Professor receives inaugural health award
Associate Professor Bob Davis
A Monash University professor was the winner of the inaugural 2014 Victorian Minister for Health General Practitioner award.
Associate Professor Bob Davis, the Clinical Director of the University's Centre for Developmental Disability Health Victoria (CDDHV) was presented the award by the Minister for Health David Davis in October.
The award celebrates Associate Professor Davis’ commitment to improving the health outcomes of people with intellectual disability both in Victoria and elsewhere. Over his career, he has personally seen thousands of patients with intellectual disability, and supported other general practitioners across the state in caring for their patients. He work is fuelled by his passion and commitment to improve the lives of people with intellectual disability.
Associate Professor Davis graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1976 and worked in general practice in regional South Australia before moving to Monash University in 1991 to help set up the Developmental Disability Unit, Australia's first university based health service for adults with developmental disability. In 1998 he was appointed the founding director of the Monash University Centre for Developmental Disability Health (CDDH).
He was the founding President of the Australian Association of Developmental Disability Medicine (AADDM), a group of Australian doctors committed to improving the healthcare of people with intellectual and associated developmental disabilities across the nation. In 2007, Associate Professor Davis, as President of AADDM, in partnership with the National Council for Intellectual Disability, successfully advocated for the introduction of Medicare items for annual health assessments for people with intellectual disability.
Associate Professor Davis chaired the Disability Working Group of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and has been active in developing Developmental and Intellectual Disability Management Guidelines in collaboration with Therapeutic Guidelines. Associate Professor Davis and his colleagues developed six online teaching modules for general practitioners and primary health care nurses.
He is also the current chair of the local organising committee for the Conference of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disability to be held in Melbourne in 2016.
Dr Jane Tracy, Director of CDDHV said that Associate Professor Davis’ colleagues were delighted but not surprised by the award.
"The award is a wonderful recognition of Bob’s tremendous contribution to the lives of people with disabilities and their families over many years" she said. "It has been a great pleasure and privilege to work with Bob over the years. The energy and passion he brings to his work, and the commitment and care he demonstrates every day with every patient inspires and energises us all," Dr Tracy said.