WWAMI: Celebrating the Past and Imagining the Future
CLIME | Recorded May 30, 2024
Timothy Dellit, MD
Dr. Dellit is the CEO of UW Medicine, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, and Paul G. Ramsey Endowed Dean of the UW School of Medicine. He leads an integrated clinical, research, and learning health system focused on improving the health of the public.
Dr. Dellit completed his medical degree at Cornell University, followed by residency and chief residency in internal medicine at New York Hospital–Cornell and Memorial Sloan Kettering. He came to UW for his fellowship in infectious diseases and joined the faculty in 2003. He has held multiple leadership roles across UW Medicine, including Chief Medical Officer and President of UW Physicians.
In his leadership, Dr. Dellit is committed to advancing health equity, scientific discovery, and education while fostering inclusive, high-quality care environments.
Suzanne Allen, MD, MPH
Dr. Allen is the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She supports medical education across the five-state WWAMI region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho), enhancing academic excellence and access to training throughout the region.
She is also a Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and an attending physician with Full Circle Health Residency in Boise, Idaho. Dr. Allen is deeply committed to medical education and expanding access to rural healthcare.
Key Takeaways
-
Understand the Origins of WWAMI: Learn how WWAMI began in the 1970s as a collaborative, cost-effective solution to address rural physician shortages across the Pacific Northwest — originally designed as a temporary model to help other states build their own medical schools.
-
Explore the Power of Partnerships: Discover how WWAMI has always relied on strong collaboration between the University of Washington and regional institutions, health systems, and state governments across five states: Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho.
-
Track the Growth of Regional Medical Education: Hear how WWAMI has evolved from 9 students in Fairbanks to six fully integrated campuses with site-specific contracts and expanding class sizes that meet local workforce needs.
-
Recognize WWAMI’s Broader Impact: The program not only trains medical students, but also supports research partnerships and the expansion of Graduate Medical Education (GME), especially through the Family Medicine Residency Network.
-
Address New Challenges: Learn about the increasing competition for clinical training slots, funding pressures, and the importance of training in reproductive health across states with differing laws — all while maintaining quality and equity in medical education.
-
Envision the Future of Medical Training: The speakers emphasize expanding GME, using digital technology for rural care access, continuing research engagement across WWAMI states, and preserving WWAMI’s deep regional connections and mission-driven training.
WATCH THE RECORDING
Recorded on May 30,2024, Captions Available