100+ Doctors and Other Medical Providers Issue Statement Opposing IL26-001 and IL26-638

The following physicians, family doctors, pediatricians, nurses, and other medical professionals have issued a strong statement against both IL26-001 and IL26-638. 

The statement says in part: 

The patient-physician relationship is fundamental to the delivering safe, patient-centered medical care. These initiatives interfere with medical providers’ ability to counsel and treat patients alongside their families based on the best available medical evidence and their professional medical judgement. Efforts that mandate elements of patient care and counseling, like  IL26-001 and IL26-638, can impact the trust between a patient and their provider. 

IL26-001 could force schools to notify parents of the school’s efforts to arrange medical care that a young person can legally access without parental consent under Washington state, possibly undermining youth access to critical health services.

Under IL26-638, all girls who want to play on a team at the K-12 level will need a medical certification of her sex defined as a physical “reproductive organ exam,” or costly genetic or hormone testing.

Explaining her opposition to I-001, Dr. Eloi Hoopman, family physician and one of more than 100 doctors and other providers signing the statement, commented:

“While most parents are loving and supportive, the reality is not all kids are safe at home. There were 117,629 reports of child abuse or neglect in Washington in 2024 alone. I-001 would require disclosure of students’ counseling, social work, and other records to abusive parents, including people charged with or under investigation for neglecting or beating their own children. I-001 will worsen the teen mental health crisis and discourage students facing domestic violence, sexual abuse or bullying from seeking help from trusted school counselors, who would be required to release students’ confidential information.”

Regarding I-638, Dr. Maddie Gore, family physician, said:

 “I-638 would force tens of thousands of young girls to undergo unnecessary genital exams just to play sports with their friends. In fact, all major organizations, including the AAFP, the AAP and the USPSTF, do not recommend genital exams for girls as a part of sports physicals. Many encourage a focus specifically on cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and neurologic health. From a medical, safety and developmental perspective, I-638 is unnecessary, not backed by clinical guidelines, and would create unwarranted stress and harm for young girls.” 

Signed:

Glenna Martin, MD, MPH
Sarah Burdell, LMHC, SUDP
Grace Shih, MD
Caitlin Blau, DO
Keira McBeth, RBT
Kelsey Gellner, BSN, RN
Elise Brickhouse, MD
Jessica Guh, MD
Jillian Worth, MD, ABFM
Andrea Carnie, MD
Tara Cardinal, CNM
Lindsey Youngquist, MD
Jessica Burke-Lazarus, DNP, CNM
Nina Tan, MD
Jayne Taylor Gaubatz, MD
Sarah Maitre, MD
Robin Vanlandingham, OTR/L
Carrie Kane, PT
Rie Schur, ND
Christine Wells, MD
Shannon Thompson, RN
Ellen Sawislak, RN
Suzanne Wenner, LAc, LMT
Claire Richards, PhD, RN
Marisa D'Angeli, MD
Josie Tracy, PhD
Cynthia Kertesz, MD
Martha Hyde, MD
Ken Lans, MD
David Brook, MD
Jairam Lingappa, MD, PhD
Adam Lough, MHA
Stephen Bezruchka, MD, MPH
Robert Haynes, MD
Ann Marie Roepke, PhD
Thomas Malpass, MD
Kyle Bickel, MD
Kishanee Haththotuwegama, MS
Pamela LaBorde, MD
Michael Lee, MD
Paul Buehrens, MD
Leah Gardner, LMHC
Rebekah Barton, LICSW
Karl Riecken, DO, MA, FMCP-M
Leslie Anderson, PA-C
G. Ian Spain, PA-C
Carrie Watson, BSN RN
Laura Reed, LMHC
Amanda Nielsen, ARNP
Anju Jain, PA-C
Thomas Staiger, MD
Claire Barnett, MD
Libby Loft, MD
Heather Ostmann, MD
Chris Covert-Bowlds, MD
Bonnie Morris, Retired RN
Benjamin Danielson, MD

Sam Doyle, ARNP
Eric Jacobson, MD
Logan Fritz, RN
Eloi Hoopman, DO
Breck Lebegue, MD
Tory Durham, PhD
Jessica Martens, AEMP
Krissy Yamamoto, MD
Jonathan Witte, MD
Hannah Adams, MD
Emma Reisman, MD
Nathaniel Moss, MD
Tori Nguyen, MD
Kyle E Chang, MD
Sam Blizzard, MD
Haidyn Weight, MD 
Grace Wang, MD 
Nicola Gerbino, MD 
Angela Zhang, MD
Sara Teplow, MD
Madeline Chun, MD
Matthew Thomas, MD
Courtney Ibabao, MD
Rudrajit Sinha, MD
Kristin J Anderson, MD, MPH
Jodie Wohl, MD
Ying Zhang, MD, MPH, FAAFP
Ilana Buffenstein, MD
Zoe Taylor, MD 
Angela Mang, MD/MPH
Madeline Gore, MD, CLC
Patricia J Russell, MD
Ryan Talen, RN
Becky Seymour, LMHC
Elinor Jordan, ND
Mark R Vossler, MD
Brad S Lichtenstein, ND
Elizabeth E Hansen, MD, PhD
Lucia Sommers, DrPH
Linda Gromko, MD
Andrea Larson, MD 
Alex Witt, MD
Carlos Escutia Rosas, MD
Lindsay Pharmer, MD
Marisa Fernandez, LMHC
Amish J Dave, MD, MPH
Anita Peñuelas, MD,MPH
Judy Kimelman, MD
Colin Fields, MD
Ken Lans, MD, MBA
Rhonda Rowan, ARNP, PMHNP
Stephen Bezruchka, MD, MPH
Mary Anne Mercer, MPH, DrPH
Adeline Kell, ND
Dwight A. Thompson, LICSW, CDMS, CCM, BCD
Lauren Mahyar, MD
Raymond S Joseph M.D.