Dr. Colleen Cowdery Joins Washington Poison Center as Chief Medical Officer Strengthening Statewide Toxicology Expertise

SEATTLE, Aug. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Washington Poison Center (WAPC) is pleased to announce the hiring of Colleen Cowdery, MD as its Chief Medical Officer. Board certified in emergency medicine and fellowship trained in medical toxicology, Dr. Cowdery will provide medical oversight to WAPC's call center pharmacists, nurses, and physicians, ensuring WAPC continues its provision of high-quality poisoning treatment advice and consultations. Dr. Cowdery will also support clinical education and outreach at the local, state, and national level for healthcare providers, as well as WAPC's toxicology training programs for emergency medicine physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and EMTs.

"We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Cowdery to Washington Poison Center's team," said Dr. Scott Phillips, CEO of WAPC. "Her expertise in emergency medicine and toxicology, combined with her passion for teaching and research, will strengthen our ability to provide exceptional care and education across the state. Dr. Cowdery's leadership will additionally enhance our clinical services and expand our outreach to healthcare providers and the community."

Dr. Cowdery comes to WAPC from the Oregon Poison Center, where she completed a two-year fellowship in medical toxicology. Born and raised in north Florida, Dr. Cowdery attended medical school at the University of Florida College of Medicine and an emergency medicine residency at University of Florida Health Jacksonville. She then moved to the Pacific Northwest to join family living in the Seattle area.

Dr. Cowdery has authored manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals in the fields of emergency medicine and toxicology and continues to lecture on these topics to medical students, residents, fellows, attending physicians, and the general public. Her current areas of active research include hydrofluoric acid, calcium channel antagonist toxicity, and the poisonous Amanita smithiana mushroom which grows in the Pacific Northwest.

Meet Dr. Cowdery on September 11, 2025, at noon PST in a livestream on the WAPC's YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Media contact: [email protected]

About Washington Poison Center: Washington Poison Center (WAPC) is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and reducing harm from poisonings and overdoses. WAPC's expert staff of nurses, pharmacists, and physicians are a reliable and consistent resource for timely, relevant, and life-saving information, 24/7, at no cost to everyone in Washington State.

SOURCE Washington Poison Center