Far be it for me to ‘Crow’ too much (a one-point nailbiter to the Dockers over Adelaide can do that to a long-suffering supporter, especially coming after the AFLW side bounced the Kangaroos in their qualifying final) but the AMA (WA) has had its fair share of wins this week.

I’ve been arguing for some time now that the plans to scale down private elective surgery from Monday this week, as indicated by the State Government, were unnecessary.

As part of its ‘Clear the hospital logjam’ campaign, the Federal AMA has launched a nifty logjam finder, which allows voters to discover how their local hospitals are faring. They are then prompted to email their MPs, seeking a commitment to act for more funding to help our hospitals, if elected.

Using the latest hospital data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and a traffic light system, the logjam finder ranks hospital performance on emergency department response times and whether essential (elective) surgery was carried out in the recommended timeframe.

WA has six hospitals with five or more red lights even in a year with no substantial COVID outbreak, meaning that less than 84 per cent of patients at those hospitals received care within the clinically recommended time.

Congratulations to AMA Finance Brokers, which has been shortlisted for the Better Business Awards 2022, and team member Racheal Warner, who is a finalist in the 'Best Newcomer' category.

The Better Business Awards is a premier event in the mortgage and finance sector, as it recognises and celebrates the best of the best in Australia's broking industry.  

The list of finalists, which was announced on Thursday 24 March, features more than 600 high-achieving professionals across 19 submission-based categories.

As we learn to live and work with COVID-19, this Flashback Friday from the November/December 2020 edition of Medicus reflects on the way COVID has impacted our lives. 

The feature draws on the public health perspective from early in the pandemic, highlighting some clear positives on how we have adapted and learnt to live with the disease.

The AMA (WA) has partnered with AAPM to offer practice managers, administrators, clinicians and all practice staff the opportunity to connect and discuss the potential impact of COVID-19 on their practices, given the borders reopening.

This webinar will provide the opportunity to connect and share experiences with practice managers from Victoria and South Australia, who will be available to offer insights, real-life experiences, and suggestions for dealing with the pandemic.

AMA Recruit sources highly skilled, experienced medical administration professionals for temporary and permanent placements. Our comprehensive service offers an end-to-end recruitment process, delivered by industry experts who draw from their extensive networks.

There is currently a six-month replacement guarantee until EOFY 2022.

The unexpected events of the past few years have made financial protection a front-of-mind matter for most Australians. Now more than ever we appreciate that life does not always go the way we plan.

Having a plan in place if things do take an unexpected turn can mean that our health, lifestyle and family are better protected.

We call it the soaring 40s – that time when living costs begin to rise just as fast as the incidence of serious illness or injury. And if you've let your insurance lapse... it's akin to flying your family into a storm and unfastening your seat belts.

The AMA (WA) represents the interests of doctors across our State's health system. We advocate. We represent. We influence attitudes. And we steer change. On a more personal level, the AMA (WA) puts you – the doctor – first.

Renewing your membership will enable you to access a range of benefits including workplace relations advice and representation. Your continued support allowed us to achieve significant outcomes for doctors. Help us do it again this year.