Cancer Charity Chief Executive Appointed To Lead European Healthcare Coalition

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 07 Jan 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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Health Care Without Harm Europe (HCWHE), the European branch of a global coalition advocating environmental responsibility in healthcare, has appointed Jamie Page, Chief Executive of the UK Cancer Prevention and Education Society, as Executive Director starting 1 January 2008. Previously, Page had been Coordinator of the Good Practice Working Group of HCWHE.(1)

Dr. Gavin ten Tusscher, consultant paediatrician and Chairman of the Board of HCWHE, says: "Jamie was selected for his knowledge of healthcare and environmental issues and his experience in international management, a blend vital for running an international coalition such as ours."

Page has extensive experience in healthcare and the public and private sectors. He graduated with a B.Sc in Chemistry from Imperial College, London, before working in the Royal Marsden Hospital and later the Royal Postgraduate Medical School at Hammersmith Hospital, part of a group investigating the cellular immune response to cytomegalovirus, a herpes virus.

After gaining an MBA in 1984 from INSEAD, Europe's leading business school, Page worked for a number of well-known companies including ICI, Biogen, Serono and Hoffmann-La Roche. Much of his career has involved development and commercialization of therapeutic proteins, most notably the cancer and hepatitis therapeutic Alfa Interferon.

In the late 1990s he left the private sector to become more involved in preventative medicine, believing it is vital to reduce human exposure to harmful chemicals. He founded the Cancer Prevention and Education Society (CPES), a UK-based charity and HCWHE member working to reduce cancer incidence by raising awareness of the connection between cancer and exposure to toxic chemicals.

"He shares our fundamental concern that providers of healthcare should be making best efforts to minimise the environmental health impact of their activities and facilities - particularly in the areas of procurement and waste management," says ten Tusscher.

Page steps in for Dr. Cestmir Hrdinka, who has been Executive Director of HCWHE since its establishment in Europe. After six successful years at the helm, Hrdinka has been offered a senior position at the Czech Ministry for the Environment.

"Our loss is a great gain for the Czech Ministry. We wish Cesta every success for the future and look forward to a continuing good working relationship, albeit in a different function, and once again would like to emphasise our appreciation for all his work for our organisation," says ten Tusscher on behalf of the Board.

Links

Health Care Without Harm Europe

Cancer Prevention and Education Society

Notes:

(1) Health Care Without Harm Europe is the European branch of an international network of organisations working to reduce the harm healthcare does to human health and the environment. The coalition also has offices in Latin America, the US and South East Asia, with over 450 members representing 55 countries.

Members of the HCWH international coalition include Kaiser Permanente (the largest US non-profit healthcare provider), Karolinska University Hospital (Sweden's leading hospital in environmental issues in healthcare), the Viennese Hospital Association (Austria's largest healthcare provider), and the Royal College of Nursing (UK).

Health Care Without Harm Europe