UW Medicine Lopez Clinic Update about Physician Hiring

During a special meeting of the Lopez Island Hospital District on May 15, commissioners and the public received a promising update on the status of hiring a new physician at the UW Medicine Lopez Clinic. UW staff—Mark Bresnick, Assistant Administrator of Operations and Lindsey Pervinich, Administrator, Finance and Strategic Planning—attended the meeting and reported that UW made an offer on May 13 of full-time employment to a candidate who applied for the physician opening, created by the retirement of Dr. Kim Dougan. Dr. Dougan will leave the Clinic May 30. 

This offer is very good news, following the announcement at the April LIHD regular Board Meeting that UW Medicine had placed a pause on all hirings due to news of significant funding cuts at the federal and state level. Pranika Laing, Associate Administrator, UW Primary Care, as well as Bresnick and Pervinich, met with LIHD Board President Iris Graville, LIHD commissioner and chair of the Finance Committee Albert Berger, and LIHD Superintendent Edee Scriven the morning of May 15 to report the employment offer had been made on May 13. Laing explained that UW will be back in touch with the candidate next week if they haven’t received a response before then. They are keeping the physician’s name confidential out of respect for his current employer, but Clinic staff and several other community members have met him and are enthusiastic about having him join the Clinic.  

Pervinich reported at the Board Meeting that once the candidate accepts the offer, the UW will immediately begin the credentialing process. That review of education, licensing, and legal issues  typically requires four to six months. Clinic staff are already working, along with Matt Jaffy, MD, UW Associate Medical Director and Pervinich, on staffing coverage until a new physician is on board. They will keep the LIHD updated about those plans, with particular attention to supporting Sam Rich, PA-C, who will remain in his full-time Physician Assistant role, along with Family Nurse Practitioner Preicy Frianeza-Garin, who provides telemedicine care. 

The next regular meeting of the Lopez Island Hospital District is Wednesday, May 28, 4-6 pm, at the Lopez Island Family Resource Center, as well as via Zoom. The public is encouraged to attend.