HSANZ News

The Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapies (CBTCT) brings together the largest allogeneic stem cell transplant units in Australia with a focus on identifying transplant and cell therapy strategies to reduce graft versus host disease and improve patient and disease outcomes after transplant. In this webinar series, investigators from the CBTCT will review major topics in stem cell transplantation and cell therapy, highlighting how the activities of the CBTCT are addressing current challenges in stem cell transplantation. The fifth webinar in this series features two excellent speakers, with Dr Kate Markey highlighting the emerging significance of the microbiome in influencing outcomes following blood and marrow transplantation, followed by Elissa Atkins who will review the practical aspects of the regulatory requirements for the monitoring of recipients of immune effector cell therapy products.

Speakers:

Dr Kate Markey – Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre / Weill Cornell Medical College

Elissa Atkins – Westmead Hospital / Westmead Institute for Medical Research

When: Thursday 1 October 2020, 8am AEST

Link to webinar:

Link to CBTCT website for all webinar recordings:

PDF flyer

Dear Colleagues                       

As you are aware, on 13 March 2020 the Australian Government listed a range of temporary items for specialist specific telehealth services (video and/or phone attendances) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Based on stakeholder advice, over 80 specialist specific items were listed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  These temporary items were due to cease on 30 September 2020.

The Government has agreed to extend the COVID-19 specialist telehealth items in their current form, from 30 September 2020 to 31 March 2021, this extension period is based on advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC). Further information about the extension is available online at:  www.pm.gov.au/media/24-billion-health-plan-fight-covid-19

The Department will continue to monitor the impacts of COVID-19, and should the AHPPC recommend a further extension of the current items beyond 31 March 2021, this matter will be brought back to Government for consideration.

If you have any questions about the extension please email 

Mary Warner 

Director

Medical Specialist Services Section

MBS Policy & Specialist Services Branch | Medical Benefits Division

Australian Government Department of Health

MDP 959, GPO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601

The Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapies (CBTCT) brings together the largest allogeneic stem cell transplant units in Australia with a focus on identifying transplant and cell therapy strategies to reduce graft versus host disease and improve patient and disease outcomes after transplant. In this webinar series, investigators from the CBTCT will review major topics in stem cell transplantation and cell therapy, highlighting how the activities of the CBTCT are addressing current challenges in stem cell transplantation. The fourth webinar of this series addresses developments in the field of cellular therapy in the management of two common post-allogeneic bone marrow transplant complications. Professor David Gottlieb will highlight the role of cell therapies in the treatment of opportunistic infections in the post-transplant period, while Dr Siok Tey will review novel cellular therapies for the treatment of graft vs host disease

Speakers:

Professor David Gottlieb – Westmead Hospital / University of Sydney

Dr Siok Tey - Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital / QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

When: Thursday 3 September 2020, 8am AEST

Link to webinar

Link to CBTCT website for all webinar recordings

For more information

The Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapies (CBTCT) brings together the largest allogeneic stem cell transplant units in Australia with a focus on identifying transplant and cell therapy strategies to reduce graft versus host disease and improve patient and disease outcomes after transplant. In this webinar series, investigators from the CBTCT will review major topics in stem cell transplantation and cell therapy, highlighting how the activities of the CBTCT are addressing current challenges in stem cell transplantation. In the third seminar of this series, Professor James Ferrara will outline research highlighting biomarkers in graft vs host disease and the role of the MAGIC Consortium, while Dr Siok Tey will review novel cellular therapies for the treatment of graft vs host disease.

Speakers:

Professor James Ferrara - Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai

Dr Siok Tey - Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital / QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

When: Thursday 3 September 2020, 8am AEST

Link to webinar: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/92998014030

Link to CBTCT website for all webinar recordings:

https://bloodcelltherapy.org.au/

For the PDF flyer, click here

The Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapies (CBTCT) brings together the largest allogeneic stem cell transplant units in Australia with a focus on identifying transplant and cell therapy strategies to reduce graft versus host disease and improve patient and disease outcomes after transplant. In this webinar series, investigators from the CBTCT will review major topics in stem cell transplantation and cell therapy, highlighting how the activities of the CBTCT are addressing current challenges in stem cell transplantation. Following on in this series, Professor David Curtis from the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne will review the role of post-transplant cyclophosphamide for the prevention of graft versus host disease following allogeneic blood transplant. Mr Mingdi Xie, who is the current MAGIC Australia Project coordinator for the CBTCT, will then present an introduction to the MAGIC consortium, including its functions and importance in allogeneic blood transplant research

Speakers:

Professor David Curtis – The Alfred Hospital and Monash University

Mr Mingdi Xie – The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

When: Thursday 20 August 2020, 8am AEST

For more information and the link to the webinar click here

Website: bloodcelltherapy.org.au 

The Department of Health will be hosting an Introduction to Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) Webinar on

Thursday 27 August 2020
3-4pm AEST

This webinar aims to provide basic information on the role of MSAC.

Please register here: Introduction to MSAC Webinar Registration

MSAC website
HTA website
Email

You are invited to the Myeloma and Related Diseases Registry webinar

- this is a free double event as it forms part of the National Myeloma Workshop (NMW) this year. 

Please join MRDR for an update on registry progress, projects and Q&A.
Date: Saturday, 5 September
Time: 4:00 – 5:00 pm AEST – NMW sessions stream through to the MRDR webinar
You need to register for this dual free event: MRDR webinar and NMW, at  https://www.trybooking.com/BKMLT 

For full details of the NMW go here

MPN Alliance Australia established a website in 2018 for MPN patients and their families. 

They work in partnership with the Leukaemia Foundation and aim to provide high quality, evidence-based MPN information.

They have invited us to raise awareness amongst haematologists of their website and patient treatment information available for download in PDF in English and Arabic.
Please see attached letter.  

As you may be aware the RACP recently released the results of their survey of the use of new MBS  telehealth items by members. 

They are currently developing a short paper on policy options to optimise the use of the new telehealth items beyond the COVID-19 pandemic which has been refined following consultation with members of the College Health Reform Reference Group (here). This paper is still a draft and would be finalised following extensive consultation with all specialties. Can you please provide any feedback on this paper to RACP by COB 4 August? 

If you would prefer to send your feedback to Valerie in the office, by COB 3 August, she will collate and send this to RACP.