AMA WA this year is celebrating its 125th anniversary and the occasion was marked at the association’s Medcon ball last month with more than 500 in attendance to see some of its luminaries recognised for service in the annual awards.
GP Dr Barry Fatovich has long been a health champion and was acknowledged as such with the Jonathan Morling Health Champion of the Year award, sponsored by the Doctors Health Advisory Service WA. Dr Fatovich joined the Lockridge General Practice in 1979, doing the full range of general practice, including care of nursing home residents and GP obstetrics. He was involved in the RACGP as Chair of the National Research Committee and was the State Director of the RACGP training program for 10 years. He has been involved in a variety of community activities and has been a DHAS WA member since 1998.
Former state and national AMA President Dr Michael Gannon won the Hippocrates Award. He is currently president of MDA National. His chairmanships include the perinatal and infant mortality committee for WA Health and medical advisory committee at St John of God Subiaco Hospital.
The President’s Award went to former Chief Scientist Professor Lyn Beazley who has been a tireless advocate for research into the health sciences through her numerous representations on administrative, research and funding boards.
Dr Brittney Wicksteed is the 2023 Junior Doctor of the Year (the Dr Camille Michener Legacy Award). She is an Emergency Medicine trainee. Dr Wicksteed is the Vice President of the Rural Doctors Association of WA.
The antecedent of AMA (WA) began on August 5, 1898, when a sub-committee was created to progress affiliation with the British Medical Association. Dr Alfred Waylen was unanimously elected president. In 1962, four years after the first medical school was opened at the University of WA, it became the Australian Medical Association (AMA).
In 1975, the first industrial agreement applying to all doctors in teaching hospitals was developed. Nine years later, the AMA (WA) secured formal recognition to represent industrially medical practitioners employed in public hospitals.
“While the AMA (WA) has grown and evolved over the years, our core business and foundations remain the same. Our primary work is to advocate for doctors and student doctors, to continually improve the working conditions of doctors, and engage doctors in policy making for a world-class health system,” the association said.