Graham Grove has been awarded the 2021 Palliative Care In Queensland Emerging Leader in Palliative Care Award following a string of outstanding achievements in his 4.5 years supporting patients, families and health professionals on the Gold Coast.
Armed with infectious enthusiasm and a commitment to learning and development, Graham exemplifies leadership in the Palliative Care Sector and has been directly responsible for groundbreaking initiatives and programs that have enriched the lives of the people they touch.
Based on the Gold Coast, Graham has used his love of innovation and technology to pioneer care and to generate fantastic outcomes. From introducing Point of Care Ultrasound to developing the Pocketbook of Palliative Care mobile app, Graham has directly supported colleagues and junior team members to engage in, and excel at, palliative care delivery. In addition, his work creating guidelines for COVID-19 in a palliative care setting have been taken up both locally and further afield.
Currently, Graham is the Medical Director of SPARTA, Queensland’s leading Specialist Palliative Rural Telehealth Service, a project he created through his vision, inspiration and guidance. His skills in problem-solving, collaboration and innovation have led to the creation of specialist hubs in Townsville, Cairns, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, where teams use technology platforms to provide care in rural and remote regional areas.
Without a doubt, Graham has changed the landscape of palliative care in a way that benefits the maximum number of people.
We caught up with Graham to find out what winning the 2021 Palliative Care In Queensland Emerging Leader in Palliative Care means.
What does winning a 2021 Palliative Care in Qld Award mean to you?
It’s wonderful to know that my work aiming to improve support for rural and regional palliative care clinicians and their patients has been having a positive impact.
How does it feel to be recognised for your contribution to Palliative Care in Qld?
I feel very honoured to be recognised for my contribution in palliative care, although in reality, much of the credit should go to the amazing team I work with.
Who would you like to thank or acknowledge as part of your award win?
Dr Ram and the Sunshine Coast team. Dr Fried, J Lazelle and Townsville team. Drs Harwood and Lam and the Cairns team. And in the Gold Coast, Dr Cerni, A Berghammer, J Brydon, S Gonzalez, E Vermeulen, S Koellner, J Barnes, I Simpson, L Chess-Williams, Z Hoskinson, G Walsh, Dr Gurgenci, Dr Babu. The many rural nurses. Dr A Broadbent. And my wife Nicole and kids Matthew, Simon and Annie!