Over the past week, there have been a number of successful legal challenges to executive orders (EOs) that would have negatively impacted our work at UW Medicine. As of today, there are temporary restraining orders (TROs) on EOs that sought to impact gender-affirming care; research funding; equity, diversity and inclusion programs; and more. There are currently over a dozen legal challenges to EOs on immigration and a growing number addressing the recent dismissal of thousands of federal employees.
We are actively working with the Washington State Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to support UW Medicine’s interests; this includes providing data and testimony to support legal challenges. In addition, our Government Relations team is in frequent contact with our congressional representatives and coordinating with our state and national hospital and medical associations and our partner institutions such as Fred Hutch, Seattle Children’s and Washington State University to make sure federal policy makers understand the unprecedented impact that budget cuts in research grants and clinical reimbursement would have on our mission of improving the health of the public, for all people.
Here are key updates for this week:
- School of Medicine Hiring Freeze: The temporary hiring freeze for non-clinical SoM academic personnel, faculty and staff is being implemented due to potential strain on resources caused by the current federal funding environment. More information is available on the SoM Hiring Freeze FAQ.
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI): On Feb. 21, 2025, a federal judge temporarily blocked key portions of recent EOs that directed federal agencies to terminate all equity-related grants and contracts, and that required contractors/grantees to certify that they do not engage in EDI practices. As previously shared, we are not changing our approach to EDI at this time. Please use the checklist for programs and activities to ensure compliance with current law.
- Research: We are aware that many of you are anxious about the potential loss in funding by federal agencies and whether you should take steps to eliminate EDI references in your work. UW Medicine EDI practices have been designed to comply with state and federal laws. At this time, the University is not recommending or requiring across the board changes to research practices based on the recent federal action. However, if funding agency officials recommend a specific change to a specific project, you may follow that recommendation. If you have questions about potential changes to research, please discuss with your chair or contact SoM Research and Graduate Education: rgeadmin@uw.edu. With regard to submission procedures, there has been a change to the federal administration research policy guidance for submitting a SAGE modification when an award receives a stop work order, resumption work order, or EO related scope change. Read more at Guidance on Federal Administration Research Policy.
- Medicaid: Congress must act on a new budget by March 14 to prevent a federal government shutdown. As Congress considers how to fund tax cuts, many important federal programs are at risk of being defunded or materially reduced. On Feb. 25, the House passed a budget resolution that includes “healthcare savings,” which we believe could include cuts to Medicaid. UW Medicine leaders are partnering with UW leadership, national organizations, fellow healthcare systems, and other partners to advocate for the protection of Medicaid funding. We should know more as the March 14 deadline approaches.
- Action You Can Take: Many of you have expressed the desire to take action in order to influence federal policy proposals. Your voices are important; and we must also be mindful of our status as public employees. UW cannot encourage you to try to influence legislation, however, here are some steps you could take in your individual capacity if you choose: Leverage your role in professional organizations to collectively build visibility and influence change. You may also want to talk to family and friends about what the loss of funding means to science, research, patients and society. Finally, continue to do your important work. The contributions you make every day are vital and make a tremendous difference in so many ways.
- Government Relations: We are most effective when we advocate in a coordinated manner consistent with advocacy rules and laws. For questions from or contact with advocacy organizations, elected officials or other government policy makers, please contact the Government Relations team at medicinegovrelations@uw.edu before you respond.
- Media Outreach: As a reminder, please direct all media inquiries to our UW Medicine Media Relations team at mediarelations@uw.edu. Please also work with our Media Relations team if you are considering participating in media outreach, such as an op-ed in your official capacity.
Please join us for a Town Hall on Thursday, March 6 at 4 p.m. This Town Hall will focus on answering your questions regarding federal policy changes, their impact, our organization’s response and what to expect moving forward. Please use the Federal Policy Updates Feedback Form to share your questions so we can address the community’s most pressing concerns.
Remember to check the UW Medicine Federal Policy Updates site for updates in real time. Thank you for all that you do to support our mission and thank you for continuing to support one another.
Sincerely,
Timothy H. Dellit, MD (He, Him, His)
CEO, UW Medicine
Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and
Paul G. Ramsey Endowed Dean of the School of Medicine,
University of Washington
