Celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health achievements

The RACGP’s annual awards recognise the value of GPs and the profession across all communities and celebrates their achievements.
 
The 2022 national awards were presented at the college’s annual conference, GP22, by RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins.
 
Celebrating achievements by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander GPs, GPs in training and medical students, the 2022 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Awards were part of the awards ceremony.
 
Standing Strong Award – Ngununggula project team
This award celebrates partnerships between GPs and communities and is presented to Fellows or members of the RACGP who have worked together with an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person or community group to improve health outcomes for First Nations peoples.
 
The Ngununggula project is a collaboration with the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council, University of Sydney, University of Wollongong, Menzies School of Health Research and Communicare, and was funded by Cancer Australia. The Ngununggula team, led by University of Sydney Associate Professor Michelle Dickson, includes medical writer Dr Janelle Trees, University of Wollongong Associate Professor Rowena Ivers, Aboriginal Health Worker Trish Levett, Professor Gail Garvey, and counsellor Kyla Wynn, among others.
 
The project is based on the work done by the Cancer Care Team at the Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service, which provides a range of care for Aboriginal people, from preventive programs, cancer diagnosis and treatment, to cancer survivorship and end-of-life care. Importantly, the project is aimed at improving the lives of Aboriginal people with cancer and making their cancer journey a smoother one.
 
University of Wollongong Associate Professor Ivers, based in Wombarra, NSW, accepted the award with Dhanggati woman Dr Janelle Trees at GP22 on behalf of the project team.
 
Associate Professor Ivers told newsGP the award is not an individual award, but recognises the strong collaboration of all project members who developed a comprehensive range of resources and models of cancer care.

The Ngununggula project involved development of a printed manual, which is also available online, delivery of a statewide workshop for health professionals working with Aboriginal people with cancer, as well as delivery of a series of webinars hosted by the AH&MRC,’ she said. 

‘It also includes online resources for quality improvement in cancer care, using Communicare, in cancer screening.’
 
Associate Professor Ivers hopes the Ngununggula project will help to deliver a positive impact for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples while supporting primary care providers.
 
‘The resources are designed for Aboriginal health workers and nurses moving into the cancer care area, but also suitable for GPs, both in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations [ACCHOs] and in mainstream services,’ she said.
 
‘Our team is firmly based within the Aboriginal community controlled sector, and we know our services can provide holistic care, including for people with cancer, and can also support people in navigating the health system when they have cancer.
 
‘We hope Ngununggula can make a difference in services being able to prevent cancer but also in supporting people with cancer.’
             
Growing Strong Award 2022 – Dr Rebecca Davison
This award celebrates Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander GPs in training who demonstrate significant commitment to giving back to the community, and is designed to support their professional development.
 
GP in training Dr Rebecca Davison is a Dharawal and Yuin woman, currently working at Orange Aboriginal Medical Service on Wiradjuri Land, NSW.
 
She is a proud recipient of this award.
 
‘It provides a sense of validation and recognition of the work I do, which is very rewarding,’ she told newsGP. ‘It’s also re-affirming for me and my chosen career path.’
 
It was in high school when Dr Davison discovered an interest in healthcare, when she took part in the Nura Gili Indigenous program at UNSW, an annual camp for Aboriginal students across Australia.
 
Now working across mainstream and Aboriginal Medical Services, with particular focus on mental health and addiction medicine, Dr Davison is also preparing for her Fellowship exams in February.
 
She is passionate about preventive health and improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
 
‘I would like to continue practising with a holistic approach to healthcare with the patient’s needs as the focus – helping people achieve the lives that they want,’ she said.
 
‘I also hope to increase the awareness of preventive health particularly among our mob.
 
‘If we can shift the idea of healthcare and seeing a doctor to health promotion, hopefully we can intervene early enough to reduce the burden of chronic disease.’ 
 
Medical Student Award 2022 – Lauren Roth
This award celebrates an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander medical student currently studying at an Australian university who has demonstrated an interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and a career in general practice. It is designed to support the recipient in their professional development towards a career as a GP.
  
Lauren Roth, a Tjungundji Torres Strait Islander woman based in Dalby on Barunggam Land, Queensland, is currently studying medicine at Griffith University.
 
‘I would like to extend my gratitude once again for being chosen for the student bursary,’ Ms Roth told newsGP.
 
In addition to attending GP22 where she accepted her award, it also allowed her to attend the AMSA 2022 Global Health Conference in Melbourne.
 
‘This conference gave me insight into how climate change can impact the health of Indigenous Australians and the critical role that we as medical students and future doctors play in reducing our carbon footprint,’ she said.
 
With an interest in global health and its effect on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other vulnerable populations, Lauren sits on a number of committees and fundraising teams to advocate for better recruitment, retention and support for Indigenous medical students.
 
After completing her own medicine degree, Lauren plans to pursue a career in general practice.
 
‘I am committed to continuing to support patients on their health journeys, addressing not only their biomedical needs but also their psychological and spiritual needs,’ she said.
 
‘I plan to continue working in community controlled medical centres to promote the importance of regular health checks, living a healthy lifestyle, early intervention and preventive health checks such as mammograms … an aspect of health that I am very passionate about after losing my mother to breast cancer.
 
‘As a doctor, I would like to be a part of implementing programs which are community driven and improve the health outcomes of First Nations peoples.’
 
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