QAS INSIGHT | Summer 2017-18 edition

KJM’s living legacy gives on

“The generous support of the Foundation and its sponsors encourages QAS paramedics to identify innovations that can help advance the profession and integrated health care which will contribute directly to improved outcomes for our patients.” Since 1988, a total of $357,455 has been awarded to 176 grant recipients. Some of the innovations that have contributed to better patient care include thrombolytics to dissolve clots for heart attack victims and research to validate rapid response vehicles. Theme of the 2017 symposium was Integrated Healthcare: 125 years of the Queensland Ambulance Service – Then Now, and Beyond . Speakers included KJM Foundation Patron Major General Professor John Pearn ao , Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital Emergency Department Director Jason Acworth, QAS Commissioner Russell Bowles asm , Deputy Commissioner Service Planning and Performance Dee Taylor-Dutton and Medical Director Stephen Rashford.

QAS personnel and paramedic students undertaking research and development projects aimed at improving patient care across the state have been awarded more than $34,000 in grants. The grant recipients were announced at the annual KJ McPherson Education and Research Foundation Patron’s Day symposium and presentation ceremony at Brisbane City Hall on November 22, attended by more than 160 QAS staff from across the State. Commissioner Russell Bowles congratulated the recipients on their awards and said they were fantastic ambassadors for the QAS. “I commend the recipients of these awards for their hard work and enthusiasm,” he said. “They are following in the footsteps of Jim McPherson, who embodied all of the best qualities of the QAS and demonstrated a strong commitment to training, education and research. The KJM Foundation complements the existing research capacity of QAS,’’ he said.

KJM Foundation The KJ McPherson Education and Research Foundation (KJM Foundation) is a not-for-profit entity dedicated to improving patient care by providing research and professional development opportunities for uniformed personnel. The Foundation is named for Kenneth James (Jim) McPherson, a Queensland Ambulance officer who lost his life in an aerial ambulance crash in Bundaberg in 1987. Jim McPherson was well known for his compassion and respect for patients and for his commitment to the development of clinical skills.

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Above ■ ACP Lisa Davenport receives the Patron's Research Grant award.

Right ■ The KJM Foundation Patron's Day symposium in Brisbane City Hall.

Summer 2017–18