President’s Word: How can we do better?
January 9, 2018
Counter Productivity
January 9, 2018
FROM THE CEO
A new year signifies change. Here at the AMA, we’re focused on effecting change that will improve the medical profession and the healthcare system.
Welcome to the first edition of The NSW Doctor for 2018, and for our intern members, welcome to the AMA. We know how long and hard you have worked to get to internship. We want to assure you that we are here to make your life as a doctor and the society you live and work in the best it can be.
As an AMA member, you have an important role to play in supporting that work. You won’t always agree with everything we do, but we hope you will continue to support the vision we have for the profession and the community.
A feature of life in medical politics is to expect the unexpected. For the last few years, we have seen major issues with harassment and health and wellbeing. The AMA has worked hard on each of these problems and to address the underlying cultural factors which influence these issues. We recognise, particularly from the results of the Hospital Health Check survey, that we really have not yet done enough to change the culture of medicine and to make our hospitals and practices safer for all. However, there has been progress and what we now need to do is to focus on spreading those best practices more broadly. It would be great if doctors start sharing advice that is more along the lines of, “Oh, that hospital is great, they do a lot for staff,” rather than “Watch out for such-and-such in x department.”
Speaking of change for the better, this edition, we also feature a lovely story about the Students as Lifestyle Activists program, or SALSA. SALSA is an educational program in western Sydney schools which aims to encourage healthy lifestyles. I was fortunate enough to attend a presentation from Year 9 students from Chifley College, Rooty Hill High, and Blacktown Girls High. You can read about the event on page 29. It was such a privilege to see the preparation and thought the students had put into their presentations. They understood that they need their Government and their community to make their environment safer so that they can exercise and access healthy food. These students understood the power of good advocacy – be focused, know what you want, believe in what you care about, and sell your message. It’s exactly what we try and do at the AMA.