Mark Shephard

Mark Shephard commenced his scientific career in clinical biochemistry at Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide, South Australia in 1977 where he worked as a medical scientist in the diagnostic laboratory for 20 years. In 1997, Mark moved to the Renal Unit at Flinders to commence his work in the field of POCT. Since July 2003, Mark has held the position of Director of the Community Point-of-Care Services unit and Senior Research Fellow in the Flinders University Rural Clinical School. He has recently completed his PhD in the field of point-of-care testing.

Mark conceived and initiated the concept of the QAAMS Program and has been Program Manager of this unique and innovative national POCT model for diabetes management since its inception in 1999.

Mark has also developed and managed other community-based POCT programs for the prevention and management of chronic diseases in rural and remote Australia including the Umoona Kidney Project [1997-2000], the Point-of-Care Testing in Aboriginal Hands Program [2001-2005]), and the Diabetes Management Along the Mallee Track Program [2002-present]) and he has recently held the position of Device Manager, responsible for education, training, competency assessment and quality control in the Australian Government’s POCT in General Practice Trial (2005-2007).

Mark is the immediate past Chairperson of the Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists (AACB) Working Group on Point-of-Care Testing. The AACB is the professional association representing clinical biochemistry in Australia and New Zealand.

Since 2000, Mark has been an invited speaker at 10 international conferences and meetings (delivering a total of 13 lectures at these events) and 7 national conferences and meetings. These meetings have collectively encompassed the professional fields of clinical biochemistry, Indigenous health and diabetes.

In 2004, Mark was invited by the AACB to be its Inaugural Regional Travelling Fellow for 2004/5. In this role, Mark travelled to 20 rural areas of Australia and New Zealand to lecture on his work on point-of-care testing and to promote and act as an ambassador for the AACB.

Mark has the unique dual honour of being the recipient of:

• The Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2006 Queen’s Birthday Australian honours list, announced 12 June 2006. The award recognised Mark’s service to public health through medical research, to the environment through conservation organisations, and to aviculture.
  
  
• Australian of the Year Award 2004, in the category “Local Hero” for metropolitan South Australia, announced November 2003. This award category recognised significant contribution by an individual to their local community. The award primarily acknowledged Mark’s work and achievements in establishing and managing point-of-care (POC) testing services for the prevention and management of diabetes and renal disease in the QAAMS Program. The citation Mark received at the Australian of the Year Awards ceremony stated: “With Mark’s persistence, understanding, innovation and compassion he has improved the health of Aboriginal communities….”

Mark has been actively involved in many other fields of endeavour outside health, notably as author of 4 books on Australian deserts and natural history, as well as a long-standing involvement in conservation, national parks and the study of Australian birds.

Mark states: "Being the QAAMS Program Manager has been a real privilege for me and it has been the most rewarding experience I have had in my working career. It has been wonderful to work so closely with so many dedicated and committed health professionals".