Keynote Speakers

We are excited to announced the ANZSGM ASM 2019 keynote speakers!

Professor Ken Hillman

University of New South Wales

Ken Hillman is Professor of Intensive Care and Foundation Director of the Simpson Centre for Health Services Research at the SWS Clinical School, University of New South Wales which is affiliated with the Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research. He is an actively practising clinician in Intensive Care at Liverpool and Campbelltown Hospitals. He graduated from Sydney University and trained at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney and St. Bartholomew’s hospital in London. He was the first candidate to pass the Australian intensive care examination in 1980 following which he became the Director of Intensive Care at Charing Cross Hospital in London before returning to Australia to become Director of Anaesthetics, Intensive Care and Coronary Care at Liverpool Hospital in Sydney. He has over 185 peer-reviewed publications; 65 chapters in textbooks; co-authored an intensive care textbook; co-edited several textbooks; and written two books – Vital Signs and A Good Life to the End. He has been awarded over $24 million in grants, has been an examiner for 12 years in intensive care and has held many professional positions related to health. He is internationally recognised as a pioneer in the introduction of the Medical Emergency Team and is part of the Executive of the International Rapid Response Society. He has published extensively on the care of the elderly frail at the end-of-life and has a NHMRC Program grant to continue research in this area. In 2016 he was an invited presenter at TEDx which was held at the Sydney Opera House. His research now concentrates on Health Services Research, especially in relation to the potential inappropriate health management of the elderly frail. He is also the recipient of the Order of Australia for his work.

1. Which topics and sessions will you be addressing and participating in as part of the program? My topics will mainly cover end-of-life, my experience and management in the elderly.
2. Why should these sessions not be missed? The elderly comprise an increasing percentage of the population. There is rarely honest discussion about ageing and what it means. For us ageing is often referred to as a disease we can cure not as an inevitable deterioration of bodily function and how we should adapt not cure. Moreover, death and dying is not usually discussed in a practical and honest way especially with the elderly.

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Professor Roger Y.M Wong

University of British Columbia

Dr Roger Y.M. Wong, BMSc, MD, FRCPC, FACP, FCAHS

Dr. Roger Wong is a Clinical Professor in the Division of Geriatric Medicine in the University of British Columbia (UBC) Department of Medicine and is a Consultant Physician of the Geriatric Consultation Program at Vancouver General Hospital. He was Associate Dean, Postgraduate Medical Education, UBC Faculty of Medicine from 2012-2016. Currently, he is appointed as the Executive Associate Dean, Education in the UBC Faculty of Medicine.

Dr. Wong received his M.D. degree with Honours in Research from the University of Alberta and completed his postgraduate and fellowship training there as well. Dr. Wong was elected to the Fellowship of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, one of the highest honours in the health sciences field in Canada. Nationally, he is a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Geriatric Medicine and Internal Medicine Examination Boards, and internationally, he was elected to the Fellowship of the American College of Physicians.

Dr. Wong is an invited member of multiple peer-review boards for scientific publications in the fields of geriatric medicine, internal medicine, and medical education. He has received numerous awards of appreciation from the Alzheimer Society of British Columbia to recognize his advocacy work in the community. He has also received numerous medical education awards, including the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Donald Richards Wilson Award, UBC Killam Teaching Prize, UBC Faculty of Medicine Clinical Faculty Award for Career Excellence in Clinical Teaching, and UBC Department of Medicine Master Teacher Award.

Dr. Wong works tirelessly to advance academic and clinical health sciences related to geriatrics, and his work has had a significant impact on the care for older people in Canada and beyond. He was the 13th President of the Canadian Geriatrics Society and founded the state-of-the-art Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Unit in Vancouver, which has been implemented nationally and internationally. His clinical research focuses on hospital medicine in vulnerable older adults, including quality improvement in acute care geriatrics. Dr. Wong has made significant contributions in showcasing Canadian geriatrics around the world, culminating in his selection as the 2017 Trevor Howell Guest Lecturer in London, a prestigious honour bestowed by the British Geriatrics Society for an eminent physician or scientist with an international reputation. He is only the second Canadian who has received this honour in the Lecture’s history. Dr. Wong has published and lectured extensively on geriatric medicine and medical education. He is also a TEDx Speaker, and his TEDx Talk has been viewed by international audiences around the world.

Twitter Handle:@RogerWong10

1. Which topics and sessions will you be addressing and participating in as part of the program? For my two plenary sessions at the ASM 2019, I plan to address the audience on the following two topics: “Improving Acute Care for Older People - Lessons from Canada”, and “Principles and Practice of Quality Improvement in the Care for Older People”.
2. Why should these sessions not be missed? I intend to present the state-of-the-art understanding on these very important areas in geriatric medicine, and I hope to inspire the audience to take actions in improving older people’s care around the world.

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