AMA TAS President - Michael Aizen
Floods, cyclones and earthquakes all around us making us all grateful for the stable beautiful island we live on, Tasmania. It’s been an amazing year and the same can be said in politics as well:
Medicare Locals
The AMA has said to the federal government that is does not agree with its new primary health care organisations system known as Medicare Locals.
The Prime Minister Julia Gillard has released the guidelines for the establishment of some 57 Medicare Locals across the country. GP Tasmania is making a submission under these guidelines currently.
Medicare Locals are meant to coordinate all community care provided outside of hospitals by GPs and other health workers including dieticians and podiatrists. But the PM has also said she wants Medicare Locals to become fund-holding organisations so they've got the ability to fill service gaps in the local community. The AMA has strongly expressed our concerns that this will add an extra layer of bureaucracy with little on the ground benefit for patients.
The first 15 Medicare Locals are scheduled to be operating by July this year. They'll be based on existing Divisions of General Practice. A further 15 are expected to be established by January with the rest to come on line by mid-2012.
Local Hospital Networks
The AMA is part of a consultancy committee for the development of legislation to form the Local Hospital Networks. The new system will see local management teams responding to the local community and their needs all around the state. There will be three LHNs in Tasmania reflecting the natural communities that exist in this state.
The State initiative that saw the implementation of Area Health Services a few years ago brings together the acute hospital(s) in a region with the rural hospitals and primary health care. We do not want these achievements reversed. We will expect a close working relationship between LHNs and Medicare Locals where possible.
Call for New Branch Councillors at AGM
I would like to congratulate the members of Branch Council this year; many of them have been within the leadership group for a while now. It is my intention to step down as President at the AGM on the 7th of May. I would like to see an influx of new councillors for this coming year.
It is time the AMA started to engage with the next generation and to do this we have to recruit Generation X into the senior our ranks. I call on younger doctors to make themselves available for positions in Branch Council for the next year. Subject to the change of the constitution members of Branch Council will have a pure policy role while the new Board is responsible for the governance of AMA Tasmania. Please call me or our CEO at the AMA office.
Dr. Michael Aizen
AMA TAS CEO - Tony Steven
Activity levels at the AMA are boiling over this month, there are so many issues for me to discuss I best get started.
AGM: the AGM this year is booked in at the Cascade Visitors Centre on Saturday the 7th May. The Federal President and the Secretary General will be there along with the Acting head of DHHS, whoever that maybe, plus we have Ms Megan Morris the Deputy Secretary at Department of Health and Aging she is responsible for Medicare Locals. The forums we have organised will be highly relevant and very interesting considering the heat in the debate on Medicare Locals and Locals Hospital Networks.
Elections: Nomination forms for all positions have been circulated, if you haven’t seen one yet contact the AMA TAS office. I encourage all members to seriously consider being on Branch Council and also taking a position at Division level, we have a number of Councillors registering their intention to retire this year so now is a good time to get involved.
New Constitution: This year at the AGM, or rather just before at a SGM, we will be voting on a new constitution which will create a new Board of 5 members leaving Branch Council to concentrate on Policy, this relieves the legal burden on Councillors.
Medicare Locals: Federal Council have taken a strong stance on the Government version of primary health care organisations and their proposed fund holding roles. Have a look at the AMA Tas website for more information. www.amatas.com.au
Tasmanian Health Conference: This week we are announcing the launch of a new Conference hosted by the AMA and to be held in Hobart at Wrest Point. This conference is aimed at all health sector professionals and will be on the 13th August 2011. It provides a real opportunity for input and information and informed debate on all the developments that are happening within the health sector at the moment. Watch out for more details soon.
Local Hospital Networks: The AMA is involved in committees, forums and development of the new State legislation for the formation of Local Hospital Networks, if you would like to have your say on this issue please call or e-mail me.
National Coordination of Corporate Benefits: All CEO’s from around the country are meeting regularly at the moment in order to coordinate and increase the value of deals for member’s right across the nation. So stay tuned for top deals from many different companies being made available.
Parliamentary Dinner 2011: Just a diary date to be set aside for the moment, but please block out the evening of Tuesday the 20th of September in your diary for the annual Parliamentary Dinner at Parliament House.
Representations: The AMA holds positions on a great many committees, groups and forums. I keep most of this information on the website so I invite you to have a look at www.amatas.com.au/representations and if you have an interest in any of these areas contact me and we can get you involved.
Signing off for now,
TONY STEVEN
Deans Desk - Prof. Allan Carmichael
My role as Dean concludes on March 31, 2011 so this will be my last contribution to this column. Much has changed over the 14 years since I accepted the role. All areas of the Faculty have grown: many, including the School of Medicine, have doubled in size- a necessary development to meet current and future workforce shortages. The new 5 year integrated case-based curriculum has been successfully implemented and the program is taught across the state, utilising public and private, hospital and community health services. The School, like others in the Faculty, benefits from the unique Partners in Health agreement between the Faculty and the Department of Health and Human Services and relies on the commitment of the profession to teach and mentor the next generation of doctors. I sincerely thank all those who have supported the School, its staff and students during the times of change and development, as well as sustaining the ongoing teaching and research programs.
Along with growth in student numbers and research and program change, has come the need for new and expanded facilities and the School is now well served by excellent facilities. The new MS1 building in Hobart, housing the Menzies Research Institute, as well as the School and the Rural Cllinical School buildings in the North-West provide state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities These will be joined later this year by the new Launceston Clinical School in the Launceston Integrated Service Centre, and a new facility at Mersey Community Hospital. In 2013, the MS2 building in Hobart will provide further space for the School and Menzies Research Institute.
These facilities provide the infrastructure for the excellent medical teaching and research programs of the School of Medicine, of which the Tasmanian community, including members of the profession and AMA, can be justly confident and proud.
I am pleased to announce the University has appointed Professor Raymond Playford as the next Dean of the Faculty of Health Science, We look forward to welcoming him when he takes up the position later in 2011.
Professor Playford is currently Deputy Warden and Professor of Medicine at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry and Vice Principal at Queen Mary University in London.
Prof. Playford obtained his medical degree (MB,BS) from St Bartholomews Medical School in London and also has a BSc (Biochemistry), a PhD, and a DSc. Prof. Playford is a Fellow of both the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Pathologists, with specialty training and clinical practice in gastroenterology. His clinical interests include inflammatory bowel disease, oesophageal reflux and Barrett’s oesophagus.
He was previously chairman of the Education Committee of the British Society of Gastroenterology and a member of the Medical Research Council College of Experts. He is a member of the editorial board of the journal Gut and a member of the Herbal Medicines Advisory Committee, the Independent Review Panel for Advertising and the Independent Review Panel for Borderline Products. These committees work within the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, advising UK health ministers on relevant safety, advertising and promotional material.
His specialist research interests include mechanisms of repair, growth factors and the interface between food and medicines (nutriceuticals).
The School of Medicine continues to consolidate the 5-year MBBS degree with improved assessment processes and the introduction of innovative approaches to simulated patient teaching. Reviews of clinical discipline-related teaching will help develop strong vertical links between course years and provide a framework to improve understanding of how these clinical areas are represented in graduate outcomes.
The School has engaged with postgraduate teaching for a range of health professionals in the areas of clinical leadership, health and human services management, medical education and public health. The School’s focus on research is on developing new areas of research (eg education and health services research) while also supporting traditional areas of excellence in biomedical and clinical research.
The School continues to collaborate with the Menzies Research Institute. One such example is in dementia research. James Vickers (Head of School) is Co-Director, together with Prof Andrew Robinson, of the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre. The Centre is based on a partnership of the Menzies Research Institute, School of Nursing and Midwifery and School of Medicine. Research programs extend from health services and carer support research and development, through to cohort-based studies as well as the pathological basis of dementing diseases and the development of new therapeutic interventions. Prof Vickers also works closely with Dr Tracey Dickson on a program of research on motor neuron disease, traumatic brain injury and the plasticity of the nervous system.
Prof. Allan Carmichael
Opening of new practice
Psychiatrist Dr Stuart Hooper FRANZCP FAChAM MPS has commenced private practice at the following locations:
15 Princes St Sandy Bay ph 62232766 fax 62232773
16 Gregory St Sandy Bay ph 62247877 fax 62247189
Dr Hooper is a general adult psychiatrist with interest in assessment and treatment of patients with mood, anxiety and alcohol misuse disorders and PTSD.
AHPRA Improvements
The AMA Tasmania President and CEO met with AHPRA on the 4th March receiving assurances that there have been some significant improvements in their systems since last year which was the inaugural year for their renewal for medical registration process.
Measurers they listed included upgraded telephone systems, ensuring Tasmanian calls are answered in Tasmania, an online tracking system for applications and soon renewals. Additionally there will be automatic online acknowledgement for you applications and eventually renewals.
After all the effort last year the data is now much more accurate as well. Online services have also been speeded up by virtue of designs enabling less clicks and screens.
AHPRA have also released the first edition of the “AHPRA Report”, a new regular update to everyone interested in the work of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, they say that much has been achieved but there is still much more to do".
Click here for the newsletter in PDF.
AMA Members Choose one of THREE International Conferences
Tasmanian AMA Members are being included in the offer to attend any one of the three International Conferences being offered by other Branches. Choose between Praque, Barcelona or New York.
The AMA Queensland Annual Conference 18 to 24 September 11 in PRAQUE is tailored for medical practitioners, practice managers, registered nurses and industry professionals. As a conference delegate you will hear from world renowned Australian and international speakers and develop a better understanding of the medical issues that will affect you and your patients. Brochure.
The AMA NSW Conference 8 to 14 May 11 in NEW YORK features Prof John Carter, Endocrinologist, Prof James Greenwood, Psychiatrist, Dr Michael Steiner, Ophthalmologist, Prof Alessandro Zagami, Neurologist as speakers. Other topics to be covered include medico-legal issues, financial management & practice management sessions. There will also be plenty of time have a look at the Big Apple. Brochure.
With the AMA WA Conference Delegates will be flying Qantas from Perth via Singapore to London (Heathrow) and then on to BARCELONA 27 Aug to 5 Sept 11. Our tour starts in Barcelona where we will stay at the luxurious El Palace Hotel in the city centre within easy walking distance of La Rambla, the shopping precinct and an array of restaurants and cafes. A 'Leading Hotels of the World' hotel, El Palace is elegantly furbished with many special touches. It is the hotel of choice for visiting celebrities and dignitaries. Brochure.
Office of the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman
The key role of the Office of the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman is to receive complaints and help people who believe they may have been treated unfairly in administrative processes by the national agencies within the National Registration Scheme, AHPRA. We also review the handling of freedom of information processes and actions undertaken by the agencies.
Also the key role of the Office of the National Health Practitioner Privacy Commissioner is to receive complaints and help people who believe their personal information has not been handled appropriately under the National Scheme.
Southern Division Meeting of AMA Tasmania
Tuesday 3rd May 2011
Dinner commencing at 6.00pm
AGM commencing at 6.30pm
Venue : 9A Seminar Room
Royal Hobart Hospital (note change of venue)
Southern Division Annual General Meeting will be held to elect the following positions:-
• Chairman/President
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Representatives to Branch Council x5
FOR CATERING PURPOSES IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU RSVP NO LATER THAN 5PM ON THE 26TH APRIL TO NGAIRI PIRERE
PH: 6222 6879 or EMAIL: ngairi.pirere@dhhs.tas.gov.au
