Blog

It is with great pleasure that this, my first, President’s report to the society. I took on this role at last year’s AGM in the sunny Gold Coast, coming out of two extraordinary challenging years for all of us both personally and professionally, with a large and diverse membership who wanted to get on with the business of what we do. I’m grateful for my colleagues on the board, our exceptional staff in our Sydney office and all of our members who have rolled up their sleeves and continued to steer the society forward into this brave, and hopefully no longer locked down, world.

A year ago, I said that we were going to focus on our people and our partnerships. I wanted to share a few updates on our progress.

Our interactions with government continue to proliferate. This includes discussions regarding new indications as evidenced by interactions regarding cardiac magnetic resonance during COVID, recommendations to changes to the prosthesis list and clarification of issues regarding MBS billing queries. We have a clear channel of communication with the Department of Health, with regular meetings and ad hoc interactions over the course of the year. As an example, we are aware that several members have received letters from the Department with queries on billing of consults at the time of coronary angiography. We work closely with government to provide clinical context on these matters. There will be further communication coming out to provide further clarity. We have influenced the ability of genetic cardiology consults to bill for exercise stress testing. This dialogue is important for all of us, it gives us better insights into the thinking of government and values our clinical opinion in their decision making processes. I would like to thank a number of members, in particular Raj Puranik, our Clinical Practice Advisor; Sid Lo, Chair of the Interventional Council; Greg Scalia, Chair of the Imaging Council and Jon Kalman, Chair of the Heart Rhythm Council for their efforts with these interactions. Raj is looking to develop a committee to work on clinical practice issues over the next few months.

I’d like to thank Jenny Deague who has taken over as Chair of the Education Committee. The membership of this committee has expanded and is working through a number of innovations to advance the work of Paul Bridgman and colleagues. The board has approved the first major initiative of the new education committee, CSANZ On Demand, which will permit access to a range of video and podcast content, on our website for members. We will look to launch this activity in 2024. Jenny will also represent the board as co-chair of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. We are in the process of expanding the committee and work with each of our councils to ensure we integrate these core principles into all of the activities of the society.

I’d like to acknowledge the great efforts of Anna Rolleston and Alex Brown, as our co-chairs of the Indigenous Health Council. They are currently working on an expanded indigenous agenda on both sides of the Tasman. We are seeing a greater emphasis on equity at the board, with the research grant agenda of the scientific committee and discussion at our New Zealand scientific meeting in Auckland in June. I’d like to thank our Māori and Pacific colleagues for their engagement. We look forward to advancing this strategy.

We continue to review our partnerships. Our discussions with the National Heart Foundation of Australia have led to a new operational interaction and opportunity for greater exchange. We were delighted to be part of the partnership group that successfully lobbied the federal government to extend funding for Heart Health checks. We continue to work with international societies to identify more opportunities for our members to participate in a range of research and educational activities. While these discussions have primarily focused on partnership with North America and Europe, there is an important opportunity for our society to play a greater role in partnership with Asia Pacific based societies.

I would like to congratulate the organising committee of this year’s annual scientific meeting. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of our convenor, Derek Chew – while we poached you to Monash, you have presented South Australia at its finest. I’d also like to thank our scientific program chairs, Christina Bursill and Anand Ganesan, and their committees for compiling a stellar series of sessions. You have delivered on the main objective, to bring our community together. I’d like to thank our industry partners for your support and your participation. Thursdays are becoming an increasingly important part of our Annual Meeting. We want to thank the Councils for their great work on further showcasing the science.

Next year we head west to Perth and have made the decision to run the meeting from Thursday through Sunday as usual, we look forward to welcoming you out west. I’m also delighted to share with you that in the years to come our annual meeting will return to Sydney and Auckland, with ongoing discussions how we can also return Melbourne to the rotation.

It is with deep regret that I note the passing of the following Members in the past year since the last AGM:

• Dr Malcolm James Abernethy FCSANZ (NZ)
• Dr David Brender FCSANZ (NSW)
• Dr Barry Chapman FCSANZ (NSW)
• Dr Ronald Easthope FCSANZ (NZ)
• Dr Philip Tideman AM FCSANZ (SA)

With your indulgence, I would like to make a few specific comments about Phil Tideman. Phil is a son of South Australia, hailing from a regional centre, completing his training here and embarking on a career which served to improve the heart health of all South Australians with a focus on equity. His story is, by every definition, one of impact to make sure everyone has access to evidenced based care, regardless of their post code. His clinical story has been dedicated to rural cardiac care that led him to become a pioneer in improving cardiovascular outcomes in rural regions. Throughout his career, he focused his efforts on bridging the healthcare divide between rural and metropolitan areas. Recognising the disparities in cardiovascular care, he resolved to make a difference and established the groundbreaking statewide clinical support network known as ICCNet, which brought immediate senior cardiologist decision-making and care delivered by rural generalists and general practitioners. This work is one of the few examples that have been able to reduce 30 day mortality from Myocardial Infarction in rural area, narrowing the gap to achieve outcomes comparable to those seen in metropolitan Adelaide. He later turned his attention to remote delivery of cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention. His truly tireless efforts are widely lauded across the Australian Cardiac community and were recently recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours, earning him the well- deserved award of an Order of Australia. Dr Tideman’s lifelong commitment to improving cardiovascular care in rural communities has undoubtedly saved countless lives and improved the quality of life for many others. His passing leaves a void in the South Australian cardiovascular community. He’s left big footprints, for which we have all benefitted.

On a brighter note, I would like to recognise society members who have received national awards of recognition in the last 12 months:

Prof Gemma Figtree FCSANZ (NSW) received the award of Member (AM) of the Order of Australia, for significant service to medicine in the field of cardiology.
Prof Clara Chow FCSANZ (NSW) received the award of Member (AM) of the Order of Australia, for significant service to medicine as a cardiologist, and to research.
Dr Rosemary Hackworthy FCSANZ (NSW) received the award of Medal (OAM) for service to medicine as a cardiologist.
Dr Philip Tideman FCSANZ (SA) received the award of Member (AM) for significant service to rural and remote medicine.

I would like to recognise the incredible contribution by two members of our society.

Firstly, Prof Robert Denniss, who steps down from his role as Editor-in-Chief of Heart, Lung and Circulation (HLC). Rob first joined the society in 1988, was appointed head of department at Westmead in 2015, was appointed Editor-in-Chief in 2012 and served on the board from 2012-2022. Over that decade of service he steered the journal forward into the digital age with great passion. In a world that is becoming more global, more translational and focused on impact, Rob has led an editorial board that has had to develop HLC to become a journal of the 21st century.

While many of us in this room write papers, review papers and handle peer review of papers for a number of journals, it takes a whole different level of work to be Editor-in-Chief. During this time the journal published 132 issues, 17,330 pages, 2,620 manuscripts, 25 scientific meeting abstracts and presented 38 awards. New initiatives during this time included appointment of editorial fellows, a commissioning editor, introduction of prizes for best review and high impact, established a HLC session at our annual scientific meeting and led the 25th anniversary celebration of the journal in 2016. He’s done this in a highly competitive world, where he needs to meet the needs of a range of stakeholders – the publisher, the society, authors and importantly its readership. To balance all of these groups and to continue to grow the journal is a testament to the extraordinary effort that he has given to this role. In parallel, Rob has served as a member of the board for a number of years and we are grateful for his insightful contributions. On behalf of the Society, I am delighted to present Dr Robert Dennis with this Outstanding Service Award.

One of the things you do as President is have a weekly meeting with our Executive Officer, Martha McCall to keep the activity of the society moving. A few weeks ago, Martha informed me that she intends to step down from her role later in the year and travel the world with her husband, Gary, who is retiring. I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you a little about Martha and the incredible role that she has performed for the last 8 years. As Executive Officer, you basically run the society – you know all of its comings and goings – you are its COO, CFO, unofficial Company Secretary and head of both human resources and government affairs, amongst other activities. Martha has ably assisted and directed the board, its executive, the councils and committees, in the diverse number of activities that our society undertakes. She has an incredible working knowledge of all activities of the society, has adapted to the daily changes that are thrown before her and displays an incredible degree of poise and collegiality with regard to all of her interactions. That would be more than enough at the best of times, but was of critical importance to all of us during a once in a century pandemic. The need to quickly change to a virtual ASM, the need to be prepared to adapt to whatever new problem presented itself and the need to do so with the challenges presented to our finances, the wellbeing of her team and the sanity of her board executive – all of whom are busy clinicians – requires a certain kind of person. We were lucky to navigate this storm with Martha. Our society is diverse and is taking on new and challenging activities. Martha has an incredible capacity to blend the new in with the old and to respond to an increasing number of stakeholders both within and from the outside.

We are sorry to see you leave Martha, you have made a huge impact on the society and you will leave big footprints to fill. We wish you and your family all the best in the future. We are grateful for all that you have done for us. Over the next weeks and months, we will search for a successor, we are fortunate that Martha will assist with that. The board will also have more chances to farewell you at our next meeting in November, but we wanted the society, as a whole, to recognise your extraordinary contribution today at this AGM and as part of that, on behalf of the society, I would like to present you with this Outstanding Service Award.

In the last year, a number of members stepped off the board. I want to thank Paul Bridgman, for his efforts leading the Education Committee, and Stephen Duffy, for his contributions as Treasurer. At this week’s board meeting we farewelled a few more members. Garry Jennings leaves us, having represented the National Heart Foundation of Australia. Garry, you have provided an important clinical conduit between the society and the foundation, and while we work with David Lloyd and his team on what our partnership looks like moving forward, you have played a vital role in this collaboration. We thank you. We also farewelled our immediate Past President, Clara Chow. Clara, I’ve not known a society board meeting that doesn’t have you sitting at the table. You have served in all of the roles, you’ve provided incredible counsel to many of us and, with Len before you, you ably steered the society through a time of uncertainty. You were the first woman to serve as President and did so with great capability, collegiality, inclusion and enthusiasm. As an inclusive society, you have paved the way for many to follow in your footsteps. The society thanks you.

And that brings me to the next President. At the May meeting of the board, we confirmed the selection of the next President of the society, who will succeed my term at this meeting next year – I’m proud to announce that the next President of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand will be Mayanna Lund from New Zealand. Please join me in congratulating Mayanna and wish her well as she now takes on the role of President-elect.

Finally, I would like to thank the society’s members, our board and our executive – Will, Mayanna and Clara – for all of your support during the last year. We are all busy people and you don’t take on these roles on without the incredible support of your loved ones and your colleagues back at the ranch. For all of you, I thank you. I would encourage every member of the society to consider how they may want to contribute, there are many ways to serve and many opportunities to influence the direction of the society moving into the future. We have a society that has weathered an incredible storm and has set path on a forward course. We have many more challenges ahead of us, but I am firm of the view that we are well positioned to grow the society to represent the needs and aspirations of our membership.

Stephen Nicholls 5 August 2023

As delivered at the 2023 CSANZ Annual General Meeting.