President’s Message
Hello Colleagues,
As 2021 winds up, it is safe to say it has been yet another year defined by a pandemic that continues to bring challenges and uncertainty to all, including so many of our colleagues and of course the older people we serve. Again, I acknowledge the frontline work of geriatricians across Australia and New Zealand in this pandemic, your resilience and dedication continues to offer invaluable support to our vulnerable older population.
Looking back on the year for ANZSGM, I am happy to say that it has been both a productive 12 months and a year of reflection and planning, with several projects launched and more on the way.
Last month a one-day strategy session brought together Council members to map out the next few years for the Society. It was an extremely fruitful discussion which identified where we will focus our activities in the coming few years. We hope to continue engaging our members through targeted communications, special interest groups, engaging with research and supporting our Divisions. Developing models of care is also a priority, again through special interest groups and also by exploring research opportunities. Our role as a policy influencer must continue, with targeted work around promoting models of care that result in better out of hospital care of older people, Climate Change and First Nations Health. Moving forward we also hope to strengthen the structure of the organisation through a governance review and potentially further staff to undertake the added work we plan to achieve.
While plans and strategies are exciting, what I am most pleased with are the tangible results of the Society’s work in 2021. In November we held our first webinar in our quarterly series featuring Dr Rachel Aitken, and Dr Aisling Fleury who shared their expertise on Emergency General Surgery and setting up a Perioperative Service. The session attracted some 180 registrants and over 60 attendees and we look forward to delivering further webinars in 2022 that are informative and inspiring for our members.
Our Perioperative SIG continues to deliver progress through the work of its enthusiastic membership (many of them women). It shows the value of looking at things with fresh eyes. The Group has served as a pilot for future SIGs, and so far we are really happy with the direction it is going. By this time next year we hope to have an Out of Hospital Care Special Interest Group in place with plans for further groups such as a Dementia SIG in the pipeline.
Our Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Working Group is well on its way to developing a Society position on VAD. The group includes a diverse group of voices from different states with varied experiences. As NSW joins other states to legalise VAD, it is an issue that geriatricians will become more engaged with and through our position we hope to provide a resource for colleagues on this complex issue.
Before I sign off I would like to thank the Council for your participation in the work of the Society this year, along with committee members who have made such meaningful contributions to our work. You are all extremely busy with your day jobs, and I gratefully acknowledge the time and energy you contribute to the Society through meetings, discussion and submissions.
Let’s hope that 2022 is the year we see the beginning of the end of the pandemic and an opportunity for optimism and hope. Until then, wishing you all a very happy and safe holiday season and I hope you are all able to enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation with family and loved ones.
Vasi Naganathan
President ANZSGM
