The Vice President’s Desk
Dr Peter Sumich
The ASO Skills Expo will reflect the times
It’s been a time. Inflation, recession, interest rates, staffing and private insurer mischief. Plus the recent Federal Election. For small and large businesses it has been a time to watch the weather vanes and chart the seas.
When we designed the ASO Skills Expo for August this year, it was done with an eye to these very times. It recognises that ophthalmologists are clinical doctors and also business people. The Expo will address many of these current issues as well as the medico-politics of the day which is always a risk in any SWOT assessment.
We are also small business owners and most of us have investments and portfolios. Cutcher and Neale will explore all things trusts – family, service and payroll tax.
Glaukos, Alcon and J&J Vision will review the last 2 years of stalled product delivery during covid and what we can look forward to in the next couple of years as the product pipeline comes through. We are integrating many such discussions into a few clinical sessions to put them in context.
MDA National will give you an insight into cyber risk vulnerabilities in business and how to prevent them.
The Expo provides a forum for ophthalmologists to meet up with each other and swap stories, complaints and theories on our environment. The Business of Day Surgery breakfast on Sunday brings together many of the largest business players to look for communal solutions.
This year Macquarie Bank will be sharing important industry insights as well as Macquarie’s Analysis of Industry Trends across private practice, SME business and.
If you attend the Expo and don’t come away with a few new ideas then you’ve been asleep in the chair! At the very least you can get a new headshot for your website for free or just meet up with friends or future partners at the dinners. See you there!
Dr Peter Sumich
Vice President ASO
Novartis joins the ASO as alliance partner
The ASO is excited to announce a new alliance partnership with Novartis Australia, a global healthcare company that provides solutions to address the evolving needs of patients worldwide.
Business Franchise Director, Ophthalmology at Novartis, Nina Onem said they welcome the opportunity to partner with the ASO.
“Novartis is excited about this new partnership. Both organisations have a long standing heritage in Ophthalmology. Over the years Novartis has made significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of Macula disease and together we will continue to serve the needs of ophthalmologists and their patients.”
About Novartis
Novartis has a purpose to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. They use science-based innovation to address some of society’s most challenging healthcare issues. They discover and develop breakthrough treatments and find new ways to deliver them to as many people as possible.
To find out more about Novartis, click here.
Private health reform
The AMA hosted a Private Health Summit in Canberra calling for improved regulation to deliver better outcomes for patients, private hospitals, insurers, medical device manufacturers and doctors.
The summit was held at Parliament House in Canberra last Thursday and was attended by the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler and the Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Anne Ruston. Insurers, hospitals, government representatives, peak bodies from the medical and insurance sector and consumer representatives were also in attendance.
The AMA released a discussion paper titled A whole of system approach to reforming private healthcare where it proposes a new body, the Private Health System Authority, to bring the sector together and build consensus on reforms.
Submissions on the discussion paper can be made until 31 August 2022 here
The ASO supports improved regulation
The ASO’s recent election campaign to prevent Managed Care in Australia requested support from every Federal Member, opposition candidate and Independent to introduce an independent private health insurance regulator to overview the private health sector activities and provide an independent forum for arbitration between providers, hospitals, and health insurers. If you haven’t already read this letter, you can view it here.
We also called for a strengthening of the current Private Health Insurance Act 2007 to provide scrutiny over health insurer contracts and uphold a patient’s right to make informed decisions about their health treatment.
ASO new look website coming soon!
We are excited to announce that a new look ASO website will launch on 13 July 2022. It has been carefully redesigned specifically with your needs in mind – it is now easier to use and has some great new features. We have been working on it for many months to ensure the best possible user experience for our members. We are thrilled with the results and we think you will be too.
What we did, why we did it and what you can expect next!
We’ve got a fresh new look, full of features and customised solutions to meet all of your needs. Here are just a few things that have changed:
Our website has all the features you know and love but it has been reorganised in a more intuitive way. The fresh layout means that it is now easier than ever to find what you’re looking for. We hope our fresh look will make exploring the site smooth and easy.
One of our main goals was to allow you to be able to access relevant information effortlessly on both your desktop and mobile.
As part of our new look, we have added a membership app to our offerings. No matter where you are or what time of day it is, you can instantly access your personal information via the new ASO membership app. You can use the app to renew your membership, change or update your membership details or check out the latest issues of our e-news, Eye Watch.
What’s next?
Over the next couple of months, we will continue updating our website and app. You might see current pages changing and new pages being added. We will keep you updated as we go along and be sure to introduce you to any new features we think you’ll love!
Membership prize draw
Congratulations to the winners of our membership renewal prize draw! Dr Julia Starte, Dr Thomas Edwards, Dr Yi Hsing and Dr Kevin Foo – a $250 Orbit World Travel voucher is on its way. Thank you to all members who renewed by June 30.
Download the ASO member app
The ASO member app makes it easier than ever to access your membership details, stay up-to-date with ASO notifications, manage your renewals and much more – all from your android or iOS device.
Download the app in 5 easy steps!
Download the Member Jungle app
Search for ‘The Australian Society of Ophthalmologists’
Select ‘Sign In’
Select ‘Register now’
Submit your details to create your personalised account
Download the Member Jungle app now at the App Store or Google Play.
The Dr Con Moshegov Scholarships
The University of Technology (UTS) celebrated the achievements of orthoptics students at the 2022 orthoptics and scholarship award ceremony in Sydney in May.
Among the top achievers on the night were Mirai Al Kaed and Maya Bujas who were the inaugural recipients of the Dr Con Moshegov Scholarships for 2022.
Mirai Al Kaed
Mirai Al Kaed was awarded the Dr Con Moshegov Scholarship for a student of refugee background. Mirai’s dream and passion is to be one of the greatest orthoptists in the world and believe’s this scholarship will assist her in achieving this dream.
“As a refugee student I feel honoured and grateful to receive this scholarship. It means a lot to me materially and morally as I was very happy and honoured to be one the first students to receive this scholarship.”
The scholarship enabled Mirai to buy textbooks and electronic devices and allowed her more time to study for her exams.
“I was able to reduce my work shifts to focus more on my study without worrying about my income. This scholarship has allowed me to focus more on achieving my dream, and gave me another reason and encouragement to be one of the greatest orthoptists in Australia, and the World.” said Mirai.
Maya Bujas
Maya Bujas was awarded the Dr Con Moshegov Scholarship for a student from a rural, regional, or interstate location. Maya moved from Melbourne to Sydney to complete her Masters in Orthoptics at UTS and was grateful this scholarship removed some of the financial burden of living interstate.
“The acknowledgment of moving interstate, is greatly appreciated and encourages me to focus on my studies. I am also able to focus on my learning, and excel in my subjects. This award is not only assisting my financial needs in the present, but it is ensuring my success in the future.
I greatly appreciate the honour that has been placed on me and the pursuit of my career in orthoptics.” said Maya
The ASO congratulates both Mirai and Maya on their achievements as well as all the other award recipients on the night.
You can read more about the Dr Con Moshegov Scholarships and the award ceremony in the upcoming August edition of the Bulletin.
ASO networking dinner for QLD registrars
Registrar life can be daunting. It can be even more stressful battling through exams and on call while trying to keep up-to-date with important aspects of ophthalmology.
That’s why the ASO, in partnership with Cutcher & Neale, invited a group of registrars, to meet for dinner last month. The dinner was an opportunity for registrars from across the region to enjoy networking with their peers in a social setting.
Nicole Brown and Sav Agni from Cutcher & Neale also attended the event as guest speakers.
ASO member Dr Tim Beckman worked with ASO Business Development Manager, Sandra Reed to bring the group together and said the dinner was a great opportunity for registrars to get to know more about the ASO.
“My exposure to medico-political issues was quite limited as a registrar. I have become more aware this year, that it is certainly comforting to have the ASO and those involved advocating for us.” Dr Beckman said
This is the first of a series of networking activities that the ASO is planning specifically for registrars.
The Queen’s birthday honours
The ASO congratulates the following recipients who received awards in The Queen’s Birthday 2022 Honours List.
Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division: for service to ophthalmology
Prof Stephanie Watson OAM
Dr David Moore – ASO member: OAM
Member (AM) in the General Division: for significant service to ophthalmology, and to professional organisations
Prof Graham Barrett
The ASO also congratulates:
Mr Leighton James Boyd – Retina Australia Chairman: AM for significant service to people who are blind or have low vision
Ms Rosemary Faye Boyd – Retina Australia Company Secretary: OAM for her service to people who are blind or have low vision
Ms Justine Lorenz – OAM in recognition of her service to people who are deaf/blind
Dr Steven Hambleton – President of the AMA (2011-14) and Vice President (2009-2011): AM for his significant service to medical governance, professional associations and the community.
You can view the full list of 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours via the Governor-General website.
Restoring sight for Woorabinda patients
Ophthalmologist Dr Bill Glasson is no stranger to Woorabinda, a rural town in Central Queensland, 700km north west of Brisbane.
Dr Glasson and his team have been providing eye care services to the Indigenous community in Woorabinda through the Queensland-based charity, Doctors for All, for many years.
The charity believes that all Australians have a right to be healthy, regardless of where they live and is committed to closing the gap for Indigenous Australians. By building bridges between doctors and communities, together they aim to overcome rural and remote health care challenges.
Eye conditions are one of the most common long-term health issues experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). DATA also shows they are also three times more likely to experience vision impairment and blindness than non-Indigenous adults.
Originally from outback Queensland, Dr Glasson knows to well the challenges that communities in rural and remote regions face when trying access healthcare. He firmly believes in bringing services to the people in order to make healthcare easily accessible for all.
“Eye-surgery is one of the most cost-effective, life-changing health-interventions of any of the major health procedures,” says Dr Glasson.
The charity believe its work has made a massive difference to the community of Woorabinda, with many residents making eye health a priority for the first time in their lives.
Doctors for All Program Manager, Belinda Castellano said patients light up when they see Dr Glasson.
“He is a very well respected and trusted doctor and you can tell from the smiles on the faces of his patients that the eye care services they receive really do make a difference.” says Belinda.
If you would like to know more about Doctors for All, click here.
Upcoming events
11 August
Macquarie Bank – Navigating the changing property landscape for the Health Environment
Free for ASO Members
Macquarie Bank Office, Melbourne
To attend contact Kayla Moon at kayla.moon@macquarie.com or 0459 758 803
12-14 August
ASO Expo
Grand Hyatt Melbourne
Click here for event website.
28-29 August
RANZCO NSW Branch ASM
Fullerton Hotel Sydney
Click here for meeting website.
31 Aug-2 Sept
Day Hospitals Australia 2022 National Conference
Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart
Click here for event website.
Welcome to all new members
We extend a warm welcome to our newest members:
Jonathan Whyte (QLD)
Lewis Levitz (VIC)
Roland Bunting (VIC)
Daniel McKay (VIC)
Every new member to the ASO makes our society a stronger, more formidable medico-political force.
Two minutes with: Dr Juanita Pappalardo
Location: Valley Eye Specialists (Fortitude Valley, Brisbane)
Sub-specialty/special interest area: General (Adult and Paediatric) with special interest in Inherited Retinal Diseases and Pterygium Surgery.
Sunrise or sunset? Sunset – mornings are generally too busy for me to enjoy a nice sunrise, except maybe when on holidays.
Neat freak or messy? Compulsively neat.
On time or late? Always on time for work/patients; socially I tend to arrive just late.
What is your favourite thing to make to eat? Fresh pasta, a skill passed down from my Italian grandmother.
What was the last thing that you took a photo of? Honestly? My two youngest children’s conversion of our lounge room into a race track!
If someone were to play you in a movie, who would you want it to be? An unknown Australian or British actress who actually looks my age.
My favourite season is: Spring – warm enough to enjoy being outdoors or at the beach without risking sunburn.
My favourite part of the workday is: Arriving early with a coffee in hand, ready to get started.
If you could instantly become an expert in something, what would it be? Surfing.
Would you rather live on a sailboat or a motorhome? Either, as long as I could travel widely and have good company.
