Merry Christmas

The CICM Office would like to wish all our Fellows and Trainees a safe and happy festive season and best wishes for 2011!

The office will close at 5pm on 23rd December for the Christmas break and will re-open on Tuesday 4th January.

Staff News

As the year draws to a close, the office is busy planning for the next year ahead. It has been a successful first year for the College and we all look forward to working with you next year to continue the College‘s important work.

We have a new addition to the CICM family, Sarah Vella has joined us as our new Receptionist and Office Manager. Sarah is replacing Jade, who is moving to the training department. 

If you would like to contribute to the next e-news, please email Lisa Davidson

Fellows Gowns

The College would like to offer to buy back any Fellows Gowns from those not wishing to retain them. If you are interested in selling or donating your gown back to the College, please contact Lisa Davidson. 

Board Report

The above report can be read on the CICM website. It contains a summary of discussion at the last Board meeting and includes recent exam results, admissions to Fellowship and other items that will be of interest to all Fellows and Trainees.

Fees - 2011

At the November meeting, the Board resolved to increase the fees for 2011 by CPI (3%) . This includes, subscriptions, exam and training fees and assessment fees. 

It was also resolved that to avoid any large increase to subscriptions in the future, a one off Fellowship Admission Fee be charged to all new Fellows. This is a practice adopted by most other medical colleges and a figure of $1000 was agreed upon. This was felt to be appropriate, as all Fellows transferring from the Joint Faculty were asked to contribute a joining fee of $1,000

2011 Fees:

Fellowship Subscription                  $1600
Trainee Registration                        $1550
Basic Training                                   $830
Advanced Training                           $1600
All Examinations                              $3100
OTS Assessment                            $3600
AON Assessment                            $1550
AON Site Visit                                    $1750
Deferred Training                             $360

MOPS for Non Fellows                    $800

Training

TRAINEE REPRESENTATION

The Board has approved a resolution to include from next year, a Trainee representative on relevant College committees, including the Education Committee, the Hospital Accreditation Committee and the Board. The Trainee Committee will be asked to nominate representatives for these committees. Trainees will also be invited to accompany HAC teams on hospital inspections.

ONLINE AVTs

The College has successfully implemented an online portal for trainees to submit their AVT‘s and update their details. All AVT forms are now to be completed online within three months of the commencement of your position. If you do not have your login details, please contact the College.

CHANGES TO THE TRAINING PROGRAM

The changes to the training program and Regulation 5 will come into effect on 1st January 2011. Please note, that if you have registered with the College before this date, these changes will not affect you.
For more information on the changes please visit the website
http://cicm.org.au/trainprogram.php

Examinations

The Primary and General Fellowship Exam Reports are now online at:
http://cicm.org.au/exams.php

The Paediatric Report will follow shortly.

Online Education

The College is mindful of the need to provide educational resources to Trainees and would like to investigate potential opportunities to establish a web-based learning centre in intensive care medicine.

We may need to start from scratch, however we are aware that some suitable web sites already exist and we are willing to explore potential collaboration with these. We would like to hear from any Fellows or Trainees who know of or participate in suitable currently operating on-line learning centres, or who would be interested in becoming part of a group to establish the College‘s own on-line centre.

Please contact Phil Hart at philh@cicm.org.au

Online Forums

The College is currently working on developing Online Discussion Forums for both our Trainees and Fellows.

The purpose of these forums is for members to discuss issues surrounding training, exams and other issues with their colleagues. These forums will be solely for discussion purposes not as a means of communication directly with the College. Queries surrounding individuals training or fellowship will need to be directed to the College. 

Keep an eye out on the College website for the release date of the forums and we encourage you to get involved. These initiatives will only be successful if we have participation from you.

Online Library

For some time now the College has been negotiating with the publishers of relevant intensive care journals to provide access to the electronic versions.

This is an expensive exercise for the College, but we have reached the stage where we can begin with a very limited range of selected journals, which can be added to over time depending on the demand from Fellows and Trainees.

We are just now finalising the arrangements so that the journals can be easily accessed through the CICM website, this should be completed early in the new year.

On-line subscriptions to individual journals vary greatly in price, but we are happy to consider requests for additional ones to be added to the initial basic list once it‘s up and running.

Primary Syllabus

In 2011, the Syllabus for the Basic Sciences in Intensive Care Medicine will undergo a scheduled review. This is a significant undertaking in the ongoing development and enhancement of the CICM Primary Examination.  

The Syllabus for the Basic Sciences in Intensive Care Medicine (2006) outlines the learning objectives for the basic sciences in Intensive Care Medicine and seeks to better prepare trainees for advanced Intensive Care training and the CICM Fellowship examination

On behalf of the CICM Primary Examination Committee, I would like to invite all Fellows who would like to make suggestions towards this review to do so:
Email:  Arthas.Flabouris@health.sa.gov.au by Monday, 28th February, 2011.

All submissions will be considered at a future workshop, during which the second edition of the Syllabus for the Basic Sciences in Intensive Care Medicine will be developed.   

Rural Health

The College, in partnership with Alice Springs Hospital ICU, has been successful in an application for funding to run an Echocardiography and Ultrasound training program through the Alice Springs hospital. More information will shortly be available about the project.

ASM

2011 ASM  - Pushing the Boundaries of Intensive Care
3rd -5th JUNE CANBERRA

ASM WEBSITE
Have you visited the ASM website?
For all the latest news, International & National Speakers, registration fees, entitlements and full program details: http://www.cicm-asm.org.au

Registration brochure will be available on the website in January 2011; you can register on line, fax and post.

Add http://www.cicm-asm.org.au to your favorites, tell a friend and mark it on your calendar.

IMPORTANT DATES
ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS CLOSE 18th March

REGISTRATIONS OPEN 27TH JANUARY 2011

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATIONS CLOSE 26TH March

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
The Changing Landscape of Education
Infection Challenges
Organisational Challenges
Extreme Organ Support
Finishing the marathon: Crit.Care Rehab
Beyond "General Housekeeping"
Nutrition in the 21st Century ICU
The Journey of Intensive Care 
The Dilemma of the Intensive Care Doctor.

The College would like to gratefully acknowledge the Platinum Sponsors of the 2011 ASM

Edwards Lifesciences                   ACT Health                              Philips

Communication Course

We are in the process of developing a one-day Communication Skills Course for trainees, which is intended to compliment and build on the communication aspects of the ADAPT course.

Some of the areas to be covered include: breaking bad and catastrophic news; open disclosure; advance care planning and end of life treatment choices. We intend that the course will be offered several times each year in future and would encourage all Trainees to attend.

At this stage it is intended to hold the first course in Sydney on Friday, 15 April 2011. Further details will be distributed early next year, but make a note of the date in your diary now. 

SOT Workshop

SAVE THE DATE!

SOT Workshop 14 April 2011 - Melbourne

The College will be hosting a workshop for all Victorian Supervisors covering topics such as:

-Giving feedback
-Identification and management of poor performance
-Facilitating clinical reasoning are areas of need for clinical educators

The workshop will run from 10:00 - 16:00 and be hosted in Melbourne initially, then rolled out to other major cities. Further information and registrations will be available in February.

Courses and Events

 Advanced Paediatric Intensive Care Simulation Course
28th February - 2nd March 2011

http://www.sdc.qld.edu.au/APICS-010.htm

Antimicrobial Resistance Summit 2011
7th - 8th February 2011

www.antimicrobialsummit.com.au


Alfred Courses
For information on courses run at the Alfred, visit the new website

http://www.alfredicu.org.au/courses


"Bedside Critical Care 2011"
26th - 30th September 
Peppers Resort in Salt Village Kingscliff Northern NSW

Beside Critical Care 2010 - Report

The inaugural meeting of Bedside Critical Care was a huge success. The objective was to provide practical hands-on teaching in an environment that was both relaxing and family friendly. With regard to both these objectives I am pleased to report that the feed back received was extremely positive.

The programme consisted of 5 hours of teaching per day in three streams namely CRRT, Haemodynamic monitoring and Echo/Ultrasound. This was divided between 2.5 hours of clinical updates in the morning and 2.5 hours of small group (5-6 participants) practical skills laboratories in the evening. The CRRT workshops focused on trouble shooting the filter, the practicalities of anti-coagulation (in particular Citrate) and there was an interactive Q&A TPN station. The Ultrasound workshop consisted of stations for ECHO, FAST, Vascular Access (using chicken breast phantoms) and lung Ultrasound. The Haemodynamic monitoring workshop included a wet lab with bovine hearts and A-V pacing Swan-Ganz catheters, interactive Q&A shock station and a demonstration station. 

The meeting attracted 50 delegates with 35 fellows and 15 registrars. Delegates came predominantly from NSW, Queensland and Victoria however there were delegates from all states and NZ. The feed back suggest that both the consultants and registrars both enjoyed and valued the education equally.

We are proud to announce that "Bedside Critical Care 2011" is organised for September 26-30th at the Peppers Resort in Salt Village Kingscliff Northern NSW so keep the date free!

Organising Committee:

Roger Harris (Chair)

Celia Bradford, Carole Foot, Liz Steel, Richard Lee, Sarah Wesley.

New Zealand News

1. Health Workforce New Zealand (HWNZ)

Health Workforce New Zealand (HWNZ) was set up in late 2009 to provide national leadership on the development of the country‘s health and disability workforce.  Its role is to co-ordinate planning and development of the healthcare workforce, ensure that our healthcare workforce is fit for purpose, and provide advice to the Minister of Health on all aspects of health workforce planning. HWNZ has therefore taken over the roles and functions of the Clinical Training Agency (CTA), the Strategic Workforce Development Unit (SWDU), and a range of other bodies.

The business unit has the responsibility for delivering the workforce priorities agreed by the HWNZ Board, headed by Professor Des Gorman, and brings together national planning and purchasing, research and policy advice.  HWNZ have been busy working on many projects within the health sector, some of the issues they are currently looking at are:

The creation of Post Graduate Regional Training hubs
GP training Review
The creation of a Health Leadership Institute
Provision of Career Planning for trainees
An Advanced Trainee Bonding Scheme
Workforce Service reviews
Provision of a National Mentoring Service

You can visit the HWNZ website to read further details - www.healthworkforce.govt.nz
Dr Mike Gillham (NZNC Chair) and Dr Ross Freebairn (Vice President) met with Dr Des Gorman (Chair) and Brenda Wraight (Director, Business Unit) from HWNZ in October to discuss the allocation of funding for Intensive Care Medicine Trainees.  HWNZ have agreed to fund two training posts, and that this number will need to be increased in the near future once an estimate has been formulated of how many trainees in ICM are needed.  

2. NZ Registrar Meeting

A successful Registrar meeting was held in Wellington in October. This meeting appears to have evolved into a top-quality exam preparation course, with the added bonus of being both close to home and an opportunity for NZ Trainees to get together as a group.   In 2011 there will be two Registrar meetings.  Wellington will be running an exam focussed course in April and the NZ Registrar meeting will be held in Hamilton in August.  

3.New Zealand Medical Association Media Guide

A resource to assist doctors and medical students to maintain professional standards when using online social media has been launched by the New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA).    The guide - Social Media and the Medical Profession - was developed jointly by the NZMA, the Australian Medical Association, the New Zealand Medical Students‘ Association, and the Australian Medical Students‘ Association.

As participation rates in online media have increased, some evidence has emerged from overseas that the use of these media can pose risks for medical professionals if used inappropriately. The guide is intended to assist doctors and medical students to continue to enjoy the online world safely, in areas such as Facebook and personal blogs, while also exercising caution so that they do not place themselves or their patients in awkward situations. Ethical responsibilities continue to apply, such as patient confidentiality and the doctor-patient boundary.

The guide is available on the NZMA website at www.nzma.org.nz/news/Social%20Media%20and%20the%20Medical%20Profession.pdf

4.Health Quality and Safety Commission (HQSC) 

In June New Zealand‘s Health Minister, Tony Ryall, appointed an interim Board of the Health Quality and Safety Commission (HQSC) - as recommended by the 2009 Ministerial Review Group.  At the same time the Government wound up the Quality Improvement Committee (QIC).  The interim Board has been meeting since June, and from December 2010 is now fully up and running as the Commission is now legally confirmed in legislation.

The Board of the HQSC is led by Professor Alan Merry from the University of Auckland, who is also Chair of the Quality and Safety of Practice Committee of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists and Chair of ANZCA‘s Quality and Safety Committee.
 
Dr Dave Galler, Intensive Care Specialist at Middlemore, and former Principal Medical Advisor for the Ministry of Health, is also on the Board.
The Health Quality & Safety Commission works with clinicians and providers of health services to improve the quality and safety of health and disability services.  Work underway includes the development of a medicines reconciliation process; the introduction of a nationally standardised medication chart; a focus on reducing hospital-acquired infections; and the introduction of a programme to improve consumer participation. 

The Commission is responsible for assisting providers across the whole health and disability sector - private and public - to improve service safety and quality and therefore outcomes for all who use these services in New Zealand.  Improving the quality and safety of care will provide better value for money and more efficient and effective use of taxpayer funding.

The Commission is charged with:

-providing advice to the Minister of Health to drive important in quality and safety in  health and disability services
-leading and coordinating improvements in safety and quality in health care
-identifying data sets and key indicators to inform and monitor improvements in safety  and quality
-reporting publicly on the state of safety and quality, including performance against  national indicators
-disseminating knowledge on and advocating for safety and quality.

You can visit the HQSC website to read further details - www.hqsc.govt.nz/

5.Perioperative Mortality Review Committee (POMRC)

Dr Tony Williams, NZNC Member and Intensive Care Specialist at Middlemore, has been appointed to the POMRC.  The POMRC is a ministerial advisory committee established under the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000. The POMRC is appointed by, and accountable to, the Minister of Health   

The aim of this Committee is to review and report on national perioperative mortality to the Minister of Health with a view to reducing these deaths and continuously improving the quality of the health system and, therefore, outcomes for patients. The Committee will also develop strategic plans and methodologies to reduce mortality and morbidity.  Broadly the committee will review deaths following any invasive procedure and deaths that occurred following anaesthesia (local, regional or general).

You can visit the POMRC website to read further details - www.pomrc.health.govt.nz 

Important Dates

IMPORTANT DATES FOR 2011

 Board Meetings

24th -25th February
21st -22nd July
17th -18th November

 ASM 

3rd -5th June 

New Fellows Conference

31st May - 2nd June

Primary Exam

Closing date: 10th January
Written: 8th March
Oral: 6th May

Closing date: 18th July
Written: 12th September
Oral: 11th November

General Fellowship Exam

Closing date: 7th February
Written: 28th March
Oral: 26th - 27th May

Closing date: 4th July
Written: 29th August
Oral: 27th - 28th October

Paediatric Fellowship Exam

Closing date: 4th July
Written: 29th August
Oral: 4th November