About The ARA

> Mission/Purpose
> Goals
> Communication within the Association
> ARA Secretariat
> National Executive
> State Councillors
> State Branch Executives
> Committees
> Constitution (ratified AGM2007)
> Strategic Plan

Mission/Purpose

“The ARA supports and educates members and other practitioners in the
musculoskeletal field to enable provision of best possible management for
patients. It fosters excellence in the diagnosis and management of
musculoskeletal and inflammatory conditions through training, professional
development, research and advocacy."

Goals

(1) Services and infrastructure. To ensure provision of appropriate and
relevant services to members by defining ongoing needs and developing services and infrastructure in line with those needs.

(2) Workforce and trainee development. To ensure undergraduate
rheumatology training meets the ongoing professional and community needs through workforce evaluation, trainee recruitment and curriculum development.

(3) Professional development and practice standards. To support members
in maintaining professional competencies by supporting availability and accessibility of relevant continuing education and by establishing practice standards in the area of musculoskeletal medicine.

(4) Collaboration and partnerships. To foster a culture of collaboration
with other specialties, health professionals and consumers, and to actively seek opportunities for partnership development across the activities of the organisation.

(5) Advocacy. To advocate on behalf of members, patients and the general
community in order to support quality and equitable provision of musculoskeletal services.

(6) Profile. To ensure the speciality of rheumatology achieves
recognition and influence in the general community, amongst the medical profession and within government circles.

(7) Research. To facilitate high quality and relevant research in the
field of rheumatology by expanding opportunities for member involvement, exploring opportunities for collaboration with other professional groups and taking a leadership role with respect to pharmaceutical industry research.

(8) Resources. To generate resources to maintain and expand association
activities and utilise these resources to the optimal benefit of association members, the profession and the community.

Communication within the Association

To improve the communication pathway within the Association, the Review Committee established following the May 2003 ARA Council meeting, has prepared a Communication Matrix which schematically represents the lines of communication within the ARA. The focus of this communication matrix is the individual Rheumatologist. The matrix highlights emphasis on the preferred avenue of communication for the individual Rheumatologist via their State Committee and ARA State Councillors - highlighted on this diagram by a solid thick coloured line. Issues are then directed from State Councillors, State Committees to Executive, ARA Committees, through to Council. However, there will always be the facility for members to take issues directly to the ARA Executive.

ARA Secretariat

Mrs Robyn Middleton
145 Macquarie Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Tel: 02 9256 5458
Fax: 02 9256 9692/02 9252 3310
email: robynm@racp.edu.au

Ms Suzie Petranovic
145 Macquarie Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Tel: 02 9256 9626
Fax: 02 9256 9692/02 9252 3310
email: Suzie.Petranovic@racp.edu.au

National Executive
President: Professor Geoff McColl
Vice President: Dr Louis McGuigan
Honorary Secretary: Professor Kevin Pile
Honorary Treasurer: A/Professor Sue Piper

State Councillors

New South Wales
Dr Jim Bertouch
Dr Bain Shenstone

Australian Capital Territory
Dr Ken Khoo

Tasmania
Dr Serena Parker

Queensland
Dr Claire Barrett
Dr David Careless

South Australia
Dr Barbara True
Dr Simon Burnet

Victoria
Dr Rani Axtens
Dr Michelle Leech
Dr Hedley Griffiths
Dr Wendy Stevens

Dr Patrick Cheah

Dr Joylene Rentsch

State Branch Executives

New South Wales
President: Dr Bain Shenston
Vice President: Dr Kathryn Gibson
Treasurer: Dr Neil McGill
Secretary: Dr Stephen Potter

Australian Capital Territory
Secretary: Dr Anna Dorai Raj

Victoria
President: Dr Hedley Griffiths
Secretary: Dr Wendy Stevens
Treasurer: Dr Christine Le

Tasmania
Secretary: Dr Serena Parker

South Australia
President: Dr Catherine Hill
Secretary: Dr Vidya Limaye
Treasurer: Dr Simon Burnet

Queensland
Chairman: Dr Peter Landsberg
Secretary/Treasurer: Dr Phillip Vecchio

Western Australia
Secretary: Dr Kevin Murray
Treasurer: Dr Mark Reed

Page Updated 26.8.2009

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The ARA

Australian Rheumatology Association
145 Macquarie Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Tel: 02 9256 5458
Fax: 02 9252 3310/9256 9692
email: robynm@racp.edu.au