FIJI CONFERENCE - 24 TO 26 SEPTEMBER, 2009
A conjoint medical conference in Fiji from 24 - 26 September 2009
will be held with the Gold Coast Medical Association, the Gold Coast Division of GPs, the Fiji College of GPs, the Fiji Medical Association, the Fiji School of Medicine and both Griffith and Bond Universities from the Gold Coast. This meeting will be held at the Radisson Hotel in the Denarau resort area close to Nandi from the 24 to 26 September 2009. Further information about the meeting, the scientific program, conference costs and accommodation will be available soon via the Medical Link and a dedicated web site. Please keep a lookout for this.
We hope this meeting will be a great opportunity for attendees to be informed on clinical topics and to make a contribution to furthering links between the professions on the Gold Coast and in Fiji. The conference will have academic and practical clinical streams. Topics to be covered include: diabetes - this is a huge problem for Fiji, and a conference stream on this will be provided by an endocrinologist; for the perspective of General Practice, a workshop on “office surgical procedures” will be provided; cardiological topics to be covered include - Risk Factor Management in CV Diseases; Investigation of the patient with chest pain and angina; The patient with dyspnea: assessment, investigation and management of heart failure; Hypertension: its evaluation and treatment; An ECG workshop: Interpreting the ECG; The epidemic of Atrial Fibrillation; The approach to the patient with Valvular Heart Disease; there will be a stream on neurosciences - neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry; and a stream on arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions, among others. We expect 100 medical delegates; half from Australia and half from Fiji.
GCMA 2008 HEALTH EXPO
'The Best Ever' was the general response from participants and visitors at this year's
GCMA Health Expo, held on October 4 for the first time at the Robina Community Centre.
Medical talks were presented throughout the day to members of the public on a range of topics including Healthy Ageing; the latest advances in Knee Arthritis management; Cancer detection, prevention and treatment; Eyes through the ages; Bypass surgery & Stents; Sleep disorders; Obesity; Stroke & Carotid Artery Disease; Bipolar Disorder and Memory Problems, Computer Navigation & Tissue preservation in Joint Replacement, and Dementia.
Numbers were well up on previous years with some sessions attracting up to 100. Many visitors stayed throughout the day moving from one talk to the next or taking time to meet with exhibitors including South Coast Radiology; Pindara Private Hospital; Living Health; Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology; Respiratory & Sleep Specialists; Solstice-Mind Matters, Premion First in Cancer Care; John Flynn Hospital; the Gold Coast Medical Receptionists Association; Breastscreen and Bowel Cancer services; the Eye Clinic and Spendelove House.
A special thanks to the presenters who gave up their time on the day - Doctors Christopher Vertullo; Michael Johnson; Benjamin Chen; Daniel De Viana; Dilip Gahankari; John Kearney; John Tan; Geoffrey Adsett; Maurice Heiner; Claire Campbell; Paul Bennett; Max Williams; Philip Morris; David Liu; Ann Rudden and Dietitian, Julie Albrecht.
Thanks also to the Gold Coast Medical Receptionists Association for making members of the public so welcome with tea, coffee and sandwiches throughout the day.
Meanwhile, a booking has been made to stage the event again next year at the same venue on Saturday October 10, a date to put in your diary.
2008 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING– A MIX OF BUSINESS & PLEASURE
Members and their partners attending the GCMA’s Annual General Meeting on March 27 at the Southport Golf Club, enjoyed an evening of fine food, friendship and excellent Queensland wines hosted by one of their fellow Practitioners.
Sponsored by QML and South Coast Radiology, the evening featured a wine tasting hosted by Dr Robert Mason, director of Mason Wines, a boutique family–owned wine estate situated in the Granite Belt.
A special dinner speaker was Mr Paul Donovan, Chief Operations Manager at the Gold Coast Airport and Chairman of Gold Coast Tourism, who gave a most interesting presentation on the impact of major infrastructure works at the airport, its future directions, opportunities for inbound tourism, and a contemporary look at the role and responsibilities of the Gold Coast Tourism organisation.
On the more serious side of the evening, GCMA members met to re-elect Dr Philip Morris as their President. Dr Geoffrey Adsett was elected as Secretary, Dr Brian Mullins Treasurer, Dr David Chan GP Vice–President and Drs John Kearney and Stephen Weinstein as Specialist Vice–Presidents. As Immediate Past–President, Dr David Lindsay will remain as a member of the Executive.
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CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION: THE REAL STORY!
Forensic pathologist, Dr Rianie Van Vuuren from the John Tonge Centre presented a fascinating background on modern-day forensic investigations and DNA science, when she addressed a meeting of the Gold Coast Medical Association on June 26.
Introduced to the GCMA by association member, Dr Stephen Weinstein, her talk addressed many of the myths and fallacies of crime scene investigations showing up on our television screens.
Dr Van Vuuren grew up in South Africa and studied medicine at Stellenbosch University at Tygerberg Hospital, where she qualified in 1994.
She did her intern year at Livingstone Hospital in Port Elizabeth, South Africa and spent almost a year in England where she worked in Accident and Emergency.
Dr Van Vuuren then returned to South Africa as a GP, until commencing Forensic Pathology in 2003 at Stellenbosch University. She received her Fellow of The College of Forensic Pathology in 2006, and the MMed for Pathology in December of that year.
She commenced work at the John Tonge Centre in February this year.
2007 GCMA Public Information Health Seminars
The Gold Coast Medical Association again presented Health and Wellbeing to the community when it staged the annual Health Expo and medical seminars on Saturday May 26 at the Albert Waterways Community Centre, Broadbeach.
The focus on the day were the free Health seminars presented by GCMA specialist doctors on a range of topics including Cancer Detection, Prevention & Treatment; Vision Solutions; Bipolar Disorder & Memory Problems; Stroke & Carotid Artery Disease; Obesity; Cardiovascular Disease & Cardiac Surgery; Healthy Ageing; Joint Replacement & Arthritis; Spinal Pain & Surgery; and Diabetes.
A special thanks to the speakers who gave up their time on the day to present such interesting topics – Doctors Daniel De Viana, Michael Freeman, Philip McDougall, David Robinson, Max Williams, Christopher Vertullo, Philip Morris, Roger Welch, Paul Bennett, Geoffrey Adsett, Shailesh Khatri, John Tan, Matthew Scott-Young and Simon Thatcher, as well as Dietician Julie Albrecht and Bond University’s Professor Greg Gass.
Colourful display booths and activities which generated a high level of inquiry were presented by the Pindara Lung Function Laboratory, Pindara Hospital, the Gold Coast Division of General Practice, RSL Care, Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, Gold Coast Obesity Surgery Centre, Advanced Hearing Aid Specialists, South Coast Radiology, Alzheimer’s Australia, BreastScreen Queensland, Epilepsy Queensland Inc, Association of Medical Receptionists, Queensland Bowel Cancer Screening, Queensland Cancer Fund, St John Ambulance, Southern Cross Care, and Gold Coast Council's Active & Healthy program.
The appreciation by the general public has been demonstrated by many favourable comments on the day. Also, a special thanks to members of the Gold Coast Medical Receptionists Association for making members of the public so welcome.
This event follows previously successful Health Expos held by GCMA in 2000, 2001 and 2006
2007 Annual General Meeting - A Mix of Business & Pleasure
Good food and fine wine were enjoyed by the many members and partners at the social function following the Annual General Meeting of the Gold Coast Medical Association held at the Southport Golf Club on March 15.
A feature of the evening was a wine tasting hosted by Grant Casley, Winemaker, of Mount Hutton Winery Stanthorpe, followed by a review of the wide range of red and white varieties by Dr Neville Davis.
A special thanks to Dr David Chan for organising the social event.
The evening was sponsored by James Frizelle’s Audi Centre, Gold Coast; QML Pathology; Healthscope; and financial advisers Godfrey Pembroke.
On the serious part of the agenda, consultant Psychiatrist Dr Philip Morris was elected as GCMA’s President for 2007, Dr Geoffrey Adsett as Vice President, Dr Mark Doudle (Secretary), Dr Brian Mullins (Treasurer) and Dr David Chan (Vice President – GP). Dr David Lindsay remains on the Executive as the Immediate Past President.
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Pics from the 2006 GCMA Public Information Health Seminars
