RMSANZ is the professional body for rehabilitation physicians and trainees in Australia & New Zealand and offers a stimulating, supportive and collegial environment of professional development, continuing education, policy review and encouragement of teaching and research.
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IN MEMORIAM: KEITH CHAN 1966-2025
It is with deep regret and sadness that we share the news of the untimely passing of Dr. Keith Kwai-Tung Chan, a Senior Staff Specialist in Rehabilitation Medicine, on Monday, January 13th, 2025. He was 58 years old.
Keith was born in Singapore, August 1966. He was the eldest of three brothers, all of whom would follow their parents into a career in Medicine. He completed medical training and graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland in 1991. Soon after, Keith served as a Captain and Medical Officer in the Singapore Armed Forces. He then went on to pursue postgraduate training, in rehabilitation medicine in the United States, at the Graduate Hospital and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, before commencing as an Academic Fellow at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
Keith then moved to Australia, where he made a lasting contribution to the field of Rehabilitation Medicine. Keith has been a Staff Specialist with ACT Health since 2007. He was integral to the transition from the CHS Woden campus to the University of Canberra Hospital when it opened in 2018. His expertise was critical in establishing a multi-disciplinary spasticity assessment clinic. He was responsible for the mentorship, supervision and training of dozens of medical officers and advanced trainees throughout his career. He also trained other Fellows in procedural skills, passing on his knowledge with self-deprecation, humour and enthusiasm.
Keith was recognized as a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFRM) in 2004, and a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetics Faculty of Pain Medicine in 2014. He was a 25 year member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R), and published several academic research articles in this field between 2000 and 2006, whilst at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. He was also a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the ANU Medical School.
Keith was a kind and humble physician who advocated for holistic care – not just physical recovery, but emotional and psychological wellbeing. His clinical philosophy was centred on kindness and respect for the dignity and autonomy of his patients, and advocacy for a patient centred approach. We all know of patients who had the opportunity to try, fail, try again, succeed and ultimately thrive, as a result of Keith’s advocacy, expertise, judgement and compassion. With Keith’s support, many patients were able to regain independence and reintegrate into their homes and communities, and avoid a lifetime of dependency and institutionalisation.
He has left a profound and lasting legacy, in his high standard of clinical care, his mentorship and leadership, and in the many lives that he has touched.
Keith is survived by his wife Lynn, his son Sean and his daughter Janine.
He will be deeply missed.
RIP Keith
Cyclone Alfred - President's Message
The Rehabilitation Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand (RMSANZ) extends its support and thoughts to people living with disability in the Queensland and Northern NSW during this natural disaster. We also wish extend our thoughts and support for our member rehabilitation physicians in Queensland and Northern NSW who are caring for people living with disabilities during this natural disaster event and providing emergency and ongoing care. The RMSANZ Emergency Rehabilitation Special Interest Group stands behind you and is available for assistance if needed.
RMSANZ Statement against racism and hate speech
The RMSANZ is a society of Rehabilitation Physicians of all abilities, faiths, skin colours, sexualities and genders. We unreservedly abhor all forms of discrimination, threats or violence and confirm that any form of racism causes harm physically, psychologically and generationally. We make this statement on behalf of all our members in Australia and New Zealand (Aotearoa).
RACP - Education Governance Review Implementation - Summary
Following the RACP Board’s resolution on the new education governance structure, implementation planning sessions were held in August to September 2024.
Click here to view the RACP - EGRI Planning Sessions Summary Report_Brief. The report outlines the outcomes of these sessions and confirmed implementation timeline.
RMSANZ Annual Report 2024
RACP Survey Feedback
- feeling confident in leadership positions and making unsupervised decisions
- transitioning to a less supported environment
- balancing new workload expectations
- finding consistent employment and job security
- navigating private practice
ISPRM Photos
Were you there?
ISPRM Congress 2024, photos available here
Government response to violence against people with disability deeply disappointing
Today’s Federal, State and Territory government response to our four-and-a-half-year Disability Royal Commission is deeply disappointing and fails to respond to the scale of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability.
National disability representative organisations have expressed significant concern that only 13 recommendations of 222 have been fully accepted, and that after nine months, so many recommendations remain still to be resolved across different levels of government.
Read more in this Media Release by People with a Disability Australia
Encouraging Leadership in Rehabilitation Medicine: Recognise Your Potential
The RMSANZ annual scientific meeting in Sydney this year together with ISPRM was a massive success. Whether the preferred nomenclature was PM&R, physiatry or rehabilitation medicine, the meeting involved thought-leaders and changemakers in the field collaborating and contributing their amazing work and insights. With over 1500 delegates from all around the world in wide-ranging fields, there is no doubt the ripple effects of this meeting will be felt for many years to come.
The session on leadership in rehabilitation medicine reflected on the unique leadership qualities that rehabilitation professionals bring to the table. Despite being underrepresented in medical leadership positions worldwide, our skills and experiences equip us to excel in these roles. A distinguished panel including Australia’s own Professors Fary Khan, Andrew Cole and Dr Gaj Panagoda considered how we can lead both from within and from the front.
Read more insights from the Conference on Leadership in Rehabilitation Medicine here
#LeadershipInRehab #PhysiatryLeaders #MedicalLeadership #FutureLeaders
Image 1 - Dr Maria Paul with Dr Alex Ganora, collecting prize on behalf of Dr Jessica Smith (pictured in second photo)
Dr Alex Ganora Emerging Leadership Award
Congratulations to Dr Jessica Smith for winning the inaugural Dr Alex Ganora Emerging Leadership Award 2024.
There was an the exceptional field of nominees for the prize – namely - Dr Stephanie Lam (Private Practice SIG NSW), Dr Kavitha Muthukrishnan (Branch Chair, Victoria/Tasmania) and Dr Kelly Dungey (Board member from Qld).
RMSANZ are glad to announce that this award will now be awarded every year as part of the ASM, for more details watch for information in the RMSANZ newsletter!