Associate Professor Michael Hennessy

Associate Professor Michael Hennessy has provided Public and Private sector eye health care for 22 years in various settings. In addition to the practice at Bondi Junction he is a part time staff specialist ophthalmologist at the Eye Clinic at Prince of Wales Hospital (POWH). During his time at POWH, he has also been the Director of Ophthalmology registrar training and part of the management team for the eye clinic and the Outback Eye Service – an eye care initiative provided by POWH.

Current public sector ophthalmology work includes Lightning Ridge Health Service, and Bourke Hospital. A/Prof Hennessy has previously worked as an ophthalmologist at Griffith Base Hospital.

A/Prof Hennessy has had active roles in the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) on the Federal Qualification and Education committee and on the RANZCO Council, as well as on the NSW State Branch Committee of RANZCO. He has also devoted his efforts to the Ophthalmology Network of the Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI‐ON), a statutory authority of the NSW Ministry of Health. Recently the ACI‐ON has examined public sector eye care pathways for the preventable blindness from cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. A/Prof Hennessy has led the development of an improved pathway for the referral of patients with cataract to NSW public hospitals including a role for optometrists in the pathway.

He has helped develop the relationship between POWH Ophthalmology and the Centre for Eye Health which has recently been expanded with the Shared Glaucoma Care clinic. A/Prof Hennessy has supported the development of expanded public ophthalmology service at other Sydney public Hospitals.

A/Prof Hennessy has recently commenced enrolment part time towards a PhD in the UNSW Faculty of Medicine and the Center for Big Data Research in Health using Linked Health data to examine the relationship of cataract surgery to overall health status and longevity.

A/Prof Hennessy has had an educator role at the School of Optometry and Vision Science at UNSW, particularly the ‘Optometry, Medicine & Patient Management’ course.

A/Prof Hennessy is the co-author of a book chapter “Medical Ophthalmology” in Essentials of Internal Medicine by Nicholas J Talley, B. F. & Currow, D. (Eds.). Elsevier, 2015, pages 727-742.