Hosted by HealthWISE, the third biennial Barwon Health Alliance CPD Weekend brought together 30 health care professionals from across NSW for two days of professional development and networking opportunities at Goonoo Goonoo Station on June 13 and 14.
Moree’s Dr Maelle Morgan, who emceed the event, spoke on the value of sharing knowledge from experienced doctors to gain perspective and combat systemic flaws in a functioning medical environment.
“Let’s use this weekend’s conference to build connections with the people around you, particularly experienced doctors; to remember and learn from the past; to gain greater understanding of how we operate as doctors in the current health care system,” she said.
Also based in Moree, Gwydir Medical’s Dr Callum Fealy shared his expertise on perimenopause and menopause. He spoke on how to recognise symptoms, addressing misconceptions around breast cancer, and management with Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT).
Tamworth specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Blake Knapman discussed adenomyosis and endometriosis, while paediatrician Dr Kimberley Farage spoke on the treatment and co-management of ADHD in children. General surgeon Dr Rajkumar Srinivasan from Tamworth spoke on thyroid conditions and their management from a surgeon’s point of view, and shared updates from the American Thyroid Association’s 2025 guidelines.
The networking dinner included a surprise retirement presentation for Dr Grahame Deane, focusing on his 45 year career as a rural GP. Former CEO of HealthWISE Fiona Strang spoke on Dr Deane’s passion for rural health, which she said was driven by a desire to see real patient outcomes on a local level.
“Those of us fortunate enough to work with Grahame found him an inspiring and knowledgeable leader who, through his expectation of high standards, brought out the best in you,” Fiona said.
Attendees appreciated the diversity of the topics, strength of the speakers and opportunity to network with colleagues over the weekend. They said the presentations were informative, up-to-date and relevant, and already had many suggestions for possible speakers and topics for the next event.
The event was made possible with funding from the Rural Doctor’s Network.
