Dr James La Nauze awarded Member (AM) in the Order of Australia

Vision Eye Institute’s Dr James La Nauze has been awarded Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for his service to ophthalmology and not-for-profit organisations!

After completing his ophthalmology training, Dr La Nauze worked in Albury, NSW for 20 years.

During his time there, he brought many sight-saving and life-changing interventions to regional New South Wales and Victoria and established programs benefiting rural communities.

In 1988, Dr La Nauze with his colleagues established the first rural registrar rotation in Australia. This program based trainee ophthalmologists within clinics rather than hospitals, allowing them more exposure to patients, supervising doctors and the issues in running an ophthalmic practice. This program is still in operation today and has become the model for placing trainees within private practice across many medical disciplines in Australia.

• Fluorescein angiography (a diagnostic test), which enabled the diagnosis of complex retinal disease previously only available in capital cities
• Intraocular lens implantation for cataracts
• Modern small incision cataract surgery
• The first regional YAG laser for treatment of a post-cataract surgery complication and for acute glaucoma
• Retinal laser for the treatment of diabetic eye disease, macular degeneration, retinal tears and glaucoma.

Dr La Nauze also established the first Australian regional eye clinic for visual assessment in complex disability conditions at the Woodstock Centre for Developmental Disabilities and established with colleagues and became Chair of the first Australian regional Low Vision Clinic.

Since returning to Melbourne, Dr La Nauze has been serving the local community at our Footscray clinic for an incredible 20 years.

He was also a Board member of The Fred Hollows Foundation from 2010–2019 and a member of its Medical Advisory Committee from 2010–2016, helping to restore sight to underserved communities around the world.

Throughout his career, Dr La Nauze has also undertaken many clinical and surgical trips to remote areas of Queensland and the South Pacific and has led many surgical training teams to Vietnam, Cambodia and China.

Congratulations, Dr La Nauze, on this very well-deserved honour!

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