The team at Monash Health have been recognised in the 2022 Australia Day Honours List and at government ceremonies.
We want to extend our congratulations to Professor Richard Harper AM and Mr Colin Dobson for their well-deserved recognition in the 2022 Australia Day Honours List.
Professor Richard Harper, Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia
Professor Richard Harper AM, the inaugural Director of Monash Heart, has been awarded Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for “significant service to cardiology, to medical research, and to professional associations.”
Professor Harper started working at Monash Health in 1987, where he was the first director of the cardiology program at Monash Medical Centre.
“When the cardiology program from Prince Henry’s Hospital unified with the Queen Victoria Medical Centre and Moorabbin Hospital to create Monash Medical Centre, I knew then that it would be an important part of healthcare in Victoria,” said Professor Harper.
“Early on in my career, most of our treatments required open heart surgery, and we didn’t know what would be possible with interventional cardiology, which has become so important to the care we provide to our patients.
“I’m very proud that Monash Heart is recognised as one of the world’s leading interventional cardiology centres, and I’m also proud to be involved as Monash Heart is growing into the new Victorian Heart Hospital.”
35 years into his career at Monash Health, the recognition on the Australia Day Honours list means a lot, said Professor Harper, as it signifies recognition from his peers.
“The part I’ve enjoyed most in my career is teaching. It’s been great to step back from a leadership role and seeing our cardiology trainees progress is what keeps me going,” said Professor Harper.
Professor Stephen Nicholls, the current Director of Monash Heart, said that this was a wonderful recognition of the outstanding contribution that Professor Harper has made to the field of cardiology.
“Rick is a clinician whose care has spanned the breadth of cardiology, and importantly, includes not only a focus on bringing new advances to the clinic, but to make sure the most vulnerable in our community and the broader Asia Pacific region are not left behind,” said Professor Nicholls.
“He has been a mentor, teacher, researcher, colleague and friend to all of us.
“There is no Monash Heart without Rick Harper.”
Colin Dobson, Public Service Medal
Colin Dobson, the Principal of the Monash Children’s Hospital School, has been awarded with a Public Service Medal for “outstanding public service to education in Victoria”.
Since 2017, the Monash Children’s Hospital School has provided an authentic and accessible school experience for children who are undergoing treatment that takes them out of their regular classroom.
Mr Dobson said that it was an absolute honour to receive the Public Service Medal.
“I want to stress that this is a team award, and the recognition is shared by everyone that I work alongside,” said Mr Dobson.
“I’m surrounded by amazing people from both health and education, and the whole concept of the school in the hospital has been embraced by everyone at Monash Health.”
Half of the students at Monash Children’s Hospital are patients that are cared for outside of the hospital, with the teachers seeing a growing demand for ongoing support as students recover at home and eventually need help returning to school, often with changed life conditions.
“Going through COVID-19, we try to find the positives. Online learning and video classes have made it much easier for young children with chronic health conditions to stay connected to their education,” said Mr Dobson.
“While we’re not medical experts at the school, we’ve immersed ourselves in the culture of the hospital to stay connected to the people who are experts.
“This means we can provide better education to our students, and our team is now helping other educators understand how they can better teach children in their own schools who might be experiencing health challenges.”
2022 Holt Australia Day Awards
Monash Health’s COVID-19 pandemic response was recognised at the 2022 Holt Australia Day Awards. The award was accepted by Jenny Docherty and Sarah Wipfli, two years on from Monash Health cared for the first confirmed COVID-19 patient in Australia.
Congratulations to all our incredible healthcare workers who have played a key role in protecting our community against COVID-19.
