Clinical Immunologist - Finalist at the 2024 WA Rural Health Excellence Awards
21/06/2024
Congratulations to Dr Dominic Mallon for his recent achievement as a finalist in this year's WA Rural Health Excellence Awards in the Specialist (Non-GP) of the Year category.
Reflecting on the importance of caring for rural communities, Dr Mallon shared, 'A sign of a just society is equitable access to health care for all its citizens. Achieving this is particularly challenging in rural and remote Western Australia given our vast size, relatively small population, and pockets of disadvantage or low health literacy. Being able to provide care in a way that is accessible, timely, and reduces inequity for rural and remote patients; and to be recognised by my primary care colleagues as providing an effective service is enormously satisfying.'
'Working in a Laboratory Medicine specialty such as Immunology, I am reliant on patients being able to access diagnostic laboratories from wherever they live. For rural and remote patients, this often means them attending the local PathWest laboratory. The diagnostic information PathWest provides for these patients allows me to diagnose, plan treatment for, and monitor their immunodeficiencies, autoimmune, and allergic disorders, often without needing them to attend Fiona Stanley Hospital in person,' Dr Mallon added.
He emphasised that this approach provides patients with access to care while significantly reducing the financial, travel, and personal costs of attending appointments in Perth. Dr Mallon also highlighted the often under recognised value of pathology and laboratory medicine services. ‘Stories that illustrate how we enhance the care patients receive need to be told and publicised,' he said.
Apart from his recognition in the Awards, Dr Mallon is a highly respected clinical immunologist and allergy specialist. His remarkable journey in medicine began at the University of Western Australia, where he graduated with a medical degree in 1987.
With over 37 years of experience, Dr Mallon's contributions span multiple decades. In addition to being PathWest’s inaugural Chief Pathologist between 2009 – 2020; Dr Mallon established the Department of Clinical Immunology at Fremantle Hospital in 1997, and was the Head of the Clinical Service for Immunology at Fiona Stanley Hospital from commissioning in 2015 until he stood down in April 2023.
His research achievements include his leadership in the Western Australian COVID-19 Immunity Collaboration (WACIC), which played a pivotal role in establishing a biobank for studying immune responses to COVID-19. This biobank provides the biological materials that are crucial in understanding vaccine efficacy and developing strategies to protect vulnerable populations from emerging variants of the virus in WA, such as children and cancer patients. His efforts in biobanking and collaborative research have set a benchmark for future large-scale health studies that involve a collaborative response from multiple agencies within our Health System in response to pandemics in Western Australia, cementing his legacy as a pioneer in this field.
Last Updated:
14/08/2024