Congratulations Dr Michelle Lodge

RACS President Dr Tony Sparnon with Dr Michelle Lodge at the ceremony.

On Thursday 13 August, Dr Michelle Lodge was presented with an Outstanding Service to the Community award in a small surprise ceremony at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) South Australia (SA) office. The award was presented by RACS SA Chair, Mr David King, in recognition of the role Dr Lodge has played in the management and advancement in care for children with meningococcal septicaemia. This rare, but potentially devastating infection, progresses rapidly and can be extremely difficult to diagnose. If children survive the initial septic storm associated with meningococcal septicaemia they are typically left with extensive skin and soft tissue loss, which is commonly associated with digit or limb loss. Mr Bernard Carney, who nominated Dr Lodge for the award, spoke at the ceremony about her diligent management of these complex cases, which included over 60 operations on one child. He also highlighted Dr Lodge’s significant advocacy for the meningococcal B vaccine to be provided free to children, which was approved in South Australia in 2018. “As a result of powerful presentations made by Michelle to medical grant rounds and the SA Chapter of the Australasian Society of Infectious Diseases, the medical and economic rationale for the meningococcal B vaccine was made. This request had previously been consistently denied by state authorities,” Mr Carney said. “Michelle’s presentations revealed to other professionals the extreme nature of the surgical problems confronted by the surgeons, nursing staff, patients and their families for the first time.” “Many physicians in our hospital [The Women’s and Children’s Hospital] commented that they had no idea of the management struggles associated with the patients, and the cause was taken up by the hospital at the highest level,” Mr Carney continued. “Michelle has also played a key role in national advocacy and was a signatory to a letter sent to the Federal Minister of Health asking for the Meningococcal B vaccine to be part of the national childhood immunisation schedule.” RACS President, Dr Tony Sparnon, also attended and spoke at the ceremony, where he paid tribute to Dr Lodge’s tireless work ethic and humble nature. “Michelle is the ultimate quiet achiever, and not the sort of person who would seek or want to be recognised in this way. It is important that we do so though, as she has done so much for the community and our profession,” Dr Sparnon said. “She is not only an outstanding plastic paediatric surgeon, but she is widely respected and admired by all of her colleagues, and those whose lives she touches with her compassion and her care. This award was created to recognise surgeons with a dedicated history of service to their local community, without whom the standard of surgical care in that community would have been less than society expects. I cannot think of anyone who embodies these values more than Michelle.” 