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Welcome to the AMA (WA)'s online newsletter. Feedback on Med e-link (WA) is welcomed from members. Send your views to medelink@amawa.com.au.

AMA warns private health premiums will 'rise 5 per cent'

AMA Federal President Dr Rosanna Capolingua (left) has warned that private health insurance premiums are likely to rise by five per cent as a result the Rudd Government’s first Budget...>>more

An Access Economics analysis of the Budget commissioned by the AMA, Health and the 2008-09 Federal Budget, found that changes in the private health insurance rebate and increases in the Medicare levy surcharge threshold would spark an exodus of young, healthy people from private health insurance.

“That implies that health funds will have to increase premiums by five per cent as the Budget fall-out occurs – over and above any usual annual premium increase,” Dr Capolingua said when launching the report in Perth.

“People with private health insurance are likely to be slugged with a total annual increase in their premiums of closer to 10 per cent than the five or six per cent they’ve been used to,"... >>more.

State Government under pressure to extend smoking bans

The AMA(WA) and other leading WA health groups have joined forced in calling on the State Government to implement widespread bans on smoking in outdoor public places and for a ban on smoking in cars carrying children... >>more.

The campaign was launched on Sunday, May 25 by AMA(WA) President Prof Geoff Dobb and Cancer Council tobacco program director Denise Sullivan (pictured left).

The AMA(WA) has lobbied for smoking bans in cars for some time, and the push has now been supported by the the Cancer Council Western Australia, Heart Foundation (WA), Diabetes WA, the Asthma Foundation of WA, the Public Health Association of Australia WA, the Public Health Advocacy Institute of WA, ACOSH, the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research on Children’s Environmental Health and the Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer Control (CBRCC) at Curtin University.

The groups have sent a joint submission to Health Minister Jim McGinty urging him to make changes to legislation as soon as possible... >>more.

AMA(WA) backs plan for organ donor summit

The AMA (WA) has welcomed the decision by Health Minster Jim McGinty to hold a summit on ways of increasing organ donations in WA... >>more.

"Organ donation is a very personal and sensitive issue and the community needs to be involved in any decision to introduce new ways to increase the donation rate," said association President Prof Geoff Dobb.

"This particularly applies if the Government wants to automatically take organs from dying patients unless they had previously objected and chosen to opt out of being a donor."

Prof Dobb, who is chairman of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society's committee on death and organ donation, said almost 200 West Australians were waiting anxiously for organ transplants.

Perth student lands prestigious AMA Indigenous Award

University of WA Medical School student Ms Gemma Johnston (pictured left, with AmA Federal President Dr Rosanna Capolingua) has been awarded the AMA's Indigenous Peoples' Medical Scholarship for 2008.

The $9000 scholarship, to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island students studying medicine, has been awarded every year since 1995.

Ms Johnston said she was passionate about improving health in remote communities and said her career goal was to work as either an ophthalmologist or obstetrician in remote communities in northern Australia.

Dr Capolingua said the scholarship was an excellent opportunity to encourage more Indigenous students to consider a career in medicine, particularly in Indigenous health.

"The AMA believes helping Indigenous medical students to get through university and go out to serve the community can only help in the national effort towards closing the gap," Dr Capolingua said... >>more.

New Dean for Notre Dame School of Medicine

Associate Professor Gavin Frost (left) has been appointed as the University of Notre Dame Australia’s Dean of the School of Medicine, Fremantle Campus, and will take up the position mid-July 2008.

Dr Frost is currently Associate Professor in Population and Public Health at Notre Dame’s Sydney School of Medicine.

Prior to joining Notre Dame, Associate Professor Frost was General Manager (Business Development) with Aus Health International in NSW, developing overseas health projects.

Dr Frost is a medical graduate of Sydney University, and holds a Masters degree in Public Health.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators, was its Censor-in-Chief from 1999 until 2005 and currently is President of the College.

He is also a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and serves on the NSW state advisory committee... >>more.

Applications for GP training now open

GP training with WAGPET prepares Registrars for Fellowship with either or both the RACGP and ACRRM. The three year training program includes one hospital year and two years of general practice experience.

Placements are available throughout WA and GP Registrars interested in procedural training can choose to do an additional year of training in areas such as anaesthetics, obstetrics, Aboriginal Health, emergency medicine and more.

Applications for 2009 entry to the GP training program opened on Saturday, May 24 and will close 22 June 2008.

Applications are submitted on-line on the GPET website >>here

Prevocational programs for WA junior doctors

Applications for the 2009 prevocational programs for junior doctors are now being accepted and will remain open until June 26.

WAGPET offers two types of prevocational opportunities in community medicine and both programs are for PGY2 and above. They offer excellent education and support in outer metro and rural areas of the state.

The Prevocational General Practice Placement Program (PGPPP) offers a dedicated hospital term in general practice.

Community Residencies offer a combined hospital specialty area and general practice experience which allows Residents to continue to develop their specialist skills in a community setting. Specialty areas include Emergency Medicine, Obstetrics, Paediatrics, Mental Health, Palliative Care, Public Health and Surgery.

MABEL to help find balance for doctors

A longitudinal survey of doctors, called Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life (MABEL), has been launched this month and will give every doctor in Australia the opportunity to take part.

Funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council and conducted by researchers from the University of Melbourne and Monash University, the landmark survey will research patterns behind the nation's continuing medical workforce shortage and increasing demands on the working and family lives of doctors.

The MABEL longitudinal survey will also follow-up doctors over time to examine the reasons for changes in work-life balance.

For more information or to take part in the survey, click here

New CBA deal a plus for AMA(WA) members

AMA(WA) members have the opportunity to save almost $5000 per year in interest repayments off a $500,000 home loan, investment home loan, or viridian line of credit, with a new 0.85 per cent per annum discount from the Commonwealth Bank.

Under the exclusive deal, the AMA(WA) and the Commonwealth Bank can offer members the discount off the standard variable interest rate.

In addition, for a reduced $300 package fee, members can enjoy all the relevant benefits of Wealth Package Plus AMA, including exclusive discounts on merchant fees for business, Eftpos facilities, preferential interest rates and no establishment or loan service fee.

To take advantage of this offer, contact Christine Kane at the AMA(WA) on 9273 3027 or Melinda Walker at the CBA on 9211 1701...>>more