Honour Board celebrates 10 of the Fraser Coast’s best in medical sector

A newly unveiled honour board has commemorated Fraser Coast’s best medical educators who support junior doctors in Hervey Bay. See the full list.

Rachel Baird, Amanda Walden, Mark Thomson and Jacqueline Haskew (left to right) were among the 2022 Fraser Coast Medical Education Awardees whose names are on the Medical Honour Board.

An Honour Board, celebrating Fraser Coast’s best medical educators has been unveiled earlier this month.

The board, which has been displayed in the main corridor of the Hervey Hospital, will showcase the ten awardees of the 2022 Inaugural Fraser Coast Teaching Awards.

Designed and donated by the Hervey Bay Woodcrafts Club, the Honour Board was unveiled by the director of Clinical Training for Hervey Bay Hospital, Dr John Inderhaug, and the UQ Rural Clinical School representative Associate Professor Penelope Prasad on Wednesday, April 16 at an internal event for Hervey Bay Hospital staff and doctors.

Dr Henk Van Rooyan, a Hervey Bay Hospital surgeon who has since retired after 18 years of service, is a member of the Woodcrafts Club and has contributed to the creation of the Honour Board. Pictured (left to right): Dr Henk Van Rooyen and Hervey Bay Woodcrafts Club president Russell McCaliece.

“It’s wonderful to have the Hervey Bay Woodcrafts Club as well as, highly-valued former members of medical workforce showing their support for Hervey Bay Hospital and provide us with an Honour Board that highlights the outstanding educators within our local hospital team,” Dr Inderhaug said.

“Dr Van Rooyen was a well-respected member of the Hervey Bay Hospital team who was passionate about education and training across the medical training continuum.

“He also served as the University of Queensland (UQ) Rural Clinical School Hervey Bay Discipline Lead for Surgery and Senior Lecturer for many years.”

The Inaugural Fraser Coast Teaching Awards, hosted by the University of Queensland Regional Clinical Unit and Hervey Bay Hospital Medical Education Unit were held to “recognise and acknowledge outstanding and dedicated educators supporting medical students and junior doctors as they progress through their medical careers”.

“Medical students and junior doctors nominated outstanding educators in a number of categories, which included their medical educators, but also recognised the important role that the multidisciplinary team and support staff play in the education and support of the entire junior doctor cohort,” a Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service spokesperson said.

The Medical Educator of the Year, was awarded to Dr Himali Ihalagama, who received the most nominations across both the students and junior doctor cohorts.

The 2022 inaugural award winners are the first names to be inscribed on the Honour Board.

The list of award winners:

Medical Student award for Outstanding Junior Educator:

Dr James Newman, Registrar, Emergency

Medical Student award for Outstanding Senior Educator:

Dr Himali Ihalagama, Staff Specialist, Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Medical Student award for Outstanding Multidisciplinary Team Educator:

Jacqueline Haskew, Nurse Manager – Business Practice Improvement Officer

Medical Student award for Outstanding Support Staff:

Angela Walden, Clinical Director Support Officer, Paediatrics and Obstetrics & Gynaecology Departments

Junior Doctor Award for Outstanding Educator in a Large Department:

Dr Dinusha Hewage, Staff Specialist, Medicine

Junior Doctor Award for Outstanding Educator in a Small Department:

Dr Himali Ihalagama, Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Junior Doctor Award for Outstanding WBA Program Assessor:

Dr Hayden Christie, Clinical Director, Cancer Care

Junior Doctor Award for Outstanding Multidisciplinary Team Educator:

Mark Thomson, Senior Pharmacist

Junior Doctor Award for Outstanding Multidisciplinary and Support Staff:

Rachel Baird, Clinical Director Support Officer, Medicine Department

Medical Educator of the Year:

Dr Himali Ihalagama, Obstetrics and Gynaecology