Winthrop Professor Colin MacLeod was presented with a Citation Award at the National Press Club, which recognises Australia’s top researchers who have had the highest impact in their fields globally. Prof MacLeod, who is Director of UWA’s Centre for the Advancement of Research on Emotion (CARE), said his strong record of citation reflected the fact that his work had helped bring together the two fields of cognitive psychology and clinical psychology. (See his guest column on p41)
Health Solutions (WA), which operates the Peel Health Campus, has appointed Dr Aled Williams, the Director of Clinical Services at PHC, as an executive director of the board, and Dr Neale Fong as a non-executive Director.
Curtin University has appointed Gippsland-based academic Prof William Hart as Foundation Head of Medicine, even though the proposed medical school is still awaiting the green light. Curtin’s Acting Vice-Chancellor David Wood said Professor Hart’s first task would be to lobby for federal funds. He will take up his new role on September 24.
A landmark study that found a ‘third wave’ of asbestos-related cancer had emerged among home renovators has won the $10,000 Medical Journal of Australia/Medical Defence Australia National Research Award for the best research article published in the journal in 2011. The study was conducted by UWA’s School of Population Health, the WA Institute of Medical Research (WAIMR), the department of Respiratory Medicine at the QEII Medical Centre and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.
Sonic Healthcare has bought rival pathology operation, Heathscope, for about $100 million. Sonic chief Colin Goldschmidt said the acquisition of Healthscope’s NSW, Queensland and WA pathology businesses, which have a combined annual revenue of $105m but are understood to have operated at a loss, would be “value accretive”.
Ms Dianne Bianchini has been appointed Chief Health Professions Officer of the Public Health and Clinical Services Division. Dianne has been head of the Social Work Department at Fremantle Hospital and has been actively involved in the reform process within the South Metropolitan Area Health Service.
Prof Christobel Saunders, the Winthrop Professor of Surgical Oncology at UWA, and RPH orthopaedic registrar Dr Peter D’Alessandro, have received $10,000 travel grants as part of the Perth Convention Bureau’s Aspire program.
Former Kalgoorlie-Boulder Deputy Mayor, Nola Wolski is the new Chair of the Governing Council of the new Northern and Remote Country Health Service. She is also the Chair of the Goldfields District Health Advisory Council.
Professor Geoffrey Dobb will lead the Governing Council of the new Southern Country Health Service. He is also the Director of the Critical Care Division and Head of Intensive Care at RPH and a Clinical Professor at UWA.
There’s movement at the station at the WA Country Health Service (WACHS). The new Acting Executive Director Medical Services is Dr Meredith Arcus; Nephrologist and consultant physician Dr Steve Wright is the new WACHS Renal Clinical Lead; Dr Garth Herrington recently commenced as the Emergency Medicine Clinical Lead; and the new directors of the Postgraduate Medical Education Unit are Dr Sarah Moore and Dr Monica Gope. Dr Gope also continues as an Emergency Physician at RPH.
Silver Chain has won the Organisation Award at the 2012 Excellence in Care Awards presented by the Aged and Community Services WA (ACSWA).
Sarah McGarry, Senior Occupational Therapist for the Burns Ward (post surgical services) at PMH, has been awarded the Gordon Baron-Hay scholarship for 2012-13.