Medical Lobby Drops Fight Against Osteopaths
After intense lobbying against the Beach bill, the Pierce County Medical Association abruptly reverses course, paving the way for osteopaths to join the state board of medical examiners.
After maintaining a lobby at Olympia for the purpose of fighting the Beach bill, which allows osteopaths on the state board of medical examiners, the Pierce County Medical Association Saturday rescinded its action and endorsed the bill. The measure has passed the house and will be presented to the senate this week. The bill will probably go through without a fight, now that the doctors have withdrawn from the fray.
“The measure has passed the house, and will be presented to the senate this week. The bill will probably go through without a fight, now that the medicos have withdrawn from the fray.”
This reflects the long historical struggle over professional medical licensing in Washington. Today, the integration of osteopathic and allopathic medicine is standard, but in 1909, it was a bitter, high-stakes battle over who held the authority to define 'legitimate' healthcare.
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