Tragic death of Mark Henschke after truck collision on early morning bike ride.

 This was a posting in Australian Doctor this week sent to me by Jim Markos. 

GP remembered as ‘extraordinary’ doctor after death in cycling accident

Tributes have poured in for Dr Mark Henschke

Carmel Sparke, Australian Doctor Magazine.  

29 November 2022

Prominent GP Dr Mark Henschke has been remembered as an “extraordinary” clinician and the “heart and soul” of local medical training following his death after a tragic cycling accident.

Doctors, patients and fellow medical educators have paid tribute to the retired GP, who died last week after being critically injured in a collision with a garbage truck while cycling.

The 72-year-old practised for most of his career as a GP obstetrician in Armidale in north-east NSW, before moving to Coffs Harbour where he taught medical students.

In a staff memo, UNSW Dean of Medicine and Health Dr Vlado Perkovic and Deputy Dean and Head of School of Clinical Medicine Professor Adrienne Torda said he was dedicated to improving the health and lives of countless people.

“As a local GP, Mark also had a special interest in children’s health, obstetrics and medical education, and his leadership, commitment and passion in these fields as a clinician has been extraordinary.”

Dr Perkovic said Dr Henschke had been the “heart and soul” of the Coffs Harbour rural campus since 2009.

“Mark has been an extraordinary leader, clinician, collaborator, and friend to many of us,” he said.

GP Dr Bruce Menzies, who worked with Dr Henschke at a practice in Armidale also shared his grief at his former colleague’s passing.

“He was loved in the community and will be very sadly missed,” Dr Menzies said on ABC News.

In the accident, Dr Henschke was cycling with friends when he was involved in a collision with a garbage truck on 10 November.

He was taken to Coffs Harbour Hospital with serious lower limb injuries, then transferred to the Gold Coast University Hospital, where he died almost two weeks later.

Armidale resident Simon Scott was among the many patients who praised Dr Henschke, recalling the time he turned up to deliver his son Fletcher in his tennis whites 19 years ago.

“It was a very hot February Armidale afternoon, he ran in in his whites, got straight into delivery mode and helped deliver a healthy boy,” said Mr Scott.

Patients also filled a local newspaper’s Facebook page with tributes.

“Brilliant doctor, wonderful, kind man. Would not be here but for him. Saved me and my babies life,” said one.

“Dr Henschke was my doctor for many years and helped me through some very calamitous times in my life. Cannot express how sad this news is. He was a true gentleman with a heart of gold,” wrote another.

Dr Henschke is survived by his wife Leonie Henschke and three children, including Dr Luke Henschke, an orthopaedic surgeon and Dr Alice Henschke, an intensive care specialist.

In 2006, Dr Henschke was awarded an OAM for his services to medicine as a GP and to the community.

Comments: 

Dr Roslyn Bayliss

General Practitioner

SAWTELL, NSW

He was, seriously, loved by all. He was the most gentle, wise, friendly doctor I know. RIP

 [see Mark's own very up-beat posting and photo from May this year - scroll down slightly to read FYI] 

Message from Jim Markos in Launceston ...

Andrew and Colleagues, 

I am looking forward to retirement. I am still working too many hours (60-70/week, and at work now!) but improved on the 80-90/wk I was doing up to March this year. Might get worse again next year if my sleep lab reopens (my weekend job).  Not too concerned because I have set a firm retirement date for 31.7.2024. It is the day before I turn 70, and I made a promise to myself that I would not work into my 70's. Always have been a last minute to meet the deadline type of person So, I am already saying good-bye to some long-term patients and priming those with annual review that I will see them one last time next year.

I have so many things I want to get done and work just gets in the way. On a positive note, I achieved a long time ambition this week to charge my electric car (almost 8 years old now), with my own solar power. I am very happy with my solar panels and my battery. They are on a new large shed I built with my son, and which I have named Pad 42, after the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Not only is 42 the answer to "the ultimate question about Life, the Universe and Everything", but it is also the number of panels on my roof (a coincidence rather than by design, and in keeping with the many coincidences which appear in the Guide). I also plan to add another battery soon. My battery actually has 4 components stacked together to give about 14 kW of storage. When I add another battery beside the existing one, I will have 4x2 units (so another 42 appears!). I am OK if you share this good news with our fellow graduates.

Regards

Jim

Retirement function for Bill Brooks. Attended by Agnes Kainer Geyer

Hi Andrew

On a brighter note after the sad news.

I had the privilege recently of attending Bill's retirement dinner. November 2022. It is now 20 years since he left Concord Hospital in the Aged Care (where we saw each other almost on a daily basis) and moved with Professor Tony Broe to NeuraA. 

I was the only one from our medical year present. We had shared quite a few placements and tutorial groups over the years as we had both been students at Sydney Hospital.

I thoroughly enjoyed the speeches which allowed me to catch up with what Bill had been doing. MC was Peter Schofield. There were messages from far and wide from people who were from the families that Bill had tracked and were in the studies. It was very clear how much Bill cared about “his families” with inherited dementias, always went the extra miles literally as those who worked with him know,, and how much they appreciated him over the years of being followed up. There were message from his colleagues both in Australia and USA from DIAN study. People also in the room present at the dinner gave tributes and recalled some stories. If only I had thought to record.

Bill was sitting at a table of friends that went back to his Uni days from St Paul’s College and the “Paulines" provided the entertainment. There was one very emotional tribute from a friend whom he had supported through 4 months of hospitalisation. It was not only as a professional he was devoted but he was a very loyal and thoughtful and trusted friend. What Bill didn’t know was that he was going to be part of the entertainment. The surprised look on his face was amazing when he was asked to come to the piano to accompany the singers whom he had for years accompanied during “Victoriana” performances. I had never attended a performance of Australia’s longest running musical theatre performance “Victoriana" I have attached a u-tube link when they did it virtually because of Covid in 2020..   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReR52dy2O8o

I did manage to catch a few short clips showing Bill at the piano accompanying James Bell and then afterwards Peter Cousens (a professional who had played Phantom from 1997/8 and other leading roles in musicals from London to Sydney).  The latter clip was small enough to post up, the other on request from Bill (WhatsAp might oblige). Facial 'bandage' appearance is just lighting misplay.  

 [written by Agnes Kainer Geyer]