Olympia, WA – The Washington Medical Commission (WMC) has been recognized as a WellBeing First Champion for the second time. As a 2024 champion, WMC was honored among 29 other U.S. states for having licensing applications that do not include intrusive mental health questions.

As a Wellbeing First Champion, WMC has verified that licensure applications are free from intrusive and stigmatizing language around mental health care and treatment. This means practitioners can seek needed care without fear of losing their license or job.

“If you are struggling with your mental health, even if you feel the issue is insignificant, we urge you to seek help. Practitioners seeking mental health care should not fear career setbacks for seeking help. Ensuring that practitioners, can access necessary mental health, substance use, and physical healthcare not only benefits the practitioner, but it also benefits patients and the community. Patient outcomes should improve when we prioritize practitioner well-being, because to care for others, clinicians must also be cared for,” said Micah Matthews, WMC Deputy Director.

In many cases, invasive licensure questions were originally developed with the intent of protecting the public. While, there is no evidence indicating that these questions offer protection it is well documented that they often hamper practitioners from seeking care.

“Across the country, health workers are at an increased risk for burnout and mental health conditions,” said Corey Feist, co-founder of ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare and CEO of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation. “Many health workers feel they cannot speak up about their mental health without being criticized by colleagues or losing their jobs. Today, physicians and nurses die by suicide at two times the rate of the general population. We as a nation must better protect these lives, and I applaud our Wellbeing First Champions for their leadership to support the well-being of health workers.”

The WMC encourages other medical boards and credentialing committees to follow suit.
If you have any questions or concerns about these changes, please reach out to our licensing unit at Medical.Licensing@wmc.wa.gov or at 360-236-2750 (option #1).

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The WMC promotes patient safety and enhances the integrity of the medical profession through licensing, rule-making, discipline, and education. Learn more about the commission at wmc.wa.gov. Follow the WMC on Facebook and LinkedIn.