Victorian Rural Health Awards
Since 2005 RWAV has proudly hosted the annual Victorian Rural Health Awards to recognise the outstanding contributions made by health professionals working in rural communities.
The awards honour the exceptional medical specialists, GPs, nurses, Aboriginal health workers, general practices, practice managers, allied health professionals, GP locums and medical students working across rural Victoria.
The Victorian Rural Health Awards are supported by the Victorian Government.
Nominations for the 2019 VRHA awards are open, download the form here.
2018
2018 Victorian Rural Health Award recipients, Creswick, Victoria, April 2018
2018 Award Categories
Length of Service Award 35+ Years
This award is presented to general practitioners and medical specialists who have served rural and regional Victoria for over 35 years. It recognises their extensive commitment to providing health services, often to many generations of the same family and their continued involvement in the community.
Dr Rebecca Dale – Castlemaine
Dr Timothy Watford – Omeo
Dr John Buckley – Merbein
Dr Roderic Booth – Swan Hill
Dr Bala Pillai – Echuca
Dr Cleopas Sahhar – Warragul
Dr Robert Peterson – Seymour
Dr Ray Moore – Bendigo
Dr Elizabeth Perry – Wangaratta
Dr John Barry – Swan Hill
Dr David Leembruggen – Warrnambool
Dr Ann Miller – Sale
Dr Simon Davis – Yackandandah
Rural Doctor Award
The Rural Doctor Award has two subcategories: Outstanding Contribution and New Rural Doctor. The first recognizes general practitioners and medical specialists who have shown professional and personal commitment to regional and rural communities, often going above and beyond with services and involvement in the community. The second category recognises doctors who are establishing their careers in rural health and who have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to their profession and to their community.
Rural Doctor Award – Outstanding Contribution
Dr Elizabeth Kennedy – Shepparton
Dr Lalani Udalamatta – Edenhope
Dr Brian Hepper – Creswick
Dr Gavin Cuff – Maryborough
Medical Specialist Award
Presented to those practitioners who have shown ongoing commitment to providing specialist medical services throughout rural Victoria. These specialists have a significant impact on health outcomes for those living in rural areas. They enable access to specialist services in areas where communities cannot attract, or it is not viable to sustain, a local medical specialist.
Dr Andrew Wai-Ming See – East Melbourne
Aboriginal Health Award
The award highlights the significant work and commitment many healthcare professionals contribute to the well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The award recognises both medical and non-medical workers and includes specialist, counsellors, health workers, nurses and many others.
Dr Norma Oliver – Echuca
Rural General Practice Award
Gateway Health Medical Practice Wondonga – Wodonga
Healthcare Professional Award
We celebrate the contributions from the entire range of healthcare professionals keeping rural Victoria healthy. The nurses, the practice managers, the allied health workers and the GP locums – they are the engines that keep community health running and we celebrate their achievements.
Julie Steele – Maffra
Rural Nursing Award
Christine Smith – Mooroopna
Rural Allied Health Professional Award
Emily Luke – Reservoir
Student Award
The award celebrates the future of rural healthcare. Each year we recognise students who have shown a true passion for rural health and have dedicated their training to these communities.
Jessica Paynter (Medical Student Award) – Nyah
Elisha Price (Nursing Student Award) – Trafalgar
2017
Congratulations to the winners of the 12th annual Victorian Rural Health Awards. These outstanding award winners took centre stage at the award ceremony held at Marysville on the 25th of March 2017.
Every year nominations are put forward by members of the public, community organisations and local healthcare providers and are assessed by an independent panel of judges. Nominations open in October of each year and RWAV encourages the public to nominate local healthcare professionals who provide vital health services to rural and remote communities.
2017 Award Winners
- Rural Doctor Award – Outstanding Contribution
- Dr. David Mullen
- Dr Maria Rachinskaya
- Dr. Oleg Rachinsky
- Rural Doctor Award – New Rural Doctor
- Dr Ruyu Yao
- Medical Specialist Award
- Dr Arup Bhattacharya
- Aboriginal Health Award
- Dr Michael Wilson
- Rural General Practice Award
- Ararat Medical Centre
- Rural Nursing Award
- Sharnee Armstrong
- Rural Allied Health Professional Award
- Sarah Pinkerton
- Practice Manager Award
- Karen Jephcott
- GP Locum Award
- Associate Professor Ralph Audehm
- Medical Student Award
- Tom Ponsonby
- Nursing Student Award
- Abigail Livingstone
- Length of Service Award
- Dr Campbell Hunt
- Dr David Iser
- Dr Mark Zagorski
- Dr Michael Spillane
- Dr Brian Murphy
2016
2016 VRHA recipients, Sale, March 2016.
Length of Service Award
Dr David Ball – Mooroopna
Dr Nicholas Barker – Red Cliffs
Dr Ian Barratt – Warrnambool
Dr Daniel Silver – Castlemaine
Dr Graham Stephens – Healesville
Dr David Tynan – Maryborough
Rural Doctor Award – Outstanding Contribution
Dr Chris Perry – Leongatha
Dr Hoe Sin Ooi – Golden Square
Dr Donald Liu – Warracknabeal
Dr Mehdi Sanati Pour – Mildura
Dr Bala Pillai – Echuca
Dr Peter Nesbitt – Echuca
Rural Doctor Award – New Rural Doctor
Dr Alison Wilde – Toora
Medical Specialist Award
Dr Safwat Bassili – Balwyn
Aboriginal Health Award
Garry Giles – Echuca
Margaret Murray – Wodonga
Johanna Nesbitt – Echuca
Rural General Practice Award
Leongatha Healthcare
Mount Beauty Medical Centre
Echuca Moama Family Medical Practice
Rural Nursing Award
Robyn Butler – Leongatha
Rural Allied Health Professional Award
Kay Knight – Echuca
Practice Manager Award
Judy Robb – Leongatha
GP Locum Award
Dr Siobhan Reddel
Medical Student Award
Samantha Walker – Deakin University
2015
2015 VRHA recipients, Bendigo, February 2015.
Length of Service Award
Dr Andrew Brommeyer – Ballarat
Dr Graham Bromwich – Bairnsdale
Dr Robert Carson – Maryborough
Dr Kuen Chan – Mooroopna
Dr Arthur Chiang – Spring Gully
Dr David Conron – Gisborne
Mr Jesse Das – Portland
Mr Paul Donoghue – Ballarat
Dr Elizabeth Fitzgerald – Neerim South
Dr Rodney Guy – Gisborne
Dr Ruth Hand – Ballarat
Dr Stephen Jedynak – Neerim South
Dr Paul Kelly – Benalla
Dr Malcolm MacDonald – Bendigo
Dr Sandra MacGibbon – Hamilton
Dr John Mackellar – Mooroopna
Dr Frank Marton – Ballarat
Dr John Menzies – Camperdown
Dr Elizabeth Moore – Ballarat
Dr Stewart Moroney -Wangaratta
Dr Hoe Sin Ooi – Bendigo
Dr Charles Perry – Moe
Dr Edgar Peterson – Bendigo
Dr John Philpot – Warrnambool
Dr Christopher Priest – Kyneton
Dr James Rose – Sebastopol
Dr Jacqueline Rounsevell – Warrnambool
Dr Jan Sheringham – Bendigo
Dr Kadandlea Shetty – Merbein
Dr Tony van der Spek – Bendigo
Outstanding Contribution Award
Dr Neil Bright – Yarrawonga
Dr Sinead De Gooyer – Leongatha
Dr Sue Harrison – Echuca
Dr Fahad Jamil – Strathdale
Dr Chee Sheng Wong – Ararat
Medical Specialist Award
Dr Leo Fogarty -Wangarratta
Dr John Oswald – Ballarat
Dr John Stickland – Ballarat
Aboriginal Health Award
Ms Michelle Dow – Moe
Dr Jane Greacen – Bairnsdale
Rural General Practice Award
Elmore Primary Health Service – Elmore
Gateway Health – Wodonga
Inglis Medical Centre – Sale
Moe After Hours Medical Service – Moe
Orbost Medical Clinic – Orbost
Wonthaggi Medical Group – Wonthaggi
Rural Nursing Award
Mrs Nicole Brereton – Strathfieldsaye
Ms Wendy Hellebrand – Bannockburn
Ms Dianne Robertson – Maffra
Practice Manager Award
Ms Cassandra Mayman – Sale
GP Locum Award
Dr Lynne Davies
Dr Katrina White
Medical Student Award
Robert Holian – University of Melbourne
Natalie Kew – University of Melbourne
David Khoo – Deakin University