Tatoo You
Election
continued from page 1
Republican vote in that primary was just 41
percent, and the ultimate winner, John
Spellman, had a mere 17 percent out of a
crowded ballot that had 14 candidates. He
went on to defeat Democrat Jim McDermott
by 13 points in the general election.
Since then, the Republican vote in the
gubernatorial primary has ranged from 27
percent to 57 percent, with an
ultimate Democratic win in the
general.
Independent pollster Stuart
Elway said that at the end of the
day, primaries ``don’t tell you
much, if anything, about the
general.’’
``Candidates and campaigns
do matter,’’ he said. ``It’s not
just math.’’
But Elway said that McKen-
na, seen as the GOP’s strongest
candidate at the top of the tick-
et in years, still faces hurdles
because of Washington’s Dem-
ocratic-leaning electorate that
has elected Democratic governors since
1984. A recent Elway poll showed 35 per-
cent of respondents identify as Democrat,
27 percent as Republican and 38 percent as
independent.
``The odds for McKenna, even though
he’s been the front runner for a year and has
been elected as AG twice, have always been
stacked against him, just from history and
party identification,’’ he said.
McKenna campaign spokesman Charles
McCray said he wasn’t surprised by the pri-
mary results, and that the campaign will
continue fighting for the support of inde-
pendent voters who likely didn’t participate
in the primary because they’re still assess-
ing their choices.
``I don’t believe in there being a ceiling
that the Republicans cannot overcome,’’ he
said.
McKenna and Inslee have been cam-
paigning since last summer, around the
same time Gregoire announced she would-
n’t seek a third term. Two recent polls,
including one by Elway, showed Inslee tak-
ing a lead over McKenna for the first time
in the campaign.
Christian Sinderman, a Democratic strate-
gist involved in several campaigns in the
state, including the governor’s race, said
that the ``primary punctured the bubble that
Rob McKenna was some kind of juggernaut
electorally.’’
Inslee spokeswoman Jaime Smith said
that while the numbers have given the cam-
paign a boost of confidence, there’s still
nearly three months left in the campaign.
``We’re not taking anything for granted,’’
she said.
Chris Vance, a former chairman of the
state Republican Party, said that even
though the primary is only a snapshot of
where the electorate is right now, he thinks
the numbers should still be of concern to
Republicans.
``It’s no time for panic,’’ he said, but,
``It’s going to be a very competitive race.’’
Longview. ``You can just hope you make a
positive impression on (recruited doctors)
and they may come back later.’’
Another recruiting challenge for small
communities is that doctors’ spouses some-
times find it difficult to land jobs.
said Dudley, 37. ``And I promised my hus-
band we’d move closer to water. So we
were excited to move here.’’
She added the area’s schools, Lake Saca-
jawea and the friendly atmosphere were big
reasons why she chose Longview over a
office.
Washington medical facilities may also be
contend with what Gonzalez perceives as
the Northwest’s regional disadvantage. She
noted there are far fewer medical schools in
the area —when compared to California and
the East Coast — and that the University of
Washington medical school supplies candi-
dates for residency programs in Washing-
ton, Alaska, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
``Studies show students tend to practice
where they went to school or performed
their residency,’’ she said. ``Washington is
an importer of physicians.’’
Kirkpatrick said community providers
should attempt to rally together to promote
the positives of the area. Even though each
provider is competing with the others for
talent, he said improving the community
would benefit everyone.
Luh said medical schools could allow
more students into their competitive pro-
grams to produce more doctors, and that
increasing loan subsidies for medical stu-
dents could also attract more students to pri-
mary care.
However, he’s not optimistic the situation
will improve.
``I don’t see the shortage (of physicians)
changing, and the population is growing
and we’re going to be covering more Amer-
icans, so there’s going to be more people in
the pool,’’ Luh said.
McKenna, seen as the GOP’s
strongest candidate at the
top of the ticket in years, still
faces hurdles because of
Washington’s Democratic-
leaning electorate that has
elected Democratic
governors since 1984
percent (either singularly or combined on
more crowded ballots), ranging from nearly
40 percent to 48 percent.
—In all-important King County, which
holds about a third of the state’s voters,
Inslee captured 59 percent of the vote, com-
pared to McKenna’s 35 percent. The com-
bined Republican vote for King County was
about 37 percent.
What does all of this mean? It depends on
who you ask and which prior race you want
to reference.
For example, in the 2008 primary, Repub-
lican Dino Rossi had 46.4 percent of the
overall vote, (the combined Republican
candidate vote in that race was 48 percent),
and in King County, Rossi captured nearly
36 percent of the vote. Rossi ultimately lost
to Gov. Chris Gregoire in the general elec-
tion by six points.
But in 1980, the last time the state elected
a Republican as governor, the combined
PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED
gubernatorial candidates are combined: just
over 50 percent Democrat, about 47 percent
Republican. Two independents and another
no party preference candidate collectively
won close to 3 percent.
—In seven other statewide races, includ-
ing U.S. Senate, secretary of state and audi-
tor, the Republican vote never breaks 50
Travis Livingstone, “Cool Aid,” has his back worked on by tattoo artist
Majenta of Diamond Tattoo and Body Piercing in Renton, Wash., at the
11th Annual Tattoo Expo at Seattle Center. The event, which was held Aug.
10-12, featured tattoo artists from around the country, an art show, tattoo
contests and musical entertainment.
Doctors
continued from page 1
said Carol Shea, physician recruiter for
PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center. In
addition, fewer than 15 percent of doctors
want to live in the West, Shea said.
``Then you take that percentage and
divide it across small-town USA. Then how
many of those (doctors) want to live in the
Pacific Northwest? You’re looking at pretty
minuscule numbers when you look at it that
way,’’ Shea said.
While doctor salaries in rural areas are
competitive and perhaps slightly higher
than those in metro areas — they must be to
compete — larger hospitals and clinics can
offer access to more appealing lifestyles.
Quality of schools is important issue, too,
Shea said.
``There are many factors involved in
being competitive (in the recruitment bat-
tle), but the No. 1 thing is location,’’ Shea
said.
Kris Sparks, a state of Washington health
worker who helps recruit doctors to small
communities, said the average doctor leaves
medical school with $164,000 in debt, and
many are burdened with more than
$200,000 in student loans. Larger hospitals
and organizations often offer signing bonus-
es or programs that assist doctors in loan
repayment. Smaller facilities usually don’t
have money for that.
``There’s no way we can offer to pay
someone’s student loans as a signing
bonus,’’ said Dr. Rich Kirkpatrick, internal
physician at Kirkpatrick Family Care in
The average doctor leaves medical school with
$164,000 in debt, and many are burdened with
more than $200,000 in student loans
``Most professionals are married to other
professionals, and small towns have limited
opportunities,’’ said Dr. Albert Luh, primary
care service area director for Kaiser Perma-
nente, which operates a Longview clinic on
Seventh Avenue. ``Often the spouse has a
hard time finding a job, unless they’re both
doctors, which happens quite a bit here.’’
Doctors who do chose to locate in South-
west Washington often seek out smaller
communities. An example is Dr. Megan
Chono Dudley, who started working at
Kaiser’s Longview clinic two weeks ago
after leaving the University of New Mexico
and finishing her residency program. Living
in Longview puts her close to relatives in
Seattle-area, Northern California and
Hawaii, she said.
``I wanted to live in a smaller town and
have access to a city but not be in a city,’’
clinic in Enumclaw.
Luh said Kaiser is increasing its recruit-
ment efforts and offering higher signing
bonuses in preparation for meeting a surge
in patient numbers expected from the new
federal health care legislation.
``(Primary care) is still the frontline of
medicine. It’s still where the rubber meets
the road,’’ he said. ``And if we don’t get
them now, we won’t get them in the future.’’
One troublesome aspect of the doctor
shortage is a lack of general practice and
primary care doctors. Medical schools are
graduating fewer general practice physi-
cians as more med students go into special-
ties, which pay significantly higher wages.
``There’s just going to be an overall short-
age of primary care physicians,’’ said Natal-
ie González, recruitment specialist for the
state Department of Health’s rural health
August 15, 2012
The Seattle Skanner Page 3