3rd Year Ophthalmology Registrar
Dr Jason Ha commenced ophthalmology training at the Eye and Ear in 2022. In the same year, he commenced a MACHTrack fellowship to facilitate combined clinical and academic training. In conjunction with his ophthalmic training, he is now undertaking a PhD at the University of Melbourne and Centre for Eye Research Australia, investigating how the immune system interacts with the eye in diabetes. For Jason, being a clinician scientist will allow him to take fundamental discoveries from the laboratory and apply them in clinical settings for maximal patient impact
Dr Dominic Maher
2nd Year Ophthalmology Registrar
Dr Dominic Maher joined the Eye and Ear in 2022 as a Hospital Medical Officer, before beginning ophthalmology training in 2023. He is currently working with the Orbito Plastic and Lacrimal Unit, learning about management of disorders of orbit, eyelids, tear duct system and eye removal procedures. For Dr Maher, the highlight of a career at the Eye and Ear is the people. He loves working with a range of people to learn new skills and particularly enjoys working alongside his fellow registrars. He says the hospital is a very social place to train – especially the Emergency Department where he is based.
Sofiyah Alhadad
Nurse Unit Manager
Sofiyah joined the Eye and Ear at the beginning of 2024. She was an invaluable part of the Sterile Processing Services team’s implementation of new quality and safety initiatives in preparation for the hospital’s National Standards accreditation and Healthcare Infection Control Management Resources audit. Her efforts helped the team achieve an outstanding 97.1 per cent audit score and pass the National Standards accreditation with no recommendations. Sofiyah’s favourite aspect of working at the Eye and Ear is the strong support system entrenched in the Surgical and Sterile Processing Services team. The team is always warm and welcoming, encouraging each other to go the extra mile to make a meaningful difference in patient care.
Chun Ho (Joey) Kwong
Quality and Safety Coordinator and Interpreter
Joey first joined the Eye and Ear in 2013 as an in-house Cantonese interpreter. He has been keen to take on secondment and volunteering opportunities to experience a variety of roles at the hospital, culminating in a full-time secondment with the Quality and Safety Unit in preparation for National Standards accreditation in 2021. Now, he juggles regular roles as an interpreter and Quality and Safety Coordinator, in addition to stepping in as Acting Manager of Social Services on several occasions. Last year, Joey worked with the Surgical Booking and Ambulatory Services Quality Improvement teams on a surgical letter translations project, which aimed to provide pre-operative instructions to each patient in their own language. The most rewarding parts of Joey’s journey at the Eye and Ear have been the volunteering, secondments and split duties he’s taken on. These opportunities have enabled him to meet new people, learn about different aspects of the hospital and develop his career.
Thu Truong
Medication Safety and Clinical Pharmacist
Thu Truong joined the Eye and Ear in 2019 as an operational pharmacist. She has since moved to the Medication Safety and clinical pharmacist role which contributes to ensuring the hospital’s safe and quality use of medicines and meeting the fourth National Safety and Quality Health Service Standard, Medication Safety. Later this year she’ll be presenting a case study on the use of insulin eye drops in persistent epithelial defects to the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia conference. Thu’s job satisfaction comes from contributing to patient care and working within the very supportive pharmacy team.
Joachim Dierckins
Finance Business Partner – Clinical Services and Digital Health
Joachim began his time with the Eye and Ear as a Finance Business Partner focusing on non-clinical services and capital. His responsibilities have since shifted to include clinical services, and he is the Acting Manager of the Planning and Financial Analysis Team. Joachim is always seeking ways to improve the hospital’s administrative processes, as he feels a duty to be as financially efficient as possible with the hospital’s taxpayer funds. He finds it incredibly rewarding to know that the goal of everyone at the hospital is to enhance patient care. For Joachim, this mission makes the Eye and Ear an extremely fulfilling place to work
Raoul Wills
Clinical Audiologist and Coordinator of the Victorian Cochlear Implant Program
Raoul Wills has been at the Eye and Ear since completing his Masters of Clinical Audiology in 2015. He is passionate about improving access to cochlear implant services for all Victorians, having seen firsthand the significant positive impact of cochlear implants for patients and their families. He was involved in the pilot program to provide cochlear implant services via telehealth with Northeast Health Wangaratta in 2018 and now leads the Victorian Cochlear Implant Program. Raoul has been involved in two research projects, examining the outcomes for adults with unilateral hearing loss and cochlear implant outcomes in auditory neuropathy. He recently assisted in delivering the cochlear implant course for Masters of Audiology students, lecturing at La Trobe University and the University of Melbourne.
Dr Alp Atik
Glaucoma Unit Consultant
Dr Alp Atik first joined the Eye and Ear in 2014. He’s now a consultant in the Glaucoma Unit and is also an honorary researcher at the Centre for Eye Research Australia, where he leads a research group in health economics. At the Eye and Ear, he sits on the Glaucoma Service Planning Steering Committee and and leads the Audit and EGMON portfolios for the Glaucoma Unit. Alp loves the balance of complex clinical cases and teaching and research opportunities at the hospital. He hopes to continue as the hospital’s focus on patient-centred, objective, evidence-based and ethical clinical care.
