HSANZ News

ALLG October Virtual Scientific Meeting

12 - 16 October 2020

This is a fully packed five-day event for the Haematology Community – NOT your traditional ‘ALLG clinical trials’ meeting.

The sessions are diverse with updates in the following streams:  Clinical Practice, How to Treat, Improving Practice and Process in research flow, Educational, Training, Research and Technology updates.

Speakers are local key leaders, International clinicians, and medical and scientific leaders from industry.

The SAC are leading x8 disease specific plenary sessions -  by Peter Mollee, Jake Shortt, Nada Hamad, Eliza Hawkes, Tara Cochrane, David Ross, David Yeung, Zoe McQuilten, Stephen Mulligan and Andrew Wei.

If you are involved in the trial program the Working Party Leaders are conducting smaller research discussion meetings – check your meeting rosters!

In addition, sessions the membership has indicated they would like to hear more about

1. Rural/Regional/Teletrials update – Kate Burbury, Jock Simpson and Georgina Hodges.
2. A NEW classical haematology session lead by Jeff Szer in which we will explore new ideas for research in this space
3. A COVID Vaccine session as the Thursday evening event. We have been fortunate to have some leading Australians agree to present; Zoe McQuilten, Damian Purcell and Paul Young.

The associate member event is a half day educational session with key members speaking and will be very high-quality education. Andrew Spencer, IngSoo Tiong, Chun Fong, and Naranie Shanmuganathan.

The half day  clinical trial operations update for associate members will be an update on key clinical trial processes.

Next week's sessions includes:

1. What’s New in Haematology.  Jake Shortt leads a team of x8 members presentations.
2. Blood Cancer Forum – Partnerships presentations from Andrew Roberts and community Foundations. Great way for members to keep up with the Foundations that support patients services, and hear about Foundation grant programs for 2021.
3. Welcome new members and congratulations to our 10, 20, 30-year members by Rob Weinkove, an entertaining presentation to create good member vibes!

HSANZ have a half day Education day on Tuesday 13 October, with the delivery of the Baikie Symposium and the Pitney Fellow address led by HSANZ President Leanne Berkahn and Vice President Steven Lane

HSANZ has conducted a process to call for abstracts and successful abstracts will be presented.

Support your colleagues and come along to this important event. This is a big deal in the professional haematologist's career, so join-in and cheer them on!

Our opening session Monday 8am – 10am features Peter Mollee, Jake Shortt and Tracey Gerber.

We have Katie Allen MP as a guest speaker and we also have John Seymour and Carrie Hillyard presenting as the National Blood Cancer Taskforce Co-Chairs.

International speakers!

This program includes a broad range of expert international presenters from all over the world. Some have provided recorded presentations but many are attending live …don’t’ miss this opportunity for engagement!

Welcome to the Australia & New Zealand haematology community – Ajai Chari, Peter Borchmann, Gordon Cook, David Kurtz, and Konstanz Dohner

To register now – please contact Lucy Chesterton 

 Click here for the program

The Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapies (CBTCT) brings together the largest allogeneic stem cell transplant units in Australia with a focus on identifying transplant and cell therapy strategies to reduce graft versus host disease and improve patient and disease outcomes after transplant. In this webinar series, investigators from the CBTCT will review major topics in stem cell transplantation and cell therapy, highlighting how the activities of the CBTCT are addressing current challenges in stem cell transplantation. The fifth webinar in this series features two excellent speakers, with Dr Kate Markey highlighting the emerging significance of the microbiome in influencing outcomes following blood and marrow transplantation, followed by Elissa Atkins who will review the practical aspects of the regulatory requirements for the monitoring of recipients of immune effector cell therapy products.

Speakers:

Dr Kate Markey – Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre / Weill Cornell Medical College

Elissa Atkins – Westmead Hospital / Westmead Institute for Medical Research

When: Thursday 1 October 2020, 8am AEST

Link to webinar:

Link to CBTCT website for all webinar recordings:

PDF flyer

Dear Colleagues                       

As you are aware, on 13 March 2020 the Australian Government listed a range of temporary items for specialist specific telehealth services (video and/or phone attendances) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Based on stakeholder advice, over 80 specialist specific items were listed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  These temporary items were due to cease on 30 September 2020.

The Government has agreed to extend the COVID-19 specialist telehealth items in their current form, from 30 September 2020 to 31 March 2021, this extension period is based on advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC). Further information about the extension is available online at:  www.pm.gov.au/media/24-billion-health-plan-fight-covid-19

The Department will continue to monitor the impacts of COVID-19, and should the AHPPC recommend a further extension of the current items beyond 31 March 2021, this matter will be brought back to Government for consideration.

If you have any questions about the extension please email 

Mary Warner 

Director

Medical Specialist Services Section

MBS Policy & Specialist Services Branch | Medical Benefits Division

Australian Government Department of Health

MDP 959, GPO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601

The Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapies (CBTCT) brings together the largest allogeneic stem cell transplant units in Australia with a focus on identifying transplant and cell therapy strategies to reduce graft versus host disease and improve patient and disease outcomes after transplant. In this webinar series, investigators from the CBTCT will review major topics in stem cell transplantation and cell therapy, highlighting how the activities of the CBTCT are addressing current challenges in stem cell transplantation. The fourth webinar of this series addresses developments in the field of cellular therapy in the management of two common post-allogeneic bone marrow transplant complications. Professor David Gottlieb will highlight the role of cell therapies in the treatment of opportunistic infections in the post-transplant period, while Dr Siok Tey will review novel cellular therapies for the treatment of graft vs host disease

Speakers:

Professor David Gottlieb – Westmead Hospital / University of Sydney

Dr Siok Tey - Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital / QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

When: Thursday 3 September 2020, 8am AEST

Link to webinar

Link to CBTCT website for all webinar recordings

For more information

A reminder of changes for the 2020 CPD year only.

The RACP recognises that the innovation and learning it is currently seeing from our medical profession is perhaps the ultimate CPD. The RACP will not take action if you cannot meet CPD requirements in 2020. You are not required to record CPD activities that you have completed in 2020, and the College will not be monitoring or auditing your 2020 CPD record. The Medical Board of Australia has stated that AHPRA will not take action if you cannot meet the CPD registration standard when you renew your medical registration in 2020. The Medical Council of New Zealand has waived recertification requirements for 2020. For more information visit the MyCPD interactive handbook  or contact the MyCPD Unit in Australia on 1300 697 227 or at MyCPD@racp.edu.au and in New Zealand on +64 4 460 8122 or at MyCPD@racp.org.nz

The Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapies (CBTCT) brings together the largest allogeneic stem cell transplant units in Australia with a focus on identifying transplant and cell therapy strategies to reduce graft versus host disease and improve patient and disease outcomes after transplant. In this webinar series, investigators from the CBTCT will review major topics in stem cell transplantation and cell therapy, highlighting how the activities of the CBTCT are addressing current challenges in stem cell transplantation. In the third seminar of this series, Professor James Ferrara will outline research highlighting biomarkers in graft vs host disease and the role of the MAGIC Consortium, while Dr Siok Tey will review novel cellular therapies for the treatment of graft vs host disease.

Speakers:

Professor James Ferrara - Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai

Dr Siok Tey - Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital / QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

When: Thursday 3 September 2020, 8am AEST

Link to webinar: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/92998014030

Link to CBTCT website for all webinar recordings:

https://bloodcelltherapy.org.au/

For the PDF flyer, click here

The Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapies (CBTCT) brings together the largest allogeneic stem cell transplant units in Australia with a focus on identifying transplant and cell therapy strategies to reduce graft versus host disease and improve patient and disease outcomes after transplant. In this webinar series, investigators from the CBTCT will review major topics in stem cell transplantation and cell therapy, highlighting how the activities of the CBTCT are addressing current challenges in stem cell transplantation. Following on in this series, Professor David Curtis from the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne will review the role of post-transplant cyclophosphamide for the prevention of graft versus host disease following allogeneic blood transplant. Mr Mingdi Xie, who is the current MAGIC Australia Project coordinator for the CBTCT, will then present an introduction to the MAGIC consortium, including its functions and importance in allogeneic blood transplant research

Speakers:

Professor David Curtis – The Alfred Hospital and Monash University

Mr Mingdi Xie – The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

When: Thursday 20 August 2020, 8am AEST

For more information and the link to the webinar click here

Website: bloodcelltherapy.org.au 

Introduction to MSAC Webinar – Thu 27 August 2020

The Department of Health will be hosting an Introduction to Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) Webinar on

Thursday 27 August 2020
3-4pm AEST

This webinar aims to provide basic information on the role of MSAC.

Please register here: Introduction to MSAC Webinar Registration

MSAC website
HTA website
Email

You are invited to the Myeloma and Related Diseases Registry webinar

- this is a free double event as it forms part of the National Myeloma Workshop (NMW) this year. 

Please join MRDR for an update on registry progress, projects and Q&A.
Date: Saturday, 5 September
Time: 4:00 – 5:00 pm AEST – NMW sessions stream through to the MRDR webinar
You need to register for this dual free event: MRDR webinar and NMW, at  https://www.trybooking.com/BKMLT 

For full details of the NMW go here

MPN Alliance Australia established a website in 2018 for MPN patients and their families. 

They work in partnership with the Leukaemia Foundation and aim to provide high quality, evidence-based MPN information.

They have invited us to raise awareness amongst haematologists of their website and patient treatment information available for download in PDF in English and Arabic.
Please see attached letter.