PeaceHealth's Roy Magnusson, MD, testifies to promote vaccines for preventable diseases

Roy Magnusson, MD, system vice president of medical affairs testified, Friday, Feb. 8, in front of Washington lawmakers in support of House Bill 1638.

Representing PeaceHealth’s clinical operations in Clark County, Washington, Magnusson spoke about how PeaceHealth's mission is focused on promoting the personal health of its individual patients and the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

“As the largest medical provider and the largest employer in Clark County, we have now seen first-hand the effects of the current measles outbreak on individual patients, families and caregivers in our community,” Magnusson said. “Our caregivers have been and continue to be on the frontlines of developing and implementing protocols to provide compassionate care for those who haven’t been vaccinated, while trying to protect those patients in our hospital who are immuno-compromised or at risk.”

Low vaccination rates have been blamed for the current measles outbreak in the Pacific Northwest. PeaceHealth is spreading awareness about the importance of vaccines and calling on lawmakers to tighten the law.

Watch video of his testimonial (Magnusson begins at 9:25 – 12:00)