Medicine 2025 | Faculty

Planning Committee Members’ Disclosure Statement

Drs. Saima Ahmad and Dawn Dewitt, and Shelly Bonforti all report no potential conflicts of interest or affiliations with any corporate organizations.

Dr. Rachel Safran reports she was a HIV treatment speaker and research investigator for Gilead, receiving speaker/training fees and research funding paid to the institution; a research investigator for Roche, receiving research funding paid to the institution; a research investigator for Bayer, receiving research funding paid to the institution; a consultant for IMO Health, receiving a consultant fee; and a research investigator for Merck, receiving research funding paid to the institution. The Planning Committee has determined that Dr. Safran was not involved in the activity planning which involved goods and services from companies she identified as having a financial relationship, or influenced the specific content of presentations.

Laura Fralich, MD, FAAFP, CAQSM

Owner
Northwest Sports and Exercise Medicine

Laura Fralich, MD, FAAFP, CAQSM is a dual board-certified Primary Care Sports Medicine physician and the owner of Northwest Sports and Exercise Medicine in Spokane. She completed her Family Medicine residency in Spokane and Sports Medicine fellowship at the University of Massachusetts. Dr. Fralich’s medical expertise includes ultrasound-guided procedures and diagnostics, treatment of acute and chronic musculoskeletal injuries, and sports performance for athletes of all ages and abilities. For over a decade, Dr. Fralich has served as a team physician at the high school, collegiate, or professional level and has led medical teams for several local and national events including Bloomsday, the USA Special Olympic Games, and Boston Marathon. She is a former SCMS board member, participated on the ACGME’s Sports Medicine Fellowship Milestones 2.0 workgroup, and currently serves on the WIAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee. In addition to being a frequent guest speaker at medical conferences and authoring chapters in the 5-Minute Clinical Consult, Dr. Fralich’s involvement in medical education includes serving as an Assistant Professor at WSU’s College of Medicine and as a Clinical Instructor at UW’s School of Medicine. Dr. Fralich is the owner of Northwest Sports and Exercise Medicine, is the founder and co-director of the Sports Performance and Leadership Summit for high school student-athletes, founded the SCMS Women in Medicine conference in 2023, and hosts the podcast “What’s Right With Healthcare,” highlighting the people, programs, and technologies improving our quality of life and the manner in which healthcare is delivered and received.

Disclosure Statement: Dr. Fralich reports no potential conflicts of interest or affiliation with any corporate organizations.

Kelley Mathia, MD

Mathia Menopause Medicine

Kelley Mathia, MD has been in private practice at Spokane OB/Gyn for 23 years. She started as a high risk OB Hospitalist for Providence Medical Group in 2020 and opened a virtual menopause practice in 2025. She has three children in their 20s and has been married for 35 years. She enjoys hiking, boating, exercising and training her two Australian Shepherds as well as traveling as much as possible.

Disclosure Statement: Dr. Mathia reports no potential conflicts of interest or affiliation with any corporate organizations

Grace Lee, MD

Section Head of Endocrinology and Metabolism
Virginia Mason Medical Center

Grace Lee, MD is a board-certified endocrinologist who specializes in diabetes and thyroid diseases including thyroid nodules, hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer. She also focuses on osteoporosis, hyperparathyroidism, pituitary disorders and transgender care. Dr. Lee is passionate about positively impacting the lives of her patients by guiding them through their disease state. She enjoys the field of endocrinology because so many endocrine conditions are entirely treatable. Away from work, Dr. Lee enjoys gardening and biking.

Disclosure Statement: Dr. Lee reports no potential conflicts of interest or affiliation with any corporate organizations.

Douglas Paauw, MD, MACP

Professor of Medicine
Rathmann Family Foundation Endowed Chair for Patient-Centered Clinical Education
Department of Medicine, UWSOM

Douglas Paauw, MD, MACP graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School and completed a Primary Care Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Washington and one year as Chief Resident at Harborview Medical Center. He has been on the faculty at the University of Washington Medical School since 1989. He is currently a Professor of Medicine and Rathmann Family Foundation Endowed Chair for Patient-centered Clinical Education.

Dr. Paauw is a primary care internist who served as Medicine clerkship director for the medicine clerkship for the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington from 1991-2022. He cares for patients in general internal medicine clinic, as well as HIV clinic and in the extrapulmonary sarcoidosis clinic he founded.

Dr. Paauw was elected Teacher Superior in Perpetuity for the University of Washington School of Medicine in 1997. He received the AAMC/AOA Distinguished Teacher award in 2001. He was elected Master of the American College of Physicians in 2008, and has been recognized in Best Doctors in America 2003-2025. He has published over 150 articles and 50 book chapters.

Disclosure Statement: Dr. Paauw reports no potential conflicts of interest or affiliation with any corporate organizations.

Brad Anawalt, MD

Professor of Medicine
University of Washington School of Medicine

Brad Anawalt, MD is the Chief of Medicine at the University of Washington Medical Center and Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington. His principal areas of research are in male infertility, male hormonal contraception and male reproductive physiology. His excellence in teaching has been recognized with several University of Washington Department of Medicine teaching awards: 2014 Marvin Turck Award for excellence in teaching and clinical care, 2007 Endocrinology Fellowship Teaching Award, and 1999 Paul Beeson Award (selected by the internal medicine residents). He has been the North American editor for the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology (2012-2021), Associate Editor for Endocrine Reviews (2014-2017) and has served twice on the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (2006-2010 and 2010-2014). He has won outstanding reviewer awards from the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism and the Annals of Internal Medicine. He serves as a consultant to the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the Pac-12 representative of the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports. He has also served as a scientific expert for the NCAA Inclusion and Diversity Panel. He has held leadership positions in the United States Endocrine Society including Board of Directors member (2014-2017), Chair of the Hormone Health Network (2006-2010 and 2010-2014), and the Clinical Chair of the 2011 Annual Scientific Meeting. His clinical focus is male reproductive endocrinology, and he has received several national and regional awards from his peers for clinical expertise.

Disclosure Statement: Dr. Anawalt reports he is Chair of the Board for Biozen, receiving stock options. The Planning Committee has determined that Dr. Anawalt was not involved in the activity planning which involved goods and services from companies he identified as having a financial relationship, or influenced the specific content of presentations.

Gretchen LaSalle MD, FAAFP

Vaccine Science Fellow

Gretchen LaSalle MD, FAAFP is a board-certified family physician with the MultiCare Rockwood Clinic in Spokane, WA. She serves as a Clinical Associate Professor for the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and is a 2020 AAFP Vaccine Science Fellow. She sits on multiple immunization committees, including the WA State DOH Vaccine Advisory Committee and ACIP’s RSV adult vaccine work group. In addition to clinical practice, she is currently pursuing an MPH through the University of Washington. She is an active writer and public speaker on the topic of vaccines and vaccine hesitancy and, in October 2019, published a book with Wolters Kluwer Press titled Let’s Talk Vaccines: A Clinician’s Guide to Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy and Saving Lives.

Disclosure Statement: Dr. LaSalle reports she is an author for Wolters Kluwer, receiving royalties; vaccine confidence/intention research consultant for MIRI (MultiCare Research) – unrestricted grants to MultiCare from Merck, receiving a consultant fee; expert vaccine content developer for Alaska Department of Health – grant funded by CDC, receiving a content development fee; key-note speaker for Alaska Maternal Child Health & Immunization Conference (March 2024), receiving a speaker fee; key-note speaker for Northern Utah Immunization Conference (April 2024), receiving a speaker fee; and speaker for VaxExpo (May 2024), receiving a speaker fee. The Planning Committee has determined that Dr. LaSalle was not involved in the activity planning which involved goods and services from companies she identified as having a financial relationship, or influenced the specific content of presentations.

Brian Lee, DO

R2, Internal Medicine Residency Spokane

Brian Lee, DO was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, before he moved to Spokane to attend Whitworth University where he majored in Biochemistry. He competed on the varsity football team his whole undergraduate career before completing his medical schooling at Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine. Now he is back in the Pacific Northwest completing his medical training.