​Professor Peter Thompson wins Minister for Health Award

Professor Peter Thompson AM, Director of Research Development at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Deputy Director of the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, has won the 2015 Minister for Health Award.

Presented as part of the WA Health Excellence Awards, the prize recognises individuals who demonstrate a commitment to achieving WA Health’s vision of ‘Healthier, longer and better quality lives for all Western Australians’.

Health Minister Kim Hames said throughout his 50-year career, Professor Thompson has made an extraordinary contribution in the areas of clinical care, clinical research, rural medicine, mentorship, clinical leadership and professional development.

As Director of Research Development at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Professor Thompson established a new department encompassing research ethics, governance and research funding.  He also established the Coronary Care Unit at St John of God Hospital Bunbury.

Professor Thompson has been the Deputy Director of the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research since 2004 and is the clinical lead of the Cardiometabolic Stream.

He is also a Director of the Heart Research Institute, a partner of Heart Care WA and is playing the leading role in establishing what will be WA’s only discovery research Chair in Cardiovascular Disease.

“Professor Thompson is an outstanding recipient of the award who has had a major impact on patient care and healthcare services during his many years of service as a practising cardiologist and administrator,” Dr Hames said.

“He is passionate about research and has been actively involved in many professional and international organisations in his field to help improve healthcare not just for West Australians, but for those experiencing heart conditions worldwide.”

Also honoured at the WA Health Excellence Awards was the Public Health team at the Department of Health, together with Greg and Catherine Hughes for a project to educate and vaccinate pregnant women in their third trimester of pregnancy to protect their newborn child from pertussis.