'Truly inspiring': RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander award winners announced

Winners of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards have been announced at the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) annual conference in Brisbane. 

Each year, Australia’s peak body for GPs honours GPs, GP Supervisors, GP registrars, students and practices that have distinguished themselves serving their communities through the College’s awards.  

RACGP award winners are available for interview. 

College President Dr Michael Wright said he was proud to help celebrate the achievements of GPs making a difference in improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients nationwide. 

“It’s a great honour to recognise the achievements of these award winners,” he said. 

“The awards announced at GP25 acknowledge and applaud the incredible work of these GPs, and I hope they prove inspirational for others. 

“I congratulate the award winners and wish them all the best continuing their tremendous work in general practice care.” 

RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Chair Dr Karen Nicholls said the award winners are truly inspiring. 

“These award winners deserve all the recognition they can get,” she said. 

“The Aunty Val Dahlstrom Award for Aboriginal Health Excellence goes to Dr Liza Robertson. As a senior GP at Wuchopperen Health Service in Far North Queensland, Dr Robertson has cultivated strong relationships with the local community. She’s a reliable and sought-after GP in situations that involve complex trauma, emergency presentations and palliative care for adults and children. 

“Dr Robertson is such a dedicated leader. She’s committed to supervising medical students, registrars and fellow GPs, ensuring her significant skills and experience are shared widely to enhance the clinical care the entire community receives.  

“This year’s Standing Strong Together Award goes to Dr Ai Lee Heng. This award celebrates partnerships between GPs and communities and is presented each year to a GP who has gone that extra mile working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to improve patient health outcomes. 

“As a registrar at First People’s Health and Wellbeing in Victoria, she has become a trusted GP of choice for many patients in the community. Her understanding of First Nations health in its full scope, encompassing physical, social, emotional, cultural and spiritual wellbeing, has led to a model of culturally informed and individualised care, which makes such a difference. 

“The Growing Strong Award goes to Dr Myora Stone. This award is generously donated by Dr Nathan and Mrs Susan Pinskier, who are passionate about improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. It’s an award that celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander GPs in training who demonstrate significant commitment to giving back to the community. 

“Dr Stone is a proud Quandamooka woman who sought out her first-year placement at Yulu Burri Ba Corporation for Community Health here on the outskirts of Brisbane, to strengthen ties to her mother’s country and community. While raising a young family, Dr Stone also commenced a Masters in Public Health, and as a part of those studies, developed a key patient resource in consultation with mob for Yulu Burri Ba’s Birthing in the Community Program, Jajum Bajara.  

“Her supervisor identified her unwavering commitment to providing a gold standard of general practice care, desire to enhance patients’ experiences, and to contribute to self-determination and health literacy.” 

“Keisha Calyun is a worthy recipient of the Rising Strong Medical Student Award. This award celebrates an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander medical student who is showing a strong interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and a career in general practice.  

“Ms Calyun is a driven, passionate student and her commitment to improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health began even before she commenced her medical studies. While working at the Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia, she developed a scholarship to fund other Aboriginal medical students to attend the Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors Congress. 

“She has identified general practice as a career that will offer her the opportunity to make a lasting impact in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health across a range of settings, which is great news. 

“It’s all about building trusted relationships, creating culturally safe spaces, and engaging in advocacy to create positive change. If we look ahead and move forward in the right direction, we can work together and achieve lasting reforms that enhance Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes, and that’s what really matters.” 

~ENDS