Page 4 - FSANZ Autumn 21 Volume 95 Amended

President’s Report: Our name change
On behalf of all members in Australia and ‘across the Tasman”,
I welcome the formal change of our name to the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand.
New Zealand-based doctors, scientists, nurses and counsellors working in assisted reproduction have for many years been members of the Fertility Society of Australia, which was legally formed in Victoria in 1981.
The name change comes after vigorous support from our New Zealand colleagues and strong advocacy from Dr Simon McDowell, a NZ Board Director. I am sure all members agree it is entirely appropriate that our name reflects the full, united membership of our Society in both countries.
Simon is a fertility specialist working at Fertility Associates in Wellington. He specialises in advanced laparoscopic surgery primarily focussing on the management of severe endometriosis.
While it is great to have Simon on the FSANZ Board, NZ representation was until recently not a given. I am pleased to report that at the last annual general meeting of the Society our membership agreed that it is timely to formalise that representation from NZ on the Board.
This edition features comments on the new entity – FSANZ – from Simon, Joi Ellis and John Peek. Joi is a pioneering infertility counsellor and former FSA Board member. She and John have been honoured with Life Membership of our Society.
Members will recall how John reflected on the history of fertility treatment in NZ in the recent souvenir edition of FSA Update that celebrated the 40th anniversary of the birth of Australia’s first IVF baby Candice Thum (nee Reed). Candice is now a resident in New Zealand.
Our first digital edition
Another important change is the introduction of FSANZ Update in digital format, replacing the traditional printed newsletter.
This recognises the growing international publishing trend to present newspapers and magazines on-line. It will significantly reduce production costs of the newsletter as it will obviate fees for printing, freight and mail distribution. Additionally, the publication will be more environmentally sustainable and it presents the opportunity to distribute to a wider reading audience, especially making it more accessible to our members in Australia and NZ.
A new feature of the digital publication is the flip-page composition. We are also introducing hyperlink capability allowing readers to click on a word, phrase or image to jump to a related article, research paper, website, databank etc.
The Society welcomes feedback from members on the new format. Please email your views and contributions to info@wsm.com.au
COVID-19
At the time of production of this edition, many of us were emerging from another pandemic lockdown.
Luk Rombauts
Our Society has continued to provide guidance for units, staff and patients in navigating through the pandemic with a strong focus on saving lives and with respect for individual doctor- patient relationships.
Distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine is now well underway and this should allow us to head towards a more stable situation.
This edition provides an update from the Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee (RTAC) with a particular focus on the resumption of unit audits that were suspended last year due to the pandemic.
Readers will also find important advice for patients from the Australian and New Zealand Society of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (ANZSREI) on the COVID-19 vaccine during fertility treatments.
Your IVF Success website
The FSANZ has cautiously welcomed the launch of the Federal Government’s Your IVF Success website as a tool to help patients seeking or undergoing IVF to predict their chances of having a baby.
Hopefully, the website will assist patients in making more informed choices about IVF treatment based on their own clinical circumstances compared with actual data collected from Australian IVF units.
The Your IVF Success website is not designed as an alternative to patients discussing fertility concerns with their medical specialist. However, it provides an informative, interactive process to help them make decisions to discuss with their treating doctor about whether they should start IVF or embark on another cycle of treatment.
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