After 2 years as AMA president, Dr Michael Gannon takes on new responsibilities …
THE Australian Medical Association’s immediate past president, Dr Michael Gannon, has been appointed to the Mutual Board of leading professional indemnity insurer, MDA National.
Dr Gannon recently completed a 2-year term as national President of the AMA in May 2018. During his time as president he made direct representations to the Federal Government on the Medical Indemnity Insurance Review which aimed to fundamentally alter the direction of the review.
He has also been successful in “raising the importance of a safe and secure medical indemnity system to the highest level in detailed discussions with Health Minister, the Hon Greg Hunt MP”, according to the MDA National announcement.
“I first joined MDA National as an intern in 1995, so I understand the importance of the trusted role that a medical defence organisation plays in a doctor’s career,” said Dr Gannon, and obstetrician and gynaecologist.
“I have enjoyed my contribution to MDA National’s Cases Committee over the past 5 years and look forward to the new responsibilities of sitting on the Board.”
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The Australian Council on Healthcare Standard’s Quality Improvement Awards 2018 are now open for entries. The awards, now in their 21st year, promote the development of excellence in achieving quality improvement.
Applications for the 2018 QI Awards are now open, and the closing date for entries is Friday 7 September, 2018 at 5pm AEST.
The three main entry categories are: clinical excellence and patient safety; non-clinical service delivery; and, health care measurement.
Applications are open to local, national or international ACHS member health care facilities and for ACHS Clinical Indicator Program members.
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Professor Ian Jacobs, Vice-Chancellor of the University of NSW Sydney, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Ovarian Cancer Australia.
“Ian’s extensive experience as a leading international ovarian cancer researcher, academic and university administrator will be an absolute asset to the Board as we drive the delivery of our ambitious goal to reduce the incidence of ovarian cancer by 25% and improve the survival rate by 25% by 2025,” said Paula Benson, Chair of the Board of Directors.
On his appointment, Professor Jacobs said: “My lifelong passion is to make a difference for women who develop ovarian cancer, through research, clinical care, advocacy and fundraising. I am delighted to have a chance to continue this work through Ovarian Cancer Australia. I hope to contribute experience from my time as a gynaecological oncology specialist, my ongoing research, my work in fundraising and my role in leading large organisations.”
Professor Ian Jacobs has been President and Vice-Chancellor of UNSW Sydney since February 2015. Prior to this he was based in the UK as Dean of Medicine at University College London from 2009-11 and Vice President of the University of Manchester from 2011-15.
He qualified in medicine at Cambridge University and the University of London before specialising in surgical treatment of women’s cancers at St Bartholomew’s Hospital and University College Hospital in London.
For the last 30 years Professor Jacobs has led a research team working on early detection and risk prediction of cancer with a particular focus on screening for ovarian cancer. In 2005 he established the Uganda Women’s Health Initiative, which conducts a series of projects in Uganda including a cervical cancer screening program. He has been President of the British Gynaecological Cancer Society and the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology. He is Emeritus Trustee of the Eve Appeal charity, which he founded in 1985.
Since joining UNSW Sydney he has held a number of additional roles in Australia including: Honorary Senior Principal Research Fellow of the Garvan Institute; Board member of Research Australia; Chair of the Australian Conservation Foundation’s Leadership Forum for Energy Transition; Board member of the Business/Higher Education Round Table; Board member of The Conversation; Chair of the Sydney Partnership for Health Education, Research and Enterprise; and most recently, Chair of the Group of Eight universities.
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Two medical professionals have been named in the ABC’s Top 5 scientists.
Dr Caitlin Curtis, from the University of Queensland’s Centre for Policy Futures, is a genetic scientist looking at how genomics and technology are impacting society.
“My work focuses on the impacts that genomics is having on people’s lives as they start to take genetic tests … in the medical context and in direct consumer genetic testing. I’m involved in a few different projects at the moment, and one of them is looking at Google Trends data to learn about people’s perceptions of genetic testing and awareness of genetic testing. I’m also working on some cryptography solutions for storing genetic data, with people in IT. And I’m part of the Queensland Genomics Health Alliance — we’re looking at the ethical, social and legal issues around the uptake of genomic testing into Queensland Health. I’m very interested in the privacy issue and what happens to our data once we take one of these tests.”
Dr Catherine Granger, from the Royal Melbourne Hospital and a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne.
“My research focuses on the role of physical activity and exercise for people diagnosed with cancer. I am looking at the ways in which being physically active can improve many important outcomes for people with cancer, such as quality of life and daily functioning, as well as how we can change the models of care within the health system to ensure people with cancer receive physical activity advice or treatment.”
- Cate Swannell