Media Release - Best Public Health Initiative From a State or Territory Government Award - 25 May 2018
QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT HONOURED FOR INVESTING IN JUNIOR DOCTORS’ HEALTH
AMA Best Public Health Initiative From a State or Territory Government Award
2018 AMA NATIONAL CONFERENCE - #amanatcon
QT Canberra, 25-27 May 2018
A program that aims to make patients healthier by increasing the health and resilience of doctors in training in Queensland public hospitals has won the AMA Best Public Health Initiative from a State or Territory Government Award.
AMA President, Dr Michael Gannon, announced the award at the AMA National Conference in Canberra today.
Nominated by AMA Queensland, the Resilience on the Run program is the first consistent program offered to doctors in training in Australia to support their mental stress and emotional demands as they transition to a career in medicine.
“It is crucial to have healthy doctors – this leads to healthier patients,” Dr Gannon said.
“Doctors need to be well to deliver high-quality health care to their patients and the community, and to experience medicine as a rewarding and satisfying career.
“This was recognised by the World Medical Association last year when it updated the Oath of Geneva – the modern successor to the Hippocratic Oath – to reflect the importance of doctors attending to their own health.
“The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has also recognised the need to reform laws that inhibit doctors from seeking help for mental health issues.
“With Resilience on the Run, the Queensland Government has acknowledged the unique stresses on doctors in training as they transition from medical school to the workforce.
“AMA Queensland developed a pilot program aimed at equipping young doctors with the resilience and coping skills needed to survive and thrive in medicine, through a two-part workshop focused on developing resilience and mindfulness techniques, managing interpersonal relationships, and strategies for dealing with burnout and fatigue.
“The program was piloted in 2016 with a cohort of interns at Rockhampton Base Hospital, Ipswich Hospital, and the Metro South health area.
“In recognition of the strong results achieved for doctors in training in the pilot project, the Queensland Government provided funding in the 2017-18 Budget to deliver Resilience on the Run to all Queensland-based medical interns from 2017-2019.
“I note that AMA Queensland is now advocating for the State Government to extend funding for Resilience on the Run beyond the intern years to post-graduate years two to five, which would be a very worthy achievement.”
The judging panel, headed by Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) CEO Michael Moore, noted that the campaign stood out for its quality and clarity of message, and its effectiveness.
25 May 2018
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