Clinical Champions
As part of The Transfusion Question debate, the CEC and Blood Watch have enlisted the support of one of the world’s leading specialists in transfusion medicine and patient blood management – Professor James Isbister.
Professor Isbister is keen to continue to discuss and debate with you the important clinical issues around the risks of allogenic blood transfusion and a patient-centred approach to blood management.
Professor Isbister is looking forward to discussing and debating with you the important clinical issues around the risks of allogenic blood transfusion and a patient-centred approach to blood management.
Professor James Isbister MB BS BSc(Med) FRACP FRCPA
- Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Sydney
- Adjunct Professor, University of Technology, Sydney
- Emeritus Consultant in Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney
Professor Isbister has been associated with Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital since 1980, where he was head of department of haematology and transfusion medicine from 1982-1996. He has over 100 publications in the scientific literature and is the author of three textbooks on haematology and transfusion medicine as well as contributing chapters to several major textbooks.
He is currently Chair of the Advisory Committee and Board Member of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service. He also is also a board member of the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management and the Medical Society for Patient Blood Management.
He has been awarded by his peers life membership in the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand, and the Australian and New Zealand Society of Blood Transfusion.
He was the Carl De Gruchy orator for the Haematology Society in 2000 and the Ruth Sanger Orator for the Blood Transfusion Society in 2004. In 2000 he was awarded the Peter Schiff award for his contributions to Transfusion Medicine in Australia and New Zealand.
In recognition of his international contributions to patient blood management,
quality and safety in transfusion medicine, he was the recipient of the 2008
President's Award of the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management,
presented at the 2008 annual meeting in Baltimore, USA.
Dr Ross Kerridge MB BS FRCA FANZCA
- Dr Ross Kerridge is Senior Anaesthetist and specialist in Anesthesia & Perioperative Medicine at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle
- He is Senior Lecturer (Conjoint) at the Centre for Clinical Governance Research in Health, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW
- Ross.Kerridge@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au
Dr Ross Kerridge is a Staff Specialist and Director of the Perioperative Service at the John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle.
As an anaesthetist, Dr Kerridge has a particular clinical interest in Perioperative Medicine, and in the organisational and system issues of perioperative patient management. In Australia, Dr Kerridge led the establishment of the “Perioperative System” model of care for elective surgery which is now the generally accepted model of patient care, and has been adapted internationally.
For over twenty years, Dr Kerridge has had wide involvement in a variety of other projects involving reorganisation and reengineering of health service delivery. He has also been actively involved in ANZCA in a number of positions within the College.
His current interests include continuing to improve Perioperative Systems, training in perioperative medicine, improving interprofessional communication and teamwork, and HARD (the Hunter Anaesthesia Risk Database).
Away from medicine he enjoys being involved in the Newcastle community, likes colourful ties, and plays golf with no ability at all.
Anne Duggan B.A. (Hons), Dip. Ed, B.Med, MHP, FRACP, PhD
- Senior Staff Specialist, John Hunter Hospital, HNE Health
- Associate Director, Clinical Governance, HNE Health
- Conjoint Professor, University of Newcastle
Professor Duggan is a consultant Gastroenterologist at John Hunter Hospital. Previously in her role as full time staff specialist and Head of Department at John Hunter Hospital, she established a database that has monitored over a number of years the outcomes of patients admitted with gastrointestinal haemorrhage. She continues her interest in GIH while working as a gastroenterologist part time. She has published extensively in Gastroenterology, particularly in the area of upper GI disease and epidemiology including co-authoring a textbook on the epidemiology of gastrointestinal disease.
Professor Duggan has had a long interest in quality and safety and system improvement, previously working in NSW Health’s Quality and Safety Branch and now as an Associate Director, Clinical Governance in HNE Health. She co-ordinates the quality improvement component of the Universities of Newcastle and New England’s Joint Medical Program and co supervises the University of Newcastle’s post graduate introductory course on Quality and Safety in Healthcare.
Professor Duggan is currently a member of Council of the Gastroenterology Society of Australia, a member of the Royal Australasian College of Physician’s Specialist Advisory Committee for Gastroenterology training and subspecialty editor for Gastroenterology for the Internal Medicine Journal.
Dr Michael Nicholl MB BS FRCOG FRANZCOG MBA (Pub Sec Mgt) AFCHSE FAAQHC FAIM
Dr Michael Nicholl is an obstetrician and medical director of Women's and Children's Health at Royal North Shore Hospital and a Lecturer in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Neonatology at University of Sydney ‘s Northern Clinical School.
An expert in Maternity & Child Health, Dr Nicholl also serves as advisor for Primary Health & Community Partnerships Branch, NSW Health and is Clinical Director, Division of Women's Children's & Family Health at Royal North Shore Hospital & Ryde Health Service.
Dr Nicholls also has an active involvement in the improvement of the quality and safety of health care services and has led a number of improvement projects.
Dr Nicholls is Chair of the NSW Newborn Screening Advisory Committee and of the Centre for Midwifery, Child and Family Health, Faculty of Nursing, University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
His work in high risk obstetrics has led him to be a Member of the High Risk Obstetric Advisory Group, Pregnancy and Newborn Services Network and of the High Risk Pregnancy/Perinatal Advice Line, NSW Pregnancy and Newborn Services Network, as well as the Maternal and Perinatal Health Priority Taskforce, NSW Health.
He’s an Executive Member of the Women's Hospitals Australasia and the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand.
Professor Clifford F Hughes AO
Professor Clifford Hughes is the CEO of the Clinical Excellence Commission in New South Wales.
For 25 years, until January 2005, he was a Senior Partner in an extremely busy cardiothoracic surgical practice at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. For the last ten years, he was Head of the unit.
He has led five medical teams to China and performed numerous cardiac (open heart) procedures in six provinces in China. He has also operated in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, India and Bangladesh. His work in China was recognised by an Alumni Award from the University of New South Wales.
He was a Member of the Australian Council on Safety and Quality in Health Care and chaired taskforces on Safe Hours, Fatigue and Device Tracking.
As Chairman of the Therapeutic Device Evaluation Committee for the Australian government for over thirteen years, he oversaw the introduction and implementation of device evaluation, regulation and the international harmonisation of Australian regulations.
He was Secretary, then Chairman, of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and has also been a Councillor, a Senior Examiner and Chairman of the Ethics Committee.
He holds fellowships in the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Chest physicians as well as the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand. He was also awarded an Honorary Fellowship in the Indian Association of Cardio Thoracic Surgeons.
Professor Hughes was awarded the Order of Australia in 1998 for "service to cardiac surgery, international relations and the community".