Q&A
- Why did you pursue the path of Medical Administration?
That is a really difficult question. Why do any of us challenge ourselves with new studies, new jobs, new responsibilities? Why not just stay home and have a rest? I think that like many doctors I can’t sit still and be quiet. Restless brain syndrome.
As an administrator I love solving problems and making things neat and tidy. Chaos makes me anxious, and order makes me feel calm and in control. Our health system has more
problems than you can poke a stick at, so what’s not to like about the job! Every day you get the opportunity to do some good.
- Had you met Medical Leaders or Administrators previously, and what had you seen of their expertise, leadership or specialisation?
Like with clinical training, you pick and choose to emulate the skills and behaviours you observe. I was very lucky that I had some inspirationally wise and good exemplars. One taught me that kindness was a great tool for creating an effective team; another had high level technical skills to share; and another always had a box of biscuits on her desk and this, with the quick offer of a “cuppa”, always defused any tensions. (Hard to maintain the rage while chewing on an Iced VoVo.) Lessons learnt.
- Why did you undertake the Fellowship Training Program/?
Although I loved my clinical work, after 20 years of paediatric practice, I was a little bored. I found myself pigeonholed into a smaller and smaller area of expertise. I was good at it, but how many times can you say the same thing with the freshness a family deserves. I needed a new field and more challenges. - What attracted you to take up the role of a Board member of RACMA?
It sounds corny; however, I am at retirement age, and I want to share whatever skills or knowledge I have acquired.
5. What area or issue will you focus on in your role on the RACMA board over the coming 12 months?
There is one issue all specialists need to ponder upon — that is, what will be future purpose of any of the colleges? How can we maintain relevancy in a changing world?
And, specifically for RACMA, how do we demonstrate that our training program adds value to our health system?
- In your current role, what changes or challenges do you see on the horizon for the health care system over the coming 12 months?
The health system in its present form is unsustainable. This does not mean that everything is going to fall apart, and that chaos and disaster are inevitable. Rather, change will naturally occur in response to economic and manpower forces. We can be part of that process or one of its casualties. I hope that RACMA can lead in revisioning healthcare.
7. How will you make the most of the opportunities to improve the health care system over the coming 12 months?
Like all Western democracies, Australia is experiencing the downside of material wealth. The one good thing about getting older is that you can remember an earlier, less affluent
Australia. I went to school in country Victoria and my grade six class photo is startling for the big size of the class and the absence of anyone who was overweight.
Now, around one in four children aged between five and 14 is overweight or obese, and one in 10 children are reported to have issues related to mental health wellbeing. These
children will become our adult chronic disease patients of the future. It does not bode well for our health system.
I believe that we must start rethinking how health care is provided both in the community and in the acute setting. This will require us to challenge many of our fixed beliefs about
what that health care looks like, who provides it and where that care is located. Exponentially increasing the number of doctors and building bigger hospitals is not the answer.
- How would you describe the importance of qualified Medical Administrators and Members of RACMA to the Australasian health care system?
That is the $60,000 question. There is a management shibboleth that anyone with a core set of skills can manage anything. This is not true.
There is something fundamentally right about having doctors, trained in management, involved in the running of our health services. They have a duality of perspective which melds the clinical with the administrative. Without them, well intentioned mis-decisions are made; with them, patients have knowledgeable advocates for their best care.
Read more about Dr Colin Feekery HERE and meet the rest of the Board HERE
Author: Bessy Vazzocchi
12th March 2025
