HOBART ENDOCRINOLOGIST AND UTAS PROFESSOR DR JOHN BURGESS ANNOUNCED AS NEW AMA TASMANIA STATE PRESIDENT
The Australian Medical Association Tasmania is pleased to announce Professor John Burgess, a Hobart based Endocrinologist from the Royal Hobart Hospital and the University of Tasmania has been elected as the President of the Australian Medical Association Tasmania.
Outgoing President Dr John Davis said “Professor Burgess brings to the role a diverse range of skills and experience, including medical practice, clinical leadership and research. AMA Tasmania and its Board look forward to working with him to implement the AMA health agenda.”
Professor Burgess was previously AMA Vice President and will be joined on the AMA Board by Dr Annette Douglas, Mr Scott Fletcher, Dr Helen McArdle and Dr John Davis.
AMA Tasmania provides a vital role in serving the professional needs of medical practitioners throughout the State. The AMA is also 'the' prime body in Tasmania representing the interests of patients and the whole community on health issues.
Professor Burgess said, “the AMA is about advocacy and support - advocacy to achieve excellent and sustainable health outcomes for our patients and community, and support for doctors so they can do their job effectively and with confidence that the resources needed for clinical and preventative care are available.”
He added, the AMA reiterates its firm belief that “Tasmanians deserve high quality, accessible public health services, and political parties must support long-term strategies that focus on this outcome. Healthcare staff must be supported in delivering frontline care, and we need a strategic plan for our public hospitals moreover, community health services.”
Further “the time has come for a renewed comprehensive health plan to be developed for the state that encompasses the acute and primary health sectors. The only way we are going to be able to manage increasing demand on our hospitals is if we do more in the preventative health space to help Tasmanians not become ill with chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer, as well as provide more care for patients in the community.”
The AMA would welcome being part of any consultation processes on how our health system should look under such a plan.
AMA Tasmania is presently focusing on six key areas of health policy that deserve cross-party political support:
1. Sustainable and effective health governance and policy development.
2. Sustainable healthcare facilities and infrastructure.
3. Sustainable healthcare workforce.
4. Sustainable health funding based on activity and community needs.
5. Accessible, high-quality health services for all Tasmanians.
6. Addressing health promotion and the social determinants of health.
Professor Burgess said that in his role as President AMA Tasmania he intends to keep health front and centre by pursuing AMA Tasmania’s Health Agenda.
Finally, on behalf of the AMA Tasmania Board and members, Prof John Burgess expressed gratitude to Dr Davis for his dedication and highly effective leadership as President.
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT:
Lara Giddings 0400 417 160 – CEO AMA TASMANIA
Nadine Cove 0409 159 285 – MEDIA AMA TASMANIA