charitable foundation 2011 gala dinner

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Charitable Foundation 2011 Gala Dinner
More than 230 guests
attended the seventh
annual AMA (NSW)
Charitable Foundation
Gala Dinner at Parliament
House on Friday,
21 October 2011.
Guests enjoyed fine food and wine with
entertainment by Australia’s Got Talent
2009 winner, Mark Vincent who donated
his time to sing on the night despite being
in the middle of completing his HSC!
Parliamentary host and special guest
for the evening was The Hon. Barry
O’Farrell, MP, Premier of NSW with
guests including The Hon. Jillian Skinner,
Minister for Health and Minister for
Medical Research in NSW and Dr Andrew
McDonald, Shadow Minister for Health.
AMA (NSW) President, Dr Michael
Steiner awarded the AMA (NSW)
President’s Award on the evening, an
award which recognises a doctor who
has made an outstanding contribution to
the AMA and the medical profession. In
presenting the award to immediate past
President of Federal AMA, Dr Andrew
Pesce, Dr Steiner said “Andrew’s great
achievement – based entirely upon
his decency as a human being and his
commitment to improving patient care
– was to ensure that the AMA never lost
sight of the need for the patient to be at
the centre of everything we do”.
The AMA (NSW) Charitable Foundation
live and silent auctions on the night
raised much-needed funds for Can Assist,
a grassroots, community-based charity
dedicated solely to supporting country
people affected by cancer and their
families. These funds will be used
by Can Assist to purchase a minivan
to provide appropriate and reliable
transport for country patients and their
carers, allowing greater flexibility and
control over the scheduling of patient
transport. The Can Assist minivan will
allow sufficient space for a patient’s carer
to accompany them to daily treatment
and provide free transport for weekend
outings for country guests who often have
no family or friends in Sydney.
Chair of the AMA (NSW) Charitable
Foundation, A/Prof. John Gullotta, AM
reiterated the importance of funding
being available for regional and rural
cancer patients and their families in
NSW. “We are here because a person’s
location should never determine their
entitlement, nor level of access, to
healthcare. This has been and continues
to be the vision of community-based
charity Can Assist – that every community
family and individual has equitable access
to cancer care and support services.”
MC for the evening, national medical
reporter on ABC TV, Sophie Scott spoke
with Moree cancer survivor, Fiona Kelly
who founded the Moree branch of Can
Assist in 2009 and is currently Branch
President. Fiona set-up the branch in
August 2009 after receiving help from
Can Assist in Armidale and Tamworth
during her treatment for breast cancer in
2006-7 and it has assisted more than
32 people with cancer in the local area.
6 I THE NSW DOCTOR I DECember 2011/JANUARY 2012

Can Assist
For more than 55 years Can Assist has cared for country cancer patients. Today it has 50 branches in country towns across
rural and regional NSW operated by 2,400 local volunteers who raise funds to support local families and in 2010 Can Assist
provided $1.8 million in financial aid to 1,900 country people and their families.
Travel and accommodation expenses can easily cost a country family affected by cancer up to five times more than a city
family just to access treatment. The reality is many country people simply can’t afford the treatment, let alone weeks spent
away from work and family. Can Assist provides these families affected by cancer with financial assistance towards medical,
pharmaceutical and transport costs and supported accommodation.
A new home-based support service – Can Assist Viva Packs – will be rolled-out across NSW this year, providing short-term
support of essential services to meet specific needs e.g. nursing, transport, domestic help and respite care.
www.amansw.com.au I 7

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!
AMA (NSW) Charitable Foundation 2011
Christmas Appeal
Donation
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Your donation is greatly appreciated by the AMA (NSW) Charitable Foundation.
PO Box 121, St Leonards 1590. Phone 02 9439 8822 Facsimile 02 9438 3760
Donations of $2.00 and over are tax deductible.
8 I THE NSW DOCTOR I DECember 2011/JANUARY 2012