November 2009
Dr David Brookes has been appointed as Chairman of biotech Living Cell Technologies, replacing Simon O’Loughlin. Bob Finder...
WA News
November 2009
Illicit drugs decline
Two recently released national studies of drug users showed a significant decline in the use of crystal methamphetamine (a.k.a. ice). Prof Steve Allsop, director of the National Drug Research Institute at Curtin Uni, said these reports mirrored WA results from a year ago. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare survey of August 2008 showed a 38% decline in cannabis use in WA since 2001. Prof Allsop said broader community investigations were showing this decline in drug use, not just a stabilisation. And those worried about permanent damage to adolescent brains from alcohol abuse will be pleased to learn the 2008 Australian School Students Alcohol and Drug survey showed 15.9% of high school students had never tried alcohol (up from 12.3%) and frequency of alcohol consumption had also decreased in the past year (63.9%). Mental Health Minister Graham Jacobs was impressed that more students were getting the message about the dangers.
Doctors in fear
Research showing almost two-thirds of Australian GPs have been exposed to patient-initiated violence in the past year has prompted the Federal Government to launch a national investigation. Apparently, wait times and denial of access sent patients ‘.......
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October 2009
Kathy McGeorge from Perth Laser Vision Centre has been appointed as State President for the Australian Association of Practice Managers (AAPM). Shayne Murray from Haematology Care Unit, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital has been appointed as Vice President of the Association. Narelle Supanz from the Western Australian Plastic Surgery Centre was been re-elected to the national board and Fiona Wong from Mosman Consulting Rooms is AAPM's incoming State Secretary.
Prof Ian Constable, founding Director of the Lion's Eye Institute, has been awarded a gold medal by the Australian Institute of Company Directors... Read More...
October 2009
Preetham trumps PPCN Although a lot of parties were already in the know, it’s now official: Health Integra...
September 2009
Five Western Australian researchers have received awards of $10,000 each to help meet the infrastructure costs of their research as part of the 2009 New Independent Researcher Infrastructure Support (NIRIS) Awards:
Award recipient Dr Daniel Galvão from Edith Cowan University's School of Exercise, Biomedical, and Health Sciences is looking at how physical exercise can help relieve negative side-effects of hormonal treatment for prostate cancer.
Dr Lynn Meuleners from the Centre for Population Health Research at Curtin University of Technology is investigating crash risk factors...
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September 2009
Marshall’s edible vaccine Dr Barry Marshall made life simpler for millions when he identified H pylori as the...
August 2009
Dr Kevin Yuen, while medical director of DonateWest, has been appointed State Director of the new national body for organ donation, the Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority.
Mr Edwin Boyd has been appointed as a Director of biotech company Rockeby Biomed.
R&D Neurodiscovery has appointed Mr Harry Karellis as a board member.
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August 2009
Ramsay and HBF at loggerheads
Ramsay Health Care, operator of Hollywood, Joondalup, Attadale, and Glengarry private hospitals has withdrawn from negotiations with HBF over fee increases, which HBF claims are too high. The health insurer put pressure on Ramsay through a letter sent to members in July warning of higher admission charges, but when quizzed, an HBF spokesperson confirmed HBF will honour its previous agreement with Ramsay and not charge members default ‘second tier' benefits. The dispute is before the Health Insurance Ombudsman with a resolution expected soon. Stay tuned!
St John review submissions
You've probably seen the Four Corners Report on the alleged systemic failures of St John Ambulance and heard the media and political bluster. St John Ambulance's Medical Director Dr Garry Wilkes gives his perspective on the issue on page 4. Now, Kim Hames is calling for submissions as part of the review into St John's quality and safety (before the government renews their ambulance service contract). The review is to be conducted by Greg Joyce, former Director-General of the Department of Housing and Works and overseen by Dr Simon Towler, the Department of Health's Chief Medical Officer. If interested, send your submissions to Ms Kim Loh, Development Division, Department of Health, PO Box 8172, Perth Business Centre, WA, 6849, or via email to loh.kim@health.wa.gov.au. Hurry, submissions close early August!
Stan and the Medical Board
Doctors may have been worried about where their fees were heading after reading in The West that fraud squad detectives had charged prominent Stamfords accountant Stan Palassis with stealing $80,000 from the WA Medical Board...
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