Teaching and research boost for palliative care
The aged care provider that brought Australia its first Professor of Positive Ageing has added another academic feather to its cap with the appointment of a new Professor – this time in palliative care.
Above: Palliative care specialist, Professor Roderick Macleod, to join HammondCare
By Keryn Curtis
New South Wales based health and aged care provider, HammondCare has announced another significant investment in research and clinical training with the appointment of its first Senior Staff Specialist in Palliative Care. This appointment follows the appointment in 2010 of the inaugural Professor of Positive Ageing and Care, Associate Professor Chris Poulos – a conjoint appointment with the University of New South Wales School of Public Health and Community Medicine.
Professor Roderick MacLeod has been appointed to the new position which is a conjoint appointment with the University of Sydney’s Northern Clinical School, part of the Sydney Medical School.
In a statement, HammondCare’s chief medical officer, Associate Professor Andrew Cole, said the appointment of Professor MacLeod, currently Associate Professor, Palliative Care in the School of Population Health at the University of Auckland, had come following a world-wide recruitment search.
“Professor MacLeod moves from an academic appointment at Auckland University and has a long record of international prominence in the field of palliative care achieved through clinical practice, research, education and service,” said Professor Cole.
He said the appointment was a significant step in HammondCare’s ongoing commitment to excellence in palliative care as well as clinical training and research.
HammondCare chief executive, Dr Stephen Judd, said the appointment further strengthened the integration of best practice palliative care with the training of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, complemented by cutting edge research.
“HammondCare is a leading provider of sub-acute and community palliative care across northern Sydney and Sydney’s south-west.”
“The expansion of Greenwich Hospital, the re-opening of Neringah Hospital and restored funding for Northern Sydney’s community palliative care services is now further enhanced by HammondCare’s decision to fund Professor MacLeod’s appointment,” Dr Judd said.
“We are passionate about providing sub-acute services such as palliative care wherever people are, and this means training the workforce of the future and advancing best practice in clinical care through research.
“This initiative, taken with the University of Sydney, will ensure we can continue to educate palliative care health students in the context of sub-acute hospitals and in the community – where the people are.”
Dr Judd said it also meant HammondCare could continue to grow its palliative care research work, focused on improving care and service and developing new palliative approaches.
In the statement, HammondCare said Professor MacLeod has published extensively in clinical and spiritual aspects of palliative and supportive care, and in the education of healthcare students and professionals.
It said he has contributed to clinical education on matters relating to end of life care and has emphasised the importance of listening carefully to patients, families and carers, as guides in how they would like their care provided.
According to the statement, Professor MacLeod said his career to date had been “driven by the belief that best quality palliative care should be available to people who need it, in the place where they want to be, and at the time that they would like to receive it.”
Professor MacLeod will commence in the role on 12 June 2012, based at the new Clinical Training Centre in the historic Pallister House at HammondCare’s Greenwich Hospital.
