President’s Message

Welcome to this second issue of the Society’s Newsletter for 2023; I’m honoured to share some thoughts from the commencement of my term as President.  At the outset I’d like to thank Vasi Naganathan for his outstanding leadership of the ANZSGM over the last two years.  I’m grateful to Vasi for his support and assistance, which I’m sure I will continue to rely upon as he eases into the role of Immediate Past President.

At our most recent Council meeting in May we bid farewell to outgoing Council members Sean Maher (WA), Benny Katz (Vic) and Ruth Hubbard (Qld).  Of course renewal is a necessity for all representative organisations, although the contributions of retiring members will be sorely missed.  In particular I wish to pay tribute to Sean and Benny, both of whom served on Council, providing unfailingly sage advice, for many years.  We welcome Nick Spendier (WA), Lisa Kelly (Qld) and Peter Lange (Vic) as new additions to Council and I look forward to working with them and hearing their perspectives over the coming year. 

For me the highlight of the past couple of months was the Society’s Annual Scientific Meeting, held in Brisbane in May.  There was a real buzz in the air throughout the three days of the conference, and it was so wonderful to catch up in person with friends, colleagues, and mentors, something that had been made very difficult by the COVID pandemic.  Having the gala dinner back in full swing, complete with a heaving dance floor, was the icing on the cake!  The Society owes its thanks to the ASM Convenors, Debbie Lee and Emily Gordon, and the rest of the Queensland organising committee.  By every metric it was a hugely successful event, and I encourage you to view the article dedicated to the Brisbane ASM in this Newsletter.  Recorded sessions from the ASM will shortly be added to the Society’s Video Library for all ASM registrants to access via the ANZSGM website.  After three months these recordings will be accessible to all Society members.  The Brisbane ASM closed with a taste of what we can expect from next year’s ASM in Christchurch, and it looks enticing – make sure you pencil the dates into your diary; 22 – 24 May 2024. 

For the first time the ASM included a workshop hosted by our Perioperative Special Interest Group, and it was fantastic to attend and witness the SIG’s achievements over the short period of time it has been operating.  It really is a success story of the last few years in the Society’s history, and is a testament to the dedication of our geriatrician colleagues who have been so eager to pick up the concept and run with it.  We hope to replicate some of this success with the establishment of a couple of other Special Interest Groups focusing on Out of Hospital Care, and Dementia, so watch this space; it would be great to see SIG workshops become a permanent fixture on the program of the ASM.  If you are interested in joining any of our SIGs, please contact Communications Officer Jo Dunlop, communications@anzsgm.org.

The recent Annual General Meeting was a milestone for our Society, with passage of a special resolution that clears the way for the ANZSGM to transition from an Incorporated Association (under NSW legislation) to a Company Limited by Guarantee (under Australian Commonwealth law).  Registration as a company under the Corporations Act 2001 will better reflect the nature of the Society as a trans-national organisation, conducting business throughout Australia and in New Zealand, and will avoid constraints imposed on the size of Incorporated Associations under NSW law.  The special resolution included the adoption of a new constitution which complies with Commonwealth regulatory requirements whilst conserving to the greatest extent practicable the particulars of the old constitution.  Work remains to be done on the drafting of bylaws and additional policies dealing with the establishment and operation of the Divisions as well as a number of other matters, and submission of a formal application to ASIC for registration as a company limited by guarantee.  We anticipate these final steps will be concluded over the next couple of months.

Recently the Society has embarked on the renewal and refreshing of a number of our committees. Each of the committees performs a critical role in the work the Society undertakes.  A page that summarises the role of each of these Committees has been added to the website.  Our committees rely on the engagement and contributions of members, and I encourage you to get involved.  If you’d like to contribute to any of our committees, please send an expression of interest to admin@anzsgm.org, indicating which committee you’re interested in, and outlining the skills and expertise you can bring to the role.  We would particularly like to see advanced trainee representation.

Over the second half of 2023 I look forward to forging closer ties with the Society’s Divisions.  My aim is to attend as many of the divisional education weekends/retreats as I can manage, hearing about the issues that are important to you in the places you deliver geriatric medicine services.  It is always fascinating to gain insight into the diversity of experiences of colleagues across our two nations, and especially to meet enthusiastic young trainees and hear their perspectives on our growing profession. 

Rob O’Sullivan
President
ANZSGM