Four Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) staff members are part of the 1040 outstanding Australians recognised in this years’ 26 January Honours’ List.
Associate Professor Leeanne Grigg, Professor Fary Khan and Professor Peter Morley, as well as former Director of Anatomical Pathology Professor Prithi Bhathal were appointed Members of the Order of Australia (AM) for their extraordinary service to health and medical research.
A/Prof Leeanne Grigg is the Director of the Department of Cardiology at the RMH, a position she has held for more than 26 years. She is also the Divisional Director of Cardiovascular, Renal and Endocrine Services at the hospital. A/Prof Grigg was awarded the Melbourne Award in 2020 – the highest honour in the RMH’s annual staff awards – for her “extraordinary leadership” and her support and mentorship to young cardiologists.
Under her leadership, A/Prof Grigg has established the state-wide Genetic Cardiac Disease Service, the Cardiac Pregnancy Clinic, the Emergency Department Chest Pain Clinic and numerous other initiatives around the Hospital and has grown the Department of Cardiology to be one of the largest and highly regarded in Australia.
Prof Fary Khan was recognised “for significant service to rehabilitation medicine, to research, and to professional societies”. Prof Khan is the current Director of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine since 2009, and the Clinical Director of the Australian Rehabilitation Research Centre.
In addition to her clinical roles, Prof Khan also contributes at a high level to several societies, including the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM), where she has been the Executive Committee Member and Representative for Asia-Oceania Region since 2013. She is also Vice-Chair of the ISPRM Research and Academic Committee.
Prof Peter Morley is a highly respected member of the Intensive Care Unit at the RMH, where he is a Senior Intensive Care Specialist. He has been at the RMH since 1991, where he joined as a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care. Prof Morley is also the Director of the ICU at Melbourne Private Hospital.
Prof Morley was recognised for his “significant service to intensive care medicine, to professional societies, and to tertiary education”. Prof Morley is passionate about education and mentoring and is current Professor, Clinical Dean and Director of Medical Education at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, under the University of Melbourne.
Professor Bhathal started his career as a pathologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in 1968, before shortly being appointed Director of Anatomical Pathology in 1978 – a position he held for 21 years.
Professor Bhathal still holds an Honorary Consultant Pathologist position at the RMH. Professor Bhathal’s honorary position means he has been involved with the Hospital for 52 years. His AM was for “significant service to pathology, education and mentoring, and to medical research”.
We’re extremely proud of these four distinguished staff members for their contribution to advancing health for everyone, every day.
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