an organization and for Emergency Medicine in general. 

1) Emergency Medicine Without Borders: If you haven't heard about this conference, you are avoiding all emails and mail promotions!  We have an outstanding conference featuring national speakers coming to the Seattle Waterfront on May 27 - 29th.  Highlights of the conference include a risk management symposium, procedural sedation and regional anesthesia, a pediatric symposium: updates and controversy and neurosurgical emergencies.  Our outstanding faculty consists of Greg Henry, MD; Rob Vissers, MD; and former National ACEP President Frederick Blum, MD.  I guarantee that this conference will be worth your time.   

With over 100 of your colleagues already signed up, it is an incredible opportunity to come together as a specialty society to interact and hear some outstanding speakers.
 
Click here for a conference brochure
Click here to register online

 2) 100% club:  We currently have over 550 members in Washington ACEP.  It is our goal to increase membership to give all of our docs a voice and to promote a specialty we feel very passionate about.  We have cut costs for new members.  We have promoted discounts for group membership on the national level.  The 100% club is for groups (as small as 2-3 eligible docs) who all join ACEP and have one group bill.  Bonuses to docs include lower rates, simplified billing and recognition within ACEP.  Benefits to ACEP include increasing membership, which for me is the key to our success.  Please encourage your partners to be involved, particularly those who support our mission but haven't been willing to join.   We all need to be part of this. The Washington Chapter would like to recognize all the groups who are currently members of the 100% club.

3) NEMPAC: NEMPAC is the political action committee of National ACEP.  NEMPAC is the 4th largest medical political action committee in DC.  Last year, it raised over one million dollars and donated to both political parties.  Their objective is to promote legislative change that benefits emergency patients and emergency physicians.   Given the current crisis in healthcare and the declared changes coming from Washington, who will advocate for you and your specialty?  Who is going to be in Washington to help politicians understand unfunded mandates, overcrowding, and boarding?  Emergency physicians are in a very unique place in the health care argument.  We are one of the most trusted voices in all of medicine with our unique jobs.  We care for everyone, regardless of the time of day, and without regard to payment status.  We are viewed by politicians as "the good guys" advocating for patients and for those without a voice.  We complain that we aren't heard as ER docs or that we can't influence the process and become resentful, when conditions don't improve. 

NEMPAC is the way we can all help change the current model and influence the people making the decisions.   ACEP has a goal to be the largest medical PAC, even larger than the AMA PAC.  To do this, we need every Emergency physician to give $21/month or $250/year to NEMPAC.  Our current Washington ACEP board supports NEMPAC with 100% participation and I am asking your groups and you, as an individual, to step up and give $20/month.  You won't miss it and then the next time you want to complain about politics or overcrowding or unfunded mandates, you will be part of the solution.  Stop screaming at the darkness.  We have to lead in this discussion because no-one else in the house of medicine understands the issues facing patients and society better than we.

So I will officially step off my soap-box, but hopefully you will get involved.  We need you at the conference.  We need you in ACEP and we need your funding for NEMPAC.  Collectively as a voice, we are a very powerful group.  If anyone can resuscitate a critically ill health care system, it isn't the politicians, or attorneys or for that matter the orthopods.  It must be the docs who actually understand it and see beyond their isolated special interests.
See you in May!

Eric Shipley MD, FACEP
WACEP President

Health Update: Human Swine Influenza A (H1N1) Infections – 28 April 2009
Action requested:

National and international information

Diagnosis and testing

Criteria for testing - Clinicians should consider the possibility of swine influenza virus infections in patients presenting with acute febrile respiratory illness. King County residents may be tested for swine influenza infection at the Washington Department of Health Public Health Laboratory after consultation with Public Health – Seattle & King County at 206 296-477. Testing is currently recommended for patients suspected of having swine flu infection defined by the following criteria:

In addition, Public Health is requesting that health care providers and clinical laboratories submit specimens to WA State Public Health Laboratory from patients meeting the following criteria for surveillance purposes even when not suspected to have swine influenza:

Back to Top

State Budget Consigns 40,000 BHP Enrollees to Hospital EDs and Preserves State Employees’ Lower Insurance Costs
Washington State legislators voted on the 2009-2011 budget this past weekend and, in doing so, dropped 40,000 people off the BHP.  Those people will end up in hospital EDs should the need arise, while state employees continue to get a significant cost break on their insurance compared to the private sector.  That may be too harsh a comment on the budget, but perhaps not.  As noted recently in an editorial in the News Tribune:

“As it is, lawmakers went to some length to preserve the state’s educational system.  Public education will get 2.6 percent less money statewide, but local school districts will be able to ask their voters for higher levies.  Yes, that hurts, and thousands of teachers and other school employees stand to lose their jobs.  But kids will still have decent schools to go to, and the Legislature even preserved funding for lower class sizes in the early grades.

“That’s more than many would-be college students will get.  Cuts to higher education will eliminate seats for about 9,000 applicants who would otherwise have been able to pursue degrees.  That hurts.  Still, the Legislature did give public colleges the latitude to raise tuition enough to avoid devastation.  It actually increased financial aid to students of limited means.  Higher education probably couldn’t have come out much better in a year like this…

“…There are many truly painful cuts in this budget, but most can be defended as necessary evils.  That’s not true of the decision to eliminate medical insurance for 40,000 of the working poor who would otherwise qualify for the state’s subsidized Basic Health Plan.

“Lawmakers could have saved that health coverage, or most of it, by requiring state employees to pay a larger share of their own health insurance; right now, those employees pay far less than their counterparts in private industry.

“At one point, Republicans proposed a 2 percent cut to the state’s subsidy of its employees’ health plans. Sen. Cheryl Pflug proposed using the resulting savings to save 24,000 slots in the Basic Health Plan. Democrats rejected the proposal.

“The result: Poor Washingtonians with no medical insurance were sacrificed to maintain generous coverage for people in state jobs.  The Democrats made reasonable tradeoffs elsewhere in the budget, but that one’s awfully hard to defend.”

Back to Top

No Sales Tax Boost After All
The eight Democrats who voted the .3 cent temporary sales tax increase out of the House Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee a few days ago did so in spite of the certainty that they’ll see direct mail “hit pieces” on their vote next election.  But, in the end, Speaker Chopp didn’t have sufficient votes to move the bill out of the House.  Thus, it died. 

Back to Top

Health Care Assistants Bill Signed by Governor
Governor Gregoire signed HB 1414, the Health Care Assistants (HCA Bill), into law. The new law goes into effect on July 26. The bill, drafted by the WSMA and pushed hard by their Olympia team and a coalition of medical practice-based nurses and medical assistants, will help your practice by increasing the HCA scope of practice. More properly stated, perhaps, is that it removes an illogical prohibition against HCAs administering some medications orally that they were allowed to administer by injection. Until now, they have been allowed to only give injections and orally and nasally administered immunizations. 

Back to Top

Governor Signs Bill Strengthen WPHP
The governor signed HB 1765 into law (the bill goes into effect in 90 days). It supports the Washington Physicians Health Program (WPHP) by adding a modest $15.00 per year surcharge to physicians’ licensure fees. Since being formed by the WSMA over 20 years ago, the program has returned hundreds of physicians to safe medical practice. The WPHP helps identify and refer physicians for evaluation or treatment, monitor their recovery, and endorse the safety of physicians who have a condition, mental or physical, which could affect their ability to practice with reasonable skill and safety. Examples of these conditions include substance abuse or dependence, depressive disorder, and bipolar mood disorder. Go to http://www.wphp.org/ to learn more about this laudable example of your profession “walking the talk” on patient safety.

Back to Top

EMTALA Liability Bill Introduced in House
On April 21st, Reps. Bart Gordon (D-TN) and Charlie Dent (R-PA) introduced the "Health Care Safety Net Enhancement Act of 2009" (HR 1998).  The legislation would extend medical liability protections given to Public Health Service officers/employees to emergency and on-call physicians who provide EMTALA-related care to individuals.  Any medical liability claims arising from emergency or post-stabilization services provided pursuant to EMTALA would be filed in federal court and defended by the United States.  HR 1998 would provide the same protections for emergency and on-call physicians that are currently allowed for federal health center employees.

Back to Top

FTC’s Red Flag Rule Applicable to Physicians – COMPLIANCE DATE (MAY 1, 2009)
In November 2007, the FTC issued a set of final regulations, known as the “Red Flags Rule,” requiring that certain entities develop and implement written identity theft prevention and detection programs to protect consumers from identity theft.  FTC staff then interpreted the rule to apply to physician practices and treat physicians as “creditors,” citing an increase in medical identity theft.  ACEP, working with the AMA and many other medical societies, met with FTC staff to share our objections and followed-up with a letter to the FTC Commissioner in February, formalizing our continuing concerns.  While we were successful in the FTC delaying the effective date of the rule for six months, the Commission stands by its interpretation which is effective May 1, 2009.  While we continue our efforts to persuade the FTC that physicians are not “creditors,” we want to share the guidance document prepared by the AMA, along with sample policies that your group can use to create a simple identity theft prevention and detection program into your existing compliance and HIPAA security and privacy policies. 

Red Flags Rule Guidance Document (PDF)

AMA Identity Theft Prevention and Detection and Red Flags Rule Compliance (PDF)

CMS to Host ICD-10 Call on May 19th
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that it will host a national conference call regarding ICD-10-CM/PCS from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. (EDT) on May 19, 2009. According to CMS, the conference call will include a discussion of the following topics:

• An overview of the ICD-10 final rule, which requires the implementation of ICD-10-CM/PCS on October 1, 2013;
• The differences between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM/PCS codes;
• The use of the General Equivalence Mappings that have been created to assist in converting policies, edits and trend data from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM/PCS; and
• The resources that are available to assist in planning for the transition from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM/PCS.

CMS reports that discussion materials and registration information can be accessed here.

Back to Top

ACEP’s New Balance Billing and Fair Payment Policies and Resources
Last week, the ACEP Board of Directors approved a new policy statement on fair payment and revised the College’s policy statement on balance billing.  Earlier this year, the California Supreme Court prohibited balance billing by out-of-network emergency care providers in the state.  Additionally, there have been a number of state legislative efforts to enact a ban on balance billing in several states.  ACEP president Dr. Nick Jouriles appointed a subcommittee of members to review ACEP’s existing policy on balance billing and consider new strategies to help chapters effectively address the issue in their states.  The subcommittee presented its recommendations to the Board last week, where the new policy positions were approved.

The new policy statements, the principles document and the model legislation are available in the state advocacy section of the ACEP web site, along with previously developed talking points and resources to help chapters combat efforts to ban balance billing.  Click here to view this material. 

Back to Top

ACEP 2009 “Lobby Day” Brings Record Number of Emergency Physicians to Capitol Hill
On April 21st, a record number of ACEP members visited with federal legislators and staff on Capitol Hill in conjunction with the ACEP 2009 Leadership and Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C.  Overall, 405 ACEP members from 46 states and the District of Columbia participated in 301 meetings in Capitol Hill offices with legislators and/or their health care staff.  Eighty-eight percent of the Senate offices were visited while nearly half of the House of Representatives’ offices were visited. 

The physicians told their first-hand accounts of the crisis in our nation’s emergency medical system and had the critical and timely opportunity to advance emergency medicine’s legislative priorities in the health reform debate taking place in Congress.   The physicians asked legislators to support and co-sponsor the “Access to Emergency Medical Services Act of 2009 (S.468/H.R. 1188),” urged Congress to schedule hearings on emergency care, and to address the problems in accessing emergency care in the context of overall health care reform.

In just the three days since the visits on Tuesday, April 21, ACEP gained four new co-sponsors in the Senate for the “Access to Emergency Medical Services Act” (S. 468/H.R. 1188) and 22 in the House of Representatives. 

The new Senate co-sponsors are: Sens. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA); Susan Collins (R-ME); Patty Murray (D-WA); and David Vitter (R-LA). 

The new House co-sponsors are: Reps. Rodney Alexander (R-LA); Tammy Baldwin (D-WI);  John Boozman (R-AR); Robert Brady (D-PA); Shelley Moore-Capito (R-WV); Keith Ellison (D-MN); Anna Eshoo (D-CA); Chaka Fattah (D-PA); Bob Filner (D-CA); John Fleming (R-LA); Raul Grajalva (D-AZ); Walter Jones (R-NC); Steve LaTourette (R-OH); Mike McIntyre (D-NC); Carolyn Maloney (D-NY); Thad McCotter (R-MI); Jim Moran (D-VA); Ed Perlmutter (D-CO); Pedro Pierluisi (D-PR); Bobby Rush (D-IL); Joe Sestak (D-PA); and Harry Teague (D-NM). 

Back to Top

Adeyinka Adedipe, MD – Seattle
Raul Vargas Borromeo, MD – Shoreline
Brenda M. Bruns, MD – Seattle
Jeffrey Cooper, MD, FACEP – Tacoma
Neil Donner, MD - Bellevue
Melisa H. Gagrica, MD - Seattle
Steven Hardy, MD 
Patrick C. Holland, MD, FACEP – University Place
Cameron Mitchell, MD - Vancouver
Nicholas M. Perera, MD
Katherine A. Pryde, MD - Seattle
Nathaniel R. Schlicher, MD, JD
Jon Solbery, MD – Dupont

Back to Top

JOB POSTINGS

EDMONDS, WA:  CEP America is seeking BC/BP emergency physicians for its newest contract at Stevens Hospital in Edmonds.  Located 15 minutes from Seattle, Edmonds is one of Washington’s most picturesque waterfront communities offering an appealing, small-town quality of life.  Enjoy the mountains, sea and Seattle life that this opportunity has to offer.  Stevens is a 217 bed hospital that has an ED volume of 42,000 patient visits a year.  CEP America is a true democratic partnership where each physician is a partner from the day he or she works their first clinical shift.  All Partners collectively own their contracts in CEP America, and every Partner has an opportunity to gain equal ownership with other long-term Partners.  We offer excellent compensation with annual profit sharing as well as health, disability and retirement programs.  For immediate consideration please contact Kelly Moore at 800-842-2619 or e-mail moorek@medamerica.com.

Isn’t it Time for Something Better? Group Health Permanente, the Northwest’s premier multi specialty group, is currently seeking a BC/BE Emergency or Family Medicine Physician to join our Urgent Care Center located at our Capitol Hill campus in Seattle, WA. Group Health is dedicated to providing comprehensive, innovative and patient-centered care to communities throughout Washington.

• Candidates should have a full range of urgent care skills & an interest in working with an innovative group
• Affordable housing, highly rated schools & pleasant neighborhoods, an unparalleled place to raise a family
• A flexible schedule, generous benefits and competitive salaries make this an opportunity worth exploring

For Additional information or to submit your CV please contact Josie Lavin at 206-448-6132 or lavin.j@ghc.org

Isn’t it Time for Something Better? Group Health Permanente, the Northwest’s premier multi specialty group, is currently seeking a Certified Physician Assistant to join our experienced Urgent Care team in Olympia, WA. Group Health is dedicated to providing comprehensive, innovative and patient-centered care to communities throughout Washington.

• The ideal candidate will have experience in the Urgent Care setting, a full range of skills and an interest in working with an innovative group practice
• We offer competitive salaries and generous benefits
• Flexible shifts and the opportunity to work with a great team, makes this an opportunity worth exploring

Olympia offers an unparallel mix of small town feel and urban entertainment. Within the city one can visit the brilliant fine arts center, dine at a number of fabulous restaurants or enjoy plenty of shopping. Here you will find a low cost of living, excellent schools, breathtaking mountain and water views and beautiful beaches. Olympia was rated #16 on Sperling’s 2007 Best United States Cities and featured as one of the ’50 Fabulous Places to Raise Your Family.’ For Additional information or to submit your CV please contact Josie Lavin at 206-448-6132 or lavin.j@ghc.org

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!

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.

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