ANZCA Bulletin - June 2009 - Australian and New Zealand College ...

Faculty of Pain MedicineReport from theBoard Meetings held onApril 30 and May 3, 2009Faculty BoardThe Faculty Board met on April 30 and thenthe “new” board met on May 3 to appointoffice-bearers and committees.Strategic planningAt the April 30 board meeting, we reviewedthe progress against the last strategic planand good progress has been made with:• Curriculums to medical schools PGY 1 & 2• Increased number of training units• Regional committees in three states• MoUs signed off• A budget of $7,000 each year for threeyears for a pain program at the RACS ASC• Liaison with RACGP reorganising acurriculum for GPs• National Pain Summit up and running• Spring meetings established• Teleconferences established with APSand NZPSA half-day strategic workshop isproposed in conjunction with the Augustor October Board meetings to marry in withANZCA’s strategic review. Challenges aheadinclude:• Educating the profession and publicabout pain medicine• Education of GPs and supporting GPs todevelop a curriculum• Continuing to build the Faculty’s profile• Closer liaison with the AFRM and AChAM• Attracting young psychiatrists into theFaculty• Strengthening relationships with the APSand NZPS• Changing nature of medical practice: Selfmanagement of chronic disease/illnessRegional representationFollowing the recent Board election therewas no representation from WA andTasmania on the Faculty Board. The Boardresolved to co-opt the interim chair of thenewly-formed Western Australian RegionalCommittee to the Board. A Tasmanianrepresentative will be invited to observe ata Board meeting later in the year and willbe asked to bring ideas on how the Facultycan help raise the profile of pain medicinein that region.Relationships portfolioLiaisons with medical collegesANZCADr Leona Wilson, ANZCA President,attended the April Board Meeting andwill attend several board meetings a yearto promote communication betweenANZCA and the Faculty. Issues raisedincluded the Faculty’s desire for a strongsound relationship with the College,the reduction of FPM representation onANZCA committees and concerns that theFPM Dean, as a co-opted representative isnot a Director or included in the financecommittee. Three Board members wereinvited to attend a council workshop inApril with a facilitator from the AustralianInstitute of Company Directors and hadfound this to be very useful.RANZCOGA working group with multidisciplinaryinput from pain, obstetrics, psychologyand physiotherapy, is developing a draftdocument on pelvic pain. It is anticipatedthis will take the form of a professionaldocument or clinical update which may beconsidered for publication in the MedicalJournal of Australia.RANZCPA group of psychiatry FPM Fellows metduring the recent APS meeting. Severalpriorities were identified including raisingthe profile of psychiatry within the FPMand of the FPM within the RANZCP andcoordination of a formal academic sessionat each future RANZCP congress. The groupwill next meet at the APS/NZPS meeting in2010. A full report from Dr Newman Harriscan be found in this edition of the Bulletin.RACSFaculty Fellows and the FPM ASM Visitor,Professor Andrew Rice, spoke at the twodaypain program of the 2009 RACS ASCfollowing the ANZCA ASM. The 2010 RACSASC will be held in Perth and the painprogram is being organised byDr David Holthouse.Visitors to future Board MeetingsThe President of the Australian PainSociety, Dr Stephen Gibson, will attend theAugust Board Meeting, and the Presidentof the Australasian Chapter of AddictionMedicine, Dr Yvonne Bonomo, is to beinvited to attend in October.Liaison with pain societiesTo further improve liaisons with the painsocieties, Faculty regional committeeswill be asked to co-opt an APS member.Liaisons at a national level are to bepursued including the possibility of jointprofessional documents. A teleconferencemeeting of the Faculty, APS and NZPS isscheduled for June 3.UK pain specialtyThe Faculty of Pain Medicine of the RoyalCollege of Anaesthetists (RCA) has soughtadvice on establishing a formal assessmentprocess for the UK Faculty. They haveaccepted an invitation to send an observerto the 2009 examination in Sydney.American Board Pain MedicineProfessor Rollin (Mac) Gallagher, presidentof the ABPM, met with the board and gave apresentation on developments with the PainMedicine journal. At the new board meetingProf Milton Cohen was appointed senioreditor of Pain Medicine. Prof Gallagher alsorequested interested fellows to nominateas sub-editors.Chronic Pain AustraliaChronic Pain Australia has organisedconferences and held a well-attendedconsumer session before the APS meetingchaired by Milton Cohen, in which severalFellows participated. This organisationaims to offer a telephone advisory servicein liaison with Arthritis NSW, a successfulsupport group.Fellowship AffairsportfolioFellowshipNew admissionsDrs Pamela Eccles FANZCA (SA) andCharles Kim FANZCA (Vic) were admitted tofellowship by training and examination andDr Michal Kluger FANZCA (New Zealand)was elected to Fellowship by election. Threeapplicants were offered the new summativeassessment pathway to Fellowship whichinvolves satisfactory completion ofexamination and case report requirementswithout further training.Honours and appointmentsThe Board acknowledged and congratulatedthe following recipients:Dr Bob Boas has been awarded lifemembership of the NZSA88The ANZCA Bulletin June 2009