Local geriatrician awarded OAM
Dr Hugh Fairfull-Smith’s contribution to the North Coast community was recognised in the recent Queen’s Birthday honours.
On his retirement last year local GP Dr Andrew Binns wrote of Dr Fairfull-Smith that “it takes a special clinician with a broad range of skills to deal with the complexities and challenges of geriatrics. It involves diverse skills in managing complex chronic diseases, comorbidities, individual psychosocial issues, social determinants of health and family dynamics.”
As the first geriatrician in the area it also involved setting up multiple services for the elderly. Hugh’s first act was to establish the Geriatric Assessment Team. This was followed by a Respite Service, the At-Risk Register, the Dementia Outreach service and the rehabilitation units at St Vincent’s and subsequently at Coraki and the Ballina hospitals.
At a time when there were no guidelines or procedures to follow Hugh showed great initiative and drive in just “getting the job done”. This spirit is still alive on the North Coast today as shown by the volunteer doctors involved in the recent floods.
NorDocs congratulates Hugh on his award and wishes him and his wife, Cate, well in their retirement.
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Lighting up Lismore
On the wintry night of 25 June, one of the year’s shortest days, people of all ages took to the streets with lanterns in all shapes and sizes. These ones were a tribute to the locals who used ‘tinnies’ to rescue neighbours trapped in the perilous floodwaters.
Just how deserving was Jylllie Jackson’s Order of Australia Medal in this year’s Australia Day honours was born out by the success of her ‘baby’, the Lismore Lantern Parade, on Saturday 25 June.
Now nearing its third decade, the parade was the city’s biggest community event since the Feb-March floods.
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Vale Dr Norman Rogers
NorDocs notes the passing in June 2022 of Dr Norman Rogers,a GP / obstetrician / surgeon in Lismore from the early 50s until 1984. Norm was the Government Medical Officer for many years and was frequently called upon in this capacity to visit the police cells and perform post mortems at Lismore Base Hospital.
He was active in local medical politics, being a Board member of both St Vincent’s and Lismore Base Hospitals. He served on the Board of the North Eastern Medical Association, the local branch of the British Medical Association, prior to the establishment of the Australian Medical Association.
He had a long term interest in medical education and was instrumental in founding the Richmond Valley Clinical Society in 1984.
He was a keen cricketer and golfer. In his later years he retired to a house on the river at Ballina and took up sailing.
He was predeceased by his wife Marie and is survived by his eight children and many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
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Tips for LGBTQ+ Inclusive Health Care
In this article, Mark Hughes, Professor of Social Work at Southern Cross University, shares some tips and resources that can help. Mark has published widely on the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ older people, and is the Australian lead on the Global Pride project. This article is one of a series sponsored by Southern Cross University’s Faculty of Health.
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- Written by: Mark Hughes, SCU
Genicular Artery Embolisation (GAE) - Cutting edge treatment for Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis
Genicular Artery Embolisation (GAE) has emerged as a novel, minimally invasive treatment for symptomatic mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis of the knee and post-arthroplasty knee pain, and may provide immediate and long-lasting pain relief with improvement in patient function.
Osteoarthritis is a common disease and a major cause of morbidity. It has a rising incidence and prevalence, with data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study1 showing the number of osteoarthritis cases in Australasia has increased by 116% in the last three decades, from an estimated 1.76 million cases in 1990 to 3.8 million cases in 2019, with the knee being the most commonly affected site.
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- Written by: by Andrew Drane MBBS, Dominic Simring FRACS, Anthony Leslie FRACS
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