To the UW Medicine Community:
The news of a draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade has created local, state, and national conversations around access to reproductive services. It has also created a great deal of discussion and concern among our staff, faculty, resident and fellow trainees, and students.
As an organization committed to healthcare equity, we recognize that the reversal of Roe v. Wade would have far-reaching implications for social and healthcare justice. Limiting abortion access will affect the health, financial stability, and opportunity for many people across the country and will have an especially disproportionate impact on people of color and those who are unable to travel out of state for their medical care.
UW Medicine’s mission is to improve the health of the public. As a part of this mission, we have always supported — and continue to support — the principle that everyone should have full access to the healthcare services they need, including reproductive medicine. We also believe that all medical decisions, including the decision to have an abortion, should be a decision made between a pregnant individual and their clinician. And as a learning organization committed to training the next generation of clinicians, we believe that our resident and fellow trainees should have experience in all aspects of reproductive health, including family planning, contraception, and abortion.
The draft opinion is not a final decision by the Supreme Court. When a final decision is issued, we will review it for any impacts it may have to UW Medicine patients and clinicians. As new information becomes available, we will provide additional updates.
Thank you for all you do to support the mission of UW Medicine.
Sincerely,
Paul G. Ramsey, M.D.
CEO, UW Medicine Executive
Vice President for Medical Affairs and
Dean of the School of Medicine,University of Washington
Lisa Brandenburg
President, UW Medicine Hospitals & Clinics
Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Timothy H. Dellit, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer, UW Medicine
Executive Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs, School of Medicine
Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
President, UW Physicians
Jacqueline Cabe
Chief Financial Officer, UW Medicine
Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Ruth Mahan, J.D.
Chief Business Officer, UW Medicine
Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Don Theophilus, J.D.
Chief Advancement Officer, UW Medicine
Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Paula L. Houston, Ed.D.
Chief Equity Officer Office of Healthcare Equity, UW Medicine
Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
