Chair in Cardiology, Royal Perth Hospital - His.admin.uwa.edu.au

Chair in Cardiology, Royal Perth Hospital
Information for Candidates
April 2011

Appointment of
Chair in Cardiology, Royal Perth Hospital
Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 2
The University of Western Australia................................................................................................ 3
Role, Key Responsibilities, Selection Criteria and Conditions of Employment.................................. 4
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
School of Medicine and Pharmacology.......................................................................................... 6
Royal Perth Hospital....................................................................................................................... 7
Perth, Western Australia................................................................................................................. 8
Applications................................................................................................................................... 9
Nationally recognised Employer of Choice for Women
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Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

Introduction
On behalf of The University, I welcome your interest in this position. Applications
are invited for appointment to the Chair in Cardiology in the School of Medicine and
Pharmacology and the Department of Cardiology at Royal Perth Hospital. The Chair will
provide clinical service, contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching activities
and provide leadership in research in an area of cardiovascular medicine.
The University of Western Australia has a long
and distinguished history and has produced many
outstanding graduates who have given service to
Australia and the international community. As a
member of the prestigious Group of Eight researchintensive
universities, it is consistently ranked amongst
the top Australian universities.
The School of Medicine and Pharmacology in the
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
is dedicated to excellence in teaching and research
and is seeking to appoint a leading clinical academic
recognised at a national and international level as an
authority in their discipline of cardiovascular medicine.
This Chair position provides a challenging opportunity
for a suitably qualified person who has a record
of leadership in an area of clinical cardiology and
research.
I would be happy to provide further information or
answer any questions you may have regarding the
position.
Professor Alan Robson, AM CitWA
Vice-Chancellor
Telephone: +61 8 6488 2809
Email: alan.robson@uwa.edu.au
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The University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia – a member of
Australia’s Group of Eight – combines the traditions of
the world’s old and great universities with the vitality
and excitement of innovative study and research in
the twenty-first century. It is recognised internationally
as an excellent teaching and research university, and
a leading intellectual and creative resource to the
community it serves.
The University of Western Australia is a high-quality
research-intensive university with a broad and
balanced coverage of disciplines in the arts, science
and major professions. It is Western Australia’s oldest
university, established in 1911, and currently has a
student population of approximately 22,000.
The University is recognised nationally and
internationally for the quality of its academic staff
and has strong strategic partnerships with industry,
the professions and government. It operates in
collaboration with other research intensive universities
in Australia and around the world. The University of
Western Australia graduates are highly competitive
internationally, achieving success in higher study and
in wide-ranging fields of employment. Many graduates
have risen to prominence in leadership roles in
industry, government, education and the professions,
in Australia and overseas.
The University has acquired an international reputation
for excellence and enterprise and is regarded as
one of Australia’s best research institutions. Its
strong research culture sees it attract high levels of
competitive research funding. At the same time the
University places great emphasis on high quality
in teaching and learning, and is committed to the
development of innovative and responsive programs.
It has focused on the teaching-research nexus, so that
teaching and learning take place in an atmosphere of
research scholarship.
The University’s high quality teaching and research
ensure it remains the university of preference for
Western Australia’s highest achieving school leavers,
as well as attracting high-calibre undergraduate and
postgraduate students from around the nation and
overseas. The quality of the student population is
extremely high by national and international standards.
Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
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Role, Key Responsibilities, Selection Criteria
and Conditions of Employment
Role
The Chair in Cardiology will provide clinical service,
contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate
teaching activities and provide leadership in
research in an area of cardiovascular medicine.
The appointee will be recognised at a national and
international level as an authority in their discipline
of cardiovascular medicine.
The Chair will be responsible to the Head of
the School of Medicine and Pharmacology for
the University activities and to the Head of the
Department of Cardiology at Royal Perth Hospital
for clinical and hospital duties.
Key Responsibilities
• Provide clinical consultant service and leadership at
Royal Perth Hospital in the field of cardiology;
• Supervise undergraduate and postgraduate research
students;
• Contribute to undergraduate teaching in the Doctor
of Medicine, Doctor of Surgery (MBBS) degree and
in the new course framework to be introduced in
2014;
• Lead new research initiatives and actively seek
external funding (especially through applications to
competitive grant schemes);
• Communicate research funding through scientific
publications, reports, meetings and teaching;
• Liaise and effectively communicate with relevant
sections of the community, various professional
bodies (including the nursing and allied health
professions), government departments and nongovernment
organisations;
• Play and active role in the maintenance of academic
standards and in the development of educational
policy and curriculum;
• Actively engage in professional services and raise
the profile of the University in the broad community;
• Work within the legislative requirements of the
University and the Department of Health WA;
• Effectively represent the discipline of cardiology
within the School of Medicine and Pharmacology at
Faculty and University level and within the WA Health
Service;
• Support the University’s commitment to safety,
equity and diversity principles.
Clinical Responsibilities
• As with other members of the Department of
Cardiology, provision of routine and emergency
consultation and management of patients within
Royal Perth Hospital. Service provision will be in
accordance with the needs of the Department of
Cardiology and will encompass inpatient, outpatient,
day-care and consultation/liaison as determined and
may vary from time-to-time depending on
organisational needs and objectives;
• Supervision of junior medical staff including
assessment of staff performance in relation to clinical
competence; adherence to departmental protocols;
timely and accurate documentation, and
communication with patients, relatives, peers, other
staff and doctors in other hospitals and in the
community;
• Participation in professional continuing educational
activities, and a commitment to maintain and update
own knowledge and skills;
• Commitment to the highest professional standards
and ethics as is appropriate to the seniority and
leadership role of clinical staff;
• Commitment to a team-based multi-disciplinary
approach to clinical care;
• Participation in departmental and other meetings to
meet organisational and service objectives;
• Provide medical reports and other management
tasks as appropriate;
• Ensure the ongoing application of continuous quality
improvement principles in systematically evaluating
and meeting customer needs;
• Ensure relevant practicable occupational safety and
health practices and standards are implemented and
maintained.
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Selection Criteria
Qualifications
• Registrable as a medical practitioner with the
Medical Board of Western Australia;
• Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of
Physicians (or equivalent) with extensive training and
experience in cardiology;
• Highly desirable that the appointee has a higher
academic degree (MD, PhD or equivalent) in
medicine or biomedical science or equivalent by
publication record.
Leadership and Teaching
• Capacity to provide academic, clinical and team
leadership using exemplary interpersonal skills
including effectively representing the discipline of
cardiology in matters relating to the Hospital, the
University and the wider community of Western
Australia;
• Evidence of personal contribution and commitment
to high quality teaching and learning in cardiology at
all levels;
• Ability to supervise and participate in undergraduate
medical education and commitment to participate in
the teaching activities of Royal Perth Hospital and
the development of academic cardiology in Western
Australia;
• Active involvement in clinical audit and other quality
improvement processes including a commitment to
personal professional development;
Research and Scholarship
• Personal commitment to, and achievement in,
scholarly research, and communication of that
achievement to others;
• Academic leadership in research and scholarship;
• Ability to foster teamwork and promote the research
activities of groups and individuals;
• Successful supervision of postgraduate (vocational
and research) students and a willingness to
supervise major honours or postgraduate research
projects;
• Ability to attract research resources;
• Experience in the development of research policy
and the ability to link research to clinical practice and
teaching;
Service
• Ability to liaise and effectively communication with
relevant sectors of the community, various
professional bodies (including the nursing and allied
health professions), government departments and
non-government organisations;
• Ability to provide the required standard of clinical
cardiology care in accordance with best practice.
Conditions of Employment
The appointment will be for a fixed term period of
five years with the possibility for further periods.
An attractive and flexibly constructed remuneration
package will be negotiated and will include:
• Professorial and hospital salaries;
• A clinical loading;
• Rights of private practice (limited or election to a
private practice allowance);
• Employer contribution to superannuation of 17%
(standard employee contribution is 7% also);
• Recreation leave of 20 working days per annum;
• Long service leave;
• Eligibility for sabbatical leave;
• Relocation assistance including air fares.
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Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
School of Medicine and Pharmacology
The Faculty of Medicine was initially established
in 1956. The medical course is undertaken at the
Crawley Campus of the University and the community
health centres, and in the following hospitals:
Armadale-Kelmscott Memorial Hospital, Bentley
Hospital, Fremantle Hospital, Graylands Hospital,
Hollywood Private Hospital, Joondalup Health
Campus, King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women,
Osborne Park Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital
for Children, Rockingham General Hospital, Royal
Perth Hospital (RPH), Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital,
Swan District Hospital and St John of God Hospital
(Subiaco).
The Faculty of Dentistry, originally name Faculty of
Dental Science, was established in 1946. Teaching is
undertaken at the Crawley Campus of the University, in
the Oral Health Centre of Western Australia complex at
the Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre and at Princess
Margaret Hospital for Children.
The combined Faculty is now known as the Faculty of
Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.
Specific information on the Faculty may be found at:
www.meddent.uwa.edu.au
School of Medicine and Pharmacology
One of the largest and most complex Schools in the
University, Medicine and Pharmacology is located
at four primary sites and supports medical, dental
and science teaching disciplines. A close clinical
liaison with several teaching and private hospitals
is maintained, with teaching contributions delivered
by over 250 clinical accorded status consulting
physicians. Research activities range from NHMRC,
ARC and other competitive grants to large-scale
clinical trials, government sponsored Centres of
Excellence, and a Cooperative Research Centre
(CRC).
The Royal Perth Hospital Unit of the School of
Medicine and Pharmacology supports 12 clinical
academic staff (in speciality areas of Respiratory
Medicine, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Renal Medicine,
Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, Rheumatology,
as well as a Winthrop Professor of Systems Biology,
Professorial Fellow in Research), 11 senior academic
research staff, one full-time Associate Professor of
Teaching & Research and 7 sessional clinical teaching
staff. The RPH Unit has 27 general and technical
staff and 34 senior clinical accorded status staff and
approximately 70 clinical teaching staff within the
Hospital and 18 postgraduate students currently
enrolled. Major clinical and laboratory research
interests in the Unit include cardiovascular disease,
lipid disorders, hypertension, infectious respiratory
diseases including genetic origins of responses to
infection, stem cell therapy, diabetes mellitus, chronic
disease management and rheumatology.
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Royal Perth Hospital
Royal Perth Hospital
RPH is a progressive, fully accredited 693 bed
teaching hospital which services the Southern
Metropolitan Health Region in Perth. All services for
adult medicine and surgery are provided as well as
housing the State Trauma Unit. Current medical clinical
service units encompass Cardiology, Neurosciences,
Emergency, Acute Medicine, Geriatric Medicine,
Skeletal Medicine, Gastroenterology, Respiratory,
Endocrinology, Internal Medicine, Nephrology,
Oncology and Palliative Care.
The Department of Cardiology at RPH was
established more than 40 years ago and presently
comprises 9 part-time and 5 full-time Cardiologists.
There are 4 advanced trainee cardiology registrar
posts as well as sub-speciality fellows in coronary
intervention and/or electrophysiology. In addition there
are 4 rotating registrar posts (mainly basic physician
trainees), 6 resident medical officers and 2 intern
positions as well as technical and nursing staff.
The Cardiology Department at RPH is the largest in
the state and for many years has been at the forefront
of innovations in cardiology. The department has been
a national leader in coronary interventions and has
provided 24-hour Primary PCI program for STEMI
patients since 1995. The department has a strong
electrophysiology and pacing program, an expanding
non-invasive cardiac imaging program and the State
Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation
Unit. Over the last several years new programs
have included – Pulmonary Vein Isolation for Atrial
Fibrillation, Biventricular Pacing for Heart Failure, Left
Ventricular Assist Device program for advanced heart
failure and Percutaneous Aortic Valve Replacement.
The department treats over 5,000 inpatients and
has over 20,000 outpatient visits for consultation
or non-invasive testing each year. A full range of
non-invasive and invasive services is provided
with approximately 5,000 echocardiograms (both
transthoracic and transoesophageal) being performed
each year. Approximately 2,200 diagnostic coronary
angiograms are carried out each year, with 730 of
these proceeding directly to coronary angioplasty.
The inclusion of elective angioplasty in this figure
brings the total PTCA figures to almost 1,000. This
total also includes approximately 180 emergency
procedures, which are undertaken as the primary
method of management for patients in the early stage
of heart attack. This is a 24-hour service provided
by the department’s acute myocardial infarction
angioplasty service.
Of the 150 electrophysiological studies performed
each year, three-quarters proceed directly to
catheter ablation as the treatment of choice for
the management of several cardiac arrhythmias.
In addition, over 280 permanent pacemakers and 85
implantable defibrillators are inserted.
Invasive investigations are performed in the Cardiac
Catheterisation Suite, which is equipped with
2 Siemens Artis Zee angiographic installations
and a dedicated Siemens Artis Zee pacemaker/
electrophysiology laboratory. There are 12 Coronary
Care Unit beds and 20 other cardiology beds.
Within the Department there is a considerable
degree of sub-specialisation with 4 cardiologists
primarily involved in electrophysiology and arrhythmia
management, 4 in the area of coronary, vascular and
structural intervention and 3 in echocardiography and
imaging.
The Department of Cardiology is also involved in
many multicentre clinical trials in acute coronary
syndromes, coronary intervention, electrophysiology
and arrhythmia management and heart failure. The
group at RPH have been the Australian Regional Coordinators
for NIH funded trials (OAT, FREEDOM) and
the lead site for investigator initiated multicentre trials
in Australia (PRACTICAL, AIRCRAFT).
Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
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Perth, Western Australia
The resource-rich State of Western Australia is the
economic powerhouse of Australia. Western Australia
is the principal Australian supplier of natural resources
and energy to international partners, including China,
India, Japan, South Korea and much of South-East
Asia. Western Australia’s diverse inventory of minerals
and energy, as well as its agricultural and fisheries
resources, account for 25 per cent of the nation’s
exports and place the State at the heart of Australian
economic growth and transformation.
Western Australia and its capital Perth occupy the same
time zone as 60 per cent of the world’s population and
the nations that promise the greatest economic growth
of the twenty-first century. In recognition of the State’s
unique position, The University of Western Australia
has initiated a series of strategic discussions under the
banner ‘In The Zone’ – www.zone.uwa.edu.au. There
was a major international conference at the end of 2009
and the discussions will continue in 2011.
Western Australia is also Australia’s largest state,
covering some 250 million hectares and 12,500
kilometres of coastline, including some of the
most ancient landscapes in the world. The State’s
population is matching the rapid growth of the
economy and is nearing two million.
Perth is a cosmopolitan city, with wide ethnic and
cultural diversity. The city centre is on the Swan River
12 kilometres from the Indian Ocean port of Fremantle.
The city enjoys a Mediterranean climate, with more
hours of sunshine than any other capital city in
Australia. Summers are hot and dry and the winters
mild and wet. Perth’s world-famous beaches and
rivers, extensive parklands and variety of restaurants
and cafes provide a superb living environment. For
more information see: www.tourism.wa.gov.au
Perth is well served with art galleries, theatres and
cinemas and is home to the WA Symphony Orchestra,
the WA Ballet and the WA Opera. The cultural highlight
of the year is the Perth International Arts Festival,
founded and owned by The University of Western
Australia – www.uwa.edu.au/piaf
Western Australia’s five universities and wide variety
of public and private schools, vocational institutions
and English language colleges provide quality assured
education with flexible study pathways and state-ofthe-art
facilities. Perth continues to build its reputation
as a destination for international students seeking a
quality education – www.pertheducationcity.com.au
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Applications
Thank you for your interest. If you wish to proceed,
the following information will assist you with your
application. Refer also to the selection criteria on
page 5.
There are no specific application forms to
complete. Your application must include the
following:
• A statement that clearly demonstrates the extent
to which you satisfy each of the selection criteria;
• A curriculum vitae that provides your personal
details, qualifications and work history;
• A list of any publications;
• The names, email, mailing addresses and the
telephone contact details of three referees who can
be contacted for a confidential report. Please note
that your permission will be sought before referees
are contacted.
Please also note: If you are the successful candidate
for this position and you are not an Australian or New
Zealand citizen, or a permanent resident of Australia,
you will be required to obtain an entry visa to work
here. The University of Western Australia will sponsor
you for employment in Australia under the Employer
Nomination Scheme.
Lodging your application
ELECTRONICALLY – Send your application as an
email attachment to: jane.downie@uwa.edu.au
Please include in the subject line:
Chair in Cardiology, Ref 3503
BY MAIL – Please address your application package
as follows:
Ms Jane Downie (Ref 3503)
Human Resources M350
The University of Western Australia
35 Stirling Highway
Crawley 6009
Western Australia
Closing date
The closing date for applications is
Friday 1 July 2011.
Enquiries and further information
If you wish to discuss the position in confidence,
please contact:
Professor Grant Waterer
Head of Royal Perth Hospital Unit
School of Medicine and Pharmacology
Royal Perth Hospital
Telephone: +61 8 9224 0245
Email: grant.waterer@uwa.edu.au
Or
Dr James Rankin
Head, Department of Cardiology
Royal Perth Hospital
Telephone: +61 8 9224 2067
Email: james.rankin@health.wa.gov.au
Cricos Provider Code: 00126G
Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
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