Have You Heard. February 2009
Naming and shaming The WA Health Department has released the names of 18 restaurants prosecuted last year...
LATEST ARTICLES
Dr Kim Hames: man with a plan
WA's new Health Minister Dr Kim Hames seems to be a warmly welcomed replacement for Jim McGinty... Read More...
December 2008
Christmas ‘kickbacks’? Are Christmas functions now ‘kickbacks’? The Health Insurance Amendment (Inappropriate and Prohibited Practices and Other Measures)...
December 2008
Dr Lachlan Henderson has stepped down as General Manager of Mount Hospital to take up a role at his old employer St John of God Health Care as national Group Director of Medical Services, replacing Prof Con Michael, who moves to a part time role as Consultant Medical Advisor. Lachlan's replacement at the Mount is Mr Justin Walter (from Melbourne's John Faulkner Hospital).
Dr Peter Flett has officially been named as the next Director General of WA Health...
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Silver Chain’s Chris McGowan
Silver Chain has nearly 2,5000 staff and controls around 35% of the Health and Community Services public funding in WA, giving it a unique position within Western Australia's primary care infrastructure and luring CEO Mr Chris McGowan from South Australia. Read More...
November 2008
United we stand
Australia's general practice peak bodies have banded together to boost their lobbying power and provide a consensus opinion on important matters affecting general practice. The national group, called United General Practice Australia, is an amalgamation of leaders from the AMA, RACPG, Divisions (Australian General Practice Network), Rural Doctors Association, General Practice Registrars Association, and Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine. Highest on their agenda is a call for an extra 100 national GP training places, international medical students, and national accreditation.
Gap gaffs downplayed
In early October, federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon promised to crack down on medicos who failed to tell patients about gap fees but the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman has found the number of complaints about gap fees for hospital treatment is small. The Ombudsman received 2,385 complaints in the 12 months to June 2008, which was 45 (1.9%) more than the previous year. Most complaints were about health insurers (2267), followed by hospitals (133) and practitioners (56). Policy holders with Medibank Private (which has 28.6% market share), made 22% of the complaints. MBF Australia (15.9% market share) policy holders made 28.4% of the complaints and HBF (7.6% market share) made 2.1% of complaints.
Cosmetic cleanup
Speaking of clampdowns, the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS) is taking aim at inexperienced cosmetic surgeons...
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November 2008
Occupational physician A/Prof Dr Tony Hochberg has been appointed as Medical Director of Occupational Medicine at Gemini Medical. Dr Hochberg will help train and undertake quality assessment of the company's Occupational Health doctors across the country. His position was created following the acquisition of Gemini Medical by Sydney-based IPN - the second largest operator of medical centres in Australia.
Debra Salway has stepped down as Director of Business Development, Mercy Hospital, to take up the role of CEO at WA GP Network, replacing Chris Carter, who left a few months prior to become Perth Primary Care Network's CEO. Mercy Hospital has yet to appoint Debra's replacement.
Peter Dhu is no longer the Manager at Donate West...
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October 2008
Symbion carve-up continues The dismantling of Symbion’s corporate empire continues. After Dr Ed Bateman’s Primary Health Care...