Emeritus Professor Bryant Stokes is being remembered as a champion of excellence in clinical practice and medical research and a pillar of the WA medical community.
Prof Stokes – affectionately known to his colleagues as Bars – passed away earlier this year.
He was a member of the first graduating class of medical students at UWA in 1959 and went on to become a leader in the healthcare field in Australia for more than five decades.
Prof Stokes served as Director General of the WA Department of Health from 2013 to 2015, was Chief Medical Officer for WA from 1995 to 2000 and was elected President of AMA (WA) in 1982.
As Acting Commissioner of Health in 2000, he supported publication of healthcare outcomes and adverse events, along with associated learnings and recommendations.
He also served as Chair of the Bryant Stokes Neurological Research Fund (previously the Neurotrauma Research Program) for over 20 years and held the role of Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at UWA, Consultant Neurosurgeon at several of WA’s metropolitan hospitals and Professor of Anatomy at Notre Dame University.
In a statement WA Health said Prof Stokes would be remembered for his thoughtful leadership, his generosity of spirit and his enduring passion for improving health outcomes for the people of Western Australia.
“He led with clarity, humility and a deep sense of responsibility. Those of us who serve in senior leadership roles across WA Health recognise the high standard he set – one grounded in service, stewardship and unwavering commitment to the health of West Australians.
“Professor Stokes’ influence on research was equally profound. As Chair of the Neurotrauma Research Program for more than two decades, he helped shape the direction of neuroscience and trauma research in Western Australia.
“The annual Bryant Stokes Oration, delivered as part of the Royal Perth Hospital Research Foundation awards program, stands as a testament to his leadership and the deep respect he earned from colleagues across the profession. His lifelong contribution to medicine was further recognised through the Australian Medical Association’s Hippocrates Award.
“WA Health is stronger for his service, and his legacy will continue to guide and inspire our work for many years to come.”
Prof Stokes made significant contributions to professional organisations during his career, including the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, and as inaugural chair of the Royal Perth Hospital Medical Research Foundation and Deputy Chair of the Medical Research Foundation of WA.
He was a former Director of the Perron Institute Board.
Perron Institute chief executive Steve Arnott said the organisation owes an enormous debt of gratitude to Prof Stokes.
“As a champion of excellence in clinical practice and medical research, his vision was to see WA develop and achieve recognition as a world-class centre in the neurosciences field, and as part of this, he played a huge role in the planning and development of the Ralph and Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Institute building at the QEII Medical Centre,” he said.
In 2001 Prof Stokes was made a Member of the General Division of the Order of Australia for his services to medicine and in 2008 he was invested to the Sovereign Order of St John of Jerusalem “Knights Hospitaller”.
More recently, his outstanding contribution to Australian healthcare was recognised by his appointment as an Officer in the General Division (AO) of the Order of Australia in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
AMA (WA) said Prof Stokes was held in the highest regard by his colleagues, his patients, his friends and his family.
“He was a man of principle and compassion, a man who treated all patients as if they were his own family – and a man who made things happen.”
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