Download Annex A - National Medical Research Council

ANNEX A
CITATIONS OF NMEA 2011 WINNERS
NATIONAL OUTSTANDING CLINICIAN MENTOR AWARD 2011
PROFESSOR LEE TAT LEANG
National University Hospital
Department of Anaesthesia
“For his distinguished and outstanding contributions as a mentor, teacher
and clinician in the development of the field of anaesthesiology in
Singapore”
Professor Lee Tat Leang is currently Senior Consultant with the Department of
Anaesthesia, National University Hospital (NUH). Prof Lee has been with NUH
since its inception in 1985. Prof Lee was Head, Department of Anaesthesia from
1993 to 2003. As an academic at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
(YLLSOM) since 1985, Prof Lee has made immense contributions to clinical
education in Singapore, both in the areas of undergraduate medical studies and
postgraduate specialty training in Anaesthesiology.
As an innovative teacher and mentor, Professor Lee set up the first human
patient simulator laboratory in Singapore in 1998, training medical students
initially and this has become an integral part of medical education. He also
pioneered the use of acupuncture alongside Western medicine in Singapore,
setting up an acupuncture outpatient clinic in NUH in 1997, the first among the
restructured hospitals in Singapore. He also chaired an acupuncture research
committee which spearheaded various acupuncture related projects to promote
an awareness of acupuncture among western trained doctors.
Professor Lee is a well respected leader in the Anaesthesiology community both
in Singapore and internationally. His ability to relate to people has made him a
popular mentor to clinicians, scholars and researchers. He mentored several
research graduate students, one of whom went on to become the first PhD
student in the Department.
He was instrumental in getting anaesthesiologists to be involved in laboratory
research in 1997, when he assembled a laboratory based pain research team in
NUH’s Anaesthesia department. Professor Lee was the first Singaporean
anaesthesiologist to chair the Asia Australasian Section (AARS) of the World
Federation of Societies of Anaesthesia between 1998 and 2002, the President of
the Asian Oceanic Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine from
2005 to 2007, as well as a member of the Associate Editorial Board of one of the
top three Anaesthesia journals in the world, Anesthesia & Analgesia, from 2006
to 2010. Professor Lee continues to receive many invitations to deliver keynote
addresses at international conferences. He is a a visiting lecturer to universities
and medical schools in the region, and is on the teaching faculty of an
acupuncture workshop at the American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual
Meeting which receives over 15,000 attendees annually. He is also Chair of the
Proprietary Medicine Advisory Committee and is into his third term as a member
of the NUS Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
Professor Lee is very involved in postgraduate training and is presently Chair of
the Ministry of Health Specialist Training Committee for Anaesthesiology and the
Residency Advisory Committee (RAC) for the Anaesthesiology residency training
program. Prof Lee has been an examiner for Anaesthesiology since 1984 and
Chief examiner since 2000, for the NUS MMed (Anaesthesiology) examinations.
He continues to oversee new developments in examinations for Anaesthesiology
through the RAC and in MOH’s Steering Committee for Post Graduate Medical
Examinations.
For his distinguished and outstanding contributions as a mentor, teacher and
clinician in the development of the field of Anaesthesiology in Singapore,
Professor Lee Tat Leang is awarded the 2011 National Outstanding Clinician
Mentor Award.
NATIONAL OUTSTANDING CLINICIAN MENTOR AWARD 2011
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR WONG KIM ENG
Institute of Mental Health
“For her distinguished and outstanding contributions in the training,
education and mentoring in the field of psychiatry and raising the
standards of psychiatric care for Singapore”
In an illustrious career which spans more than 30 years, Associate Professor
Wong Kim Eng has assumed the responsibilities of a clinician, mentor, clinical
tutor, facilitator and administrator. Among many achievements, she is notably
remembered for helping to establish a conducive training and research
infrastructure as well as mentoring several outstanding psychiatrists and clinician
scientists at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).
She was the Co-Chairperson of the National Mental Health Committee which
produced Singapore’s first ever National Mental Health Blueprint in 2005; and
was thereafter appointed as the Chairman of the National Mental Health
Blueprint Medical Committee in 2007 to oversee the implementation of its
medical programmes. Her expertise and advice have been actively sought by
other Ministries including the Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports, Ministry
of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Health. She also chairs the MOH’s Chronic
Disease Management Programme Mental Illness Clinical Advisory Committee.
she is a committed teacher, a coordinator of examinations, and an examiner for
local and external examinations. Medical students and Specialist Trainees in
psychiatry have benefited through her supervision and mentorship.
She has been an advocate for training and realised potential in her doctors.
A prolific writer, Associate Professor Wong contributes to journals and has
authored chapters in books such as “Mood and Depression” in Mind Matters
(2002) and “Delusional Disorders” in Psychiatry For Doctors (2001). She was the
co-editor of such practical books as “Grown Men Don’t Cry and other Myths of
Mental Illness (2005)” and “Don’t Gamble Your Life Away! Help for Pathological
Gamblers (2010)”.
She currently oversees the National Addictions Management Services (NAMS)
as Clinical Director at IMH, an appointment she took on in August 2008. During
the course of her career, she served a sterling 6-year term as Chairman, Medical
Board from 2002 to 2008. She was appointed the Chairman, NHG Research
Ethics Committee from 2003 to 2009. She has also chaired IMH’s Hospital Ethics
Committee since 2009. In recognition of her contributions, IMH conferred the
“Emeritus Consultant” title on her in 2010.
For her distinguished and outstanding contributions in the training, education and
mentoring in the field of psychiatry and raising the standards of psychiatric care
for Singapore, Associate Professor Wong Kim Eng is awarded the 2011 National
Outstanding Clinician Mentor Award.
NATIONAL OUTSTANDING CLINICIAN AWARD 2011
DR C SIVATHASAN
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery,
National Heart Centre Singapore
“For his groundbreaking work and immense contributions to the field of
cardiothoracic surgery, particularly in heart and lung transplantation and
treatments for end stage heart failure, giving severely ill heart patients a
new lease of life”
With a wealth of experience spanning nearly 30 years, Dr C Sivathasan has
been actively involved in the development of cardiothoracic surgery in Singapore.
He was part of the pioneer team that established the heart and lung transplant
programme and was involved in the first heart transplant in 1990 and the first
lung transplant in 2000. These landmark surgeries marked the start of a new
chapter in treatment of patients with end-stage heart and/or lung failure. Dr Siva
is currently the Co-Director of the Heart and Lung Transplant Programme at the
National Heart Centre Singapore. To date a total of 53 heart transplants and 10
lung transplants have been performed, giving these severely ill patients a new
lease of life.
To improve the quality of life for end-stage heart failure patients, Dr Siva
introduced new treatments such as ventricular assist devices in Singapore. He
started the Mechanical Heart Device Programme in 2001 as a five-year pilot
project to support patients with terminal heart failure for recovery or as a “bridge”
to heart transplantation. The programme became a full-fledged clinical service at
NHCS in 2006 and has proven to be a life-saver many times over. He is currently
the Programme Director.
Dr Siva also started the robotic-assisted minimally invasive cardiothoracic
surgery in 2005, which allows heart patients to experience faster post-operation
recovery, less pain and enjoy a lower risk of infection and transfusion due to less
blood loss. The programme has since expanded to cover lung surgery.
In 1989, Dr Siva mooted the idea of setting up a vascular laboratory using
ultrasound to investigate peripheral blood vessels as there were no dedicated
non-invasive vascular services available in Singapore at that time. He set up the
very first vascular laboratory in Singapore in 1991 to provide structural
assessment as well as physiological assessment of patients with peripheral
vascular disease. He also developed the standards of assessment as well as
trained the technicians to be clinically competent in carrying out such
investigations. His pioneering work led to the opening of vascular laboratories in
other hospitals in Singapore.
Dr Siva established the management protocols for the cardiothoracic surgery
intensive care unit (CTSICU) in 1988. His invaluable work laid a strong
foundation for the current level of care and safety that are comparable to
international standards.
A well-respected leader in the field of transplant, Dr Siva holds several
appointments with local and international organisations. He is currently on the
Board of Trustees for the International Society for Rotary Blood Pumps (ISRBP),
an executive committee member of the Society of Transplantation, Singapore,
and a board member of the Singapore Heart Foundation. Dr Siva has chaired the
organisation of numerous local, regional and several international meetings,
including the 17th Congress of the International Society for Rotary Blood Pumps
(ISRBP) which puts Singapore on the world map as well as the 2nd Asian Pacific
Congress of Heart Failure held in Singapore in 2005.
His selfless dedication and compassion for the patients earned him the
Healthcare Humanity Award in 2010. During the course of his career, Dr Siva
also provided mentorship, guidance and training to many young surgeons and
paramedical staff, preparing them for the challenges of the medical profession.
Dr Siva, although now in private practice, continues to serve as the Co-Director
of the Heart and Lung Transplant Programme, at the National Heart Centre, with
the same selfless exemplary contributions as before.
For his groundbreaking work and immense contributions to the field of
cardiothoracic surgery, particularly in heart and lung transplantation and
treatments for end stage heart failure, giving severely ill heart patients a new
lease of life, Dr C Sivathasan is awarded the 2011 National Outstanding Clinician
Award.
NATIONAL OUTSTANDING
CLINICIAN EDUCATOR AWARD 2011
PROFESSOR C RAJASOORYA
Khoo Teck Puat Hospital
Ministry of Health
Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore
Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School
“For his outstanding contributions and exemplary passion to impart
medical knowledge to the next generation of clinicians”
Professor Rajasoorya is an illustrious teacher extraordinaire to medical students,
and basic and advanced medical trainees. He believes that the responsibility to
train the next generation of doctors rest largely with established clinicians, who
need to take time and effort to impart and share their vast experience and
knowledge to budding clinicians.
Inspired and encouraged by his experience when he was under training,
Professor Raja multiplied it as a role model clinician teacher and advocate for
clinical education who taught and inspired many medical students and doctors.
Many who came under his tutelage have caught his passion, zest and focus, and
have subsequently established themselves in their areas of specialty.
As a part-time senior consultant in the Ministry of Health, he conducted
interviews with numerous postgraduate trainees to understand the environment
and the difficulties, deficiencies and constraints in postgraduate education. His
report on his systematic painstaking face to face encounters with trainees was
instrumental in the decisions that led the Ministry of Health and the Specialists
Accreditation Board to seek a more structured and effective postgraduate
training programme. He was appointed to a number of committees that sought to
transform postgraduate medical education through collaborations, for example
with the American Council of Graduate Medical Education International
(ACGME-I) and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). His most
recent undertaking is to chair the National Medical Undergraduate Curriculum
Committee, which seeks to establish the standards across all three medical
schools in Singapore and to raise the standard of medical learning in Singapore.
With his international connections, Professor Raja initiated and then chaired the
organising committee for the Ministry of Health Mayo Clinic Update on Surgical
and Medical Endocrinology in 2005 and 2009, bringing in medical experts to
share the latest advances for Endocrinology. With likeminded colleagues he puts
in the extra mile and makes the effort to conduct revision tutorials for final year
medical students every year.
His passion to equip the next generation of clinicians goes beyond those who are
under his supervision. His fervor in encouraging individuals to assume teaching,
supervisory or Chief Examiner roles in relevant examinations and in persuading
various committees to share their knowledge and experience at symposiums,
plenary lectures and Meet-the-Expert Sessions has contributed significantly to
medical learning in Singapore.
Professor Raja’s research work was published in leading journals such as
Clinical Endocrinology, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM)
and Pituitary have achieved high standings in the academic world. His work and
research are frequently quoted in medical textbooks and other journal papers. In
addition, the results of his research projects have validated many clinical
impressions in the specialty, resulting in greater knowledge and understanding.
This underscores his passion to contribute to medical knowledge and to the
progress and development of medical education and learning.
Internationally, Professor Raja has also established himself as an active and
credible researcher in the field of Hypothalamopituitary Disorders and work
related to Acromegaly. One of his efforts includes the establishment of a databased system for the collection of data on Acromegalic patients in Auckland,
New Zealand, which remains active today and continues to contribute
significantly to understanding Acromegaly.
He is currently a Senior Consultant Endocrinologist at the Department of
Medicine at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) and Clinical Professor, Faculty of
Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
and Adjunct Professor, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School. He is also a Senior
Consultant (Specialist Training) to the Manpower Standards and Development
Division, Ministry of Health since 2007. He chaired the Specialist Training
Committee for Endocrinology. Since his graduation in 1980, Prof Raja has
served in public and restructured hospitals and was Chairman, Medical Board
(CMB) at Alexandra Hospital (AH) from 2000 to 2004.
For his outstanding contributions and exemplary passion to impart medical
knowledge to the next generation of clinicians, Professor Rajasoorya is awarded
the 2011 National Outstanding Clinician Educator Award.
NATIONAL OUTSTANDING CLINICIAN SCIENTIST AWARD 2011
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR TAN ENG KING
Department of Neurology (NNI-SGH Campus)
National Neuroscience Institute
“For his contributions in clinical research in the field of Parkinson’s
Disease and Movement Disorders, particularly in the discovery of genetic
risk factors and clinical observations that helped elevate the standard care
in patients with Movement Disorders.”
Associate Professor Tan Eng King is a senior consultant neurologist and clinician
scientist at the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI), Singapore General
Hospital (SGH) campus, and an Associate Professor at Duke-NUS Graduate
Medical School (Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders). He was selected by
the Ministry of Health in 2005 as one of its pioneer cohort of clinician scientists.
An accomplished and outstanding researcher, Associate Professor Tan has been
instrumental in leading research in the field of Parkinson’s disease and
Movement Disorders, particularly in the discovery of genetic risk factors unique
to Asians and has made many clinical observations that helped in clinical care of
patients with Movement Disorders. His primary research interests are in genetic
epidemiology and the molecular mechanism underpinning disease causing
genes in Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor. He is also actively engaged
in neuroimaging, quality of life and pharmacogenetic studies and clinical trials in
various neurological diseases.
Associate Professor Tan’s achievements and contributions include the setting up
of the Movement Disorders Service at SGH in 2000. The service, which
benefited patients with gait problems and involuntary movements, paved the way
to the establishment of a fully integrated programme at NNI. In 2006, the center
became the only site in Asia to be accredited by the USA-based National
Parkinson Foundation as an “International Center of Excellence” for helping to
set the gold standard for care, outreach, and research into Parkinson’s disease.
In addition to being recognised as a researcher in the international healthcare
arena, Associate Professor Tan is also an opinion leader and well known
clinician with patient referrals extending all the way from Europe, USA and Asia.
He has acted as an external expert for prestigious universities and centres in
USA and Asia, and is the only Singaporean to be elected into the American
Neurological Association for his contributions to academic neuroscience. He has
also trained many undergraduates and postgraduates in both research and
clinical care.
Associate Professor Tan’s work has been recognised internationally and he has
authored more than 200 peer-reviewed papers in international journals and book
chapters, and is presently an editor of three prestigious international journals:
European Journal of Neurology, Parkinsonism Related Disorders and Basal
Ganglia. He is also the Chief Editor of Annals Academy of Medicine, Singapore’s
leading medical journal. Associate Professor Tan is in the executive committee
and treasurer of the International Movement Disorders Society (MDS-Asian
Oceanian division), and executive member of the Scientific Issues committee of
international MDS. He has received numerous awards for his contribution to
research in Movement Disorders.
He is the Director of Research at NNI and of the Genomics Core at SGH
Research Division, and co-director of the NNI Movement Disorders Center. (an
American National Parkinson Foundation accredited International Center of
Excellence).
For his outstanding contributions in the field of Parkinson’s Disease and
Movement Disorders, particularly in the discovery of genetic risk factors and
clinical observations that helped elevate the standard care in patients with
Movement Disorders, Associate Professor Tan is awarded the 2011 National
Outstanding Clinician Scientist Award.
NATIONAL CLINICAL EXCELLENCE TEAM AWARD 2011
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR TAN HUAY CHEEM
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR SHIRLEY OOI
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR RONALD LEE
DR EDGAR TAY
National University Heart Centre, Singapore
Department of Emergency Medicine, 1National University Hospital
“For their outstanding contributions in effective clinical knowledge
translation and in the reduction of door-to-balloon time for patients with
ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary
percutaneous coronary intervention in Singapore”
Acute myocardial infarction (or heart attack) is a major killer not only in
Singapore but also around the world. For such patients it is essential to get blood
resupplied to the affected heart muscles in as short a time as possible in order to
salvage the heart and save the patient’s life. Door-to-balloon (D2B) time
measures the time taken for a patient with ST-segment elevation myocardial
infarction (STEMI), to have their blocked arteries ‘opened up’ through balloon
inflation in a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure from
the time they arrive at the hospital. The internationally recommended timing is at
least within 90 minutes. The reduction of D2B time has been the goal of the
multidisciplinary team at the National University Heart Centre and the National
University Hospital led by Associate Professor Tan Huay Cheem.
Through careful study, the team identified operational and clinical processes for
treating patients with acute myocardial infarction and instituted changes in March
2007. This included having the emergency department physicians activate the
intervention team directly, immediately transferring patients to the cardiac
catheterization laboratory upon activation, converting pagers to cell phones for all
intervention team members and cross training of CCU nurses to function as
catheterisation laboratory nurses after office hours. This reduced the median
D2B time to 68 minutes, within six months of implementing the changes.
These innovative efforts had a significant impact at the hospital such that NUH
not only managed to sustain the results 3 years later but also further reduced
the median D2B time to 57 minutes as of end December 2010. Because of these
impressive results NUH has been recognised internationally as one of the best
hospitals in the world for D2B timings. In addition, the mortality rate for patients
with STEMI without cardiogenic shock was lowered to 0.53%, saving more lives.
For their outstanding contributions in bridging the gap between clinical
knowledge and the effective implementation of operation process changes that
are simple and inexpensive for improved health care delivery in shortening the
median D2B time in primary PCI, the team made up of Associate Professor Tan
Huay Cheem, Associate Professor Shirley Ooi, Associate Professor Ronald Lee
and Dr Edgar Tay from the National University Heart Centre, Singapore and
Department of Emergency Medicine, National University Hospital, is awarded the
2011 National Clinical Excellence Award.