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Council Highlights June 2020

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The Council met via secure video conference on 25-26 June 2020. The current members are:

 

Office bearers
Dr Tony Sparnon (President) 
Associate Professor Julie Mundy (Vice President)
Dr Greg Witherow (Treasurer)
Associate Professor Phillip Carson (Censor in Chief)
Dr Sally Langley (Chair Professional Development & Standards Board)

Office holders
Professor Christopher Pyke (Chair Court of Examiners)
Mr Adrian Anthony (Chair Board of Surgical Education and Training)
Dr Jennifer Chambers (Chair Prevocational & Skills Education Committee)
Associate Professor Kerin Fielding (Chair IMG Assessments)
Professor Andrew Hill (Chair Professional Standards)
Dr Lawrie Malisano (Chair Professional Development)
Ms Ruth Bollard (Chair Fellowship Services)
Professor Mark Frydenberg (Chair Research and Academic Surgery)
Mr John Crozier (Chair Surgical Audit)
Dr Christine Lai (Deputy Treasurer)
Dr Annette Holian (Chair Global Health)
Professor Owen Ung (Chair ASC, Conference & Events)

Fellowship Elected Councillors
Dr Sarah Coll
Dr Rebecca Jack
Dr Maxine Ronald
Professor Henry Woo

Specialty Elected Councillors
Professor Mark Ashton 
Dr Mark Dexter
Professor David Fletcher
Professor Raymond Sacks

Co-opted Councillors
The Hon Rob Knowles (VIC Expert Community Advisor)
Ms Souella Cumming (NZ Expert Community Advisor)
Dr James Churchill (Chair, RACSTA)

Observers
Dr Vanessa Beavis (ANZCA President)
Dr Upeksha (Pecky) De Silva (Chair Younger Fellows Committee)

Invitees
Professor Paul Smith (ACT Committee Chair)
Ms Susan Shedda (VIC Committee Chair)
Associate Professor Payal Mukherjee (NSW Committee Chair)
Ms Tess Green (Manager ACT Office)
Mr Allan Chapman (Manager NSW Office)
Ms Katherine Walsh (Manager VIC Office)

In attendance
Mr John Biviano (Chief Executive Officer)
Ms Emily Wooden (Deputy Chief Executive Officer/Chief Operational Officer)
Professor Julian Archer (EGM Education)
Ms Sophie Lukeis (EGM People & Culture)
Mr Etienne Scheepers (EGM Fellowship Engagement)
Dr John Quinn (Executive Director for Surgical Affairs Australia)
Mr Richard Lander (Executive Director for Surgical Affairs New Zealand)
Professor Guy Maddern (Surgical Director Research & Evaluation)
Ms Tracey Lam (Board/Council Secretary)

Election results

The President congratulated and extended best wishes to the following office holders who were elected at the February 2020 Council meeting. The office holders formally took office at the commencement of the 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM) after the 2020 AGM notice was issued.

President, Dr Anthony Sparnon
Vice President, Associate Professor Julie Mundy
Treasurer Dr Greg Witherow
Censor in Chief, Associate Professor Phillip Carson
Chair, Professional Development & Standards Board, Dr Sally Langley
Chair, Court of Examiners, Professor Christopher Pyke
Chair, Board of Surgical Education & Training, Mr Adrian Anthony
Chair, Prevocational & Skills Education Committee, Dr Jennifer Chambers
Chair, IMG Assessments Committee, Associate Professor Kerin Fielding
Chair, Professional Standards, Professor Andrew Hill
Chair, Professional Development, Dr Lawrie Malisano
Chair, Fellowship Services Ms Ruth Bollard
Chair, Research and Academic Surgery, Professor Mark Frydenberg
Chair, Surgical Audit, Mr John Crozier
Deputy Treasurer, Dr Christine Lai
Chair, Global Health, Dr Annette Holian
Chair, ASC, Conference & Events, Professor Owen Ung

Fellowship Elected Councillors
Dr Sarah Coll, QLD Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr Rebecca Jack, QLD Vascular Surgeon
Dr Maxine Ronald, NZ General Surgeon
Professor Henry Woo, NSW Urologist

Specialty Elected Councillors
Professor Mark Ashton, VIC Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon
Dr Mark Dexter, NSW Neurosurgeon
Professor David Fletcher, WA Specialty Elected Councillor General Surgeon
Professor Raymond Sacks, NSW Otolaryngologist Head and Neck Surgeon

Co-opted Councillors
The Hon Rob Knowles, VIC Expert Community Advisor
Ms Suella Cumming , NZ Expert Community Advisor
Dr James Churchill, RACS Trainees’ representative

The following retiring Councillors were farewelled with thanks:
Mr Richard Perry, Vice President
Mr Bruce Hall, Chair Professional Standards

The meeting also farewelled with thanks to the outgoing Councillors:
Associate Professor Chris Perry and Dr Geoff Lyons.

The four newly elected Councillors were welcomed to Council:
Dr Rebecca Jack, Dr Mark Dexter, Professor Raymond Sacks, Professor Mark Ashton
 

2020 Annual General Meeting

2020 Annual General Meeting has concluded.

Election of rotating Councillors

Congratulations to the three elected 2021 Rotating Board of Council members (Mr Adrian Anthony, Associate Professor Kerin Fielding and Professor Henry Woo) commencing January 2021 for 12 months.

Reconciliation Action Plan – Innovate

Reconciliation Action Plan – Innovate was approved by Council, the second phase of the Reflect, Innovate, Stretch and Elevate approach for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. For more information contact the Executive General Manager Fellowship Engagement, Etienne.Scheepers@surgeons.org

Establishment of a RACS Foundation Trust Charter and Account

Council approved the next steps in establishing a RACS Foundation Trust Account and Charter by 1 January 2021. For more information, contact the Chief Operating Officer (COO) Emily.Wooden@surgeons.org

Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) Service Agreement (SA)

Council approved the updated Service Agreement (SA) between RACS and AOA, the development of the SA has been a collaborative and consultative process between the parties involved. Council congratulated John Biviano and Adrian Cosenza, CEO AOA, on their collaboration and development of the SA. For more information, contact the Chief Executive Officer John.Biviano@surgeons.org

Global Health governance structure

The new structure comprises:

  • The International Engagement Committee (IEC) established and chaired by the Vice President, Julie Mundy and supported by Chief Operating Officer Emily Wooden and reporting to Council on the strategic direction of global health strategies and international engagement.
  • The Global Health Programs Steering Group established and chaired by Global Health, Annette Holian and supported by Phillipa Nicholson, reporting to the IEC, to provide oversight of program deliverables, monitoring outcomes, reporting on risks and linking into the Education, Professional Development and Standard Boards and Fellowship Portfolios.
  • The Global Health Section chaired by Global Health, Annette Holian and supported by Phillipa Nicholson to provide greater opportunities for more Fellows to engage and learn about the Global Health Strategy and program.

For more information, contact the Chief Operating Officer Emily.Wooden@surgeons.org

Indigenous Health position paper

Council approved the Indigenous Health position paper which describes RACS commitment to addressing the health inequalities of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori populations of Australia and New Zealand. For more information contact the Executive General Manager Fellowship Engagement, Etienne.Scheepers@surgeons.org

RACS awards

Congratulations to the following RACS award recipient:

ESR Hughes Award
Dr Richard Arthur Barnett AM FRACS

2020 New Zealand and Australian Queen’s Birthday Honours

New Zealand 

Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM)
Professor John Norman Nacey, CNZM, FRACS - Urologist, Wellington
Mr George Ngaei, CNZM, ONZM, FRACS - General Surgeon, Invercargill

Australia 

Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia
Mr Alexander William Auldist AO FRACS - VIC (General Surgeon)
Professor Bryant Allan Rigbye Stokes AO AM RFD FRACS - WA (Neurosurgeon)

Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia
Mr Robert John Bartlett AM FRACS - VIC (Orthopaedic Surgeon)
Mr Russell John Corlett AM FRACS - VIC (Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon)
Mr John Henry Curotta AM FRACS - NSW (Otolaryngology Head & Neck  Surgeon)
Associate Professor Austin Mark Curtin AM FRACS - NSW (General Surgeon)
Emeritus Professor John Mackenzie Ham AM FRACS - NSW (General Surgeon)
Dr Susan Josephine Neuhaus AM CSC FRACS - SA (General Surgeon)
Mr Michael John Redmond AM RFD FRACS - QLD (Neurosurgeon)
Professor Paul Nathaniel Smith AM FRACS - ACT (Orthopaedic Surgeon)
Mr Alastair George Tulloch AM FRACS - WA (Urologist)
Professor Peter Julius Rice Zelas AM OAM FRACS - NSW (General Surgeon)

Medal (OAM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia
Mr Arthur Michael Briner OAM FRACS - QLD (Ophthalmologist)
Mr Peter Conrad OAM FRACS - NSW (General Surgeon)
Mr John Vincent Newton OAM FRACS - NSW (Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon)
Dr Roger Hugh Pillemer OAM FRACS - NSW (Orthopaedic Surgeon)
Professor Paul Jerome Walker OAM FRACS - NSW (Otolaryngology Head & Neck  Surgeon)

 

Admissions to Fellowship

Congratulations to the following who have been admitted to Fellowship recently.

General Surgery
Mr Kaleb Robert Christopher Lourensz
Mr Matthew John Shears
Dr  Hugh Lewis Giddings

Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery
Dr Oskar Edkins

Urology
Mr David James Gordon Brown

Recent publications

The following have recently been published in peer reviewed journals.

  • Davis SS, Babidge WJ, Kiermeier A and Maddern GJ. (2020). Response to Re: Pancreaticoduodenectomy outcomes in Australia. ANZ J. Surg., 90(5), 939.  [10.1111/ans.15815]
  • McCahy P. (2020). Potentially avoidable urology mortality in Australia. ANZ J. Surg., 90(5), 653.  [10.1111/ans.15890]