Apr. 28, 2026

Member spotlight on Hans P. Cassagnol, MD, MMM.

Works at: CommonSpirit Health, Northwest Region/Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.

In practice: 24 years.

Specialty: OB-GYN.

Why WSMA: The WSMA means having an organization that solely focuses on our interests as physicians and advanced practice professionals. To say that health care is currently undergoing significant disruption is a gross understatement. Having an organization that represents our voices as clinicians in this crucial conversation is paramount. I strongly believe having a clinical voice in shaping the future of health care in Washington is key for us to get the best possible outcomes for our patients and communities as well as for our profession. This is one of the many reasons why WSMA membership is so valuable to me.

Top concerns in medicine: My top concerns in health care are related to burnout and the lack of enough clinical professionals to care for our growing population. Our current clinicians are aging out of the workforce while our population is changing, both in terms of age and disease burden. We are not educating clinicians at a pace that is required to replace our current workforce and meet our growing population needs. Both factors lead to increasing burnout in our profession.

Challenges ahead: A major challenge that many of us are facing right now is the daunting financial equation. We have all seen the fallout from years of escalating costs combined with declining reimbursement. This dynamic has only worsened in recent years due to state and national legislation and budget impacts, and I fear patients will ultimately suffer. After burnout and the lack of enough medical professionals, the financing of health care delivery definitely keeps me up at night.

Why my specialty: There are very few subspecialties in medicine where you can be a primary care doctor, an ICU physician, an ED physician, a radiologist, and a surgeon all in the same day. Being an OB-GYN is special in that way. It requires a unique level of trust between physician and patient that is meaningful to me.

If I weren't a doctor, I'd be: A marine biologist. I love the sea and all it has to offer.

Best advice I've received: When choosing a job or a team, make sure you have these factors:

1. A boss and a team that believe in you and have your back.
2. Adequate time to become competent in your new role (no one walks in being competent).
3. The resources you need to be successful.

Goals for the year:

1. Continue to support my team and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health in improving our outcomes.
2. Continue making the Pacific Northwest our new home.
3. Aiming to make our family nonprofit successful in its first year (Anya's Mission).

Pet peeves: Not taking advantage of an opportunity and wasting resources.

This article was featured in the May/June 2026 issue of WSMA Reports, WSMA's print magazine.