The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is pleased to announce that Associate Professor Brad Murphy has won this year's Rose-Hunt Award.
The Rose-Hunt Award is the highest accolade awarded by the RACGP at its annual conference. It is given to an existing Fellow or Member of the RACGP who has given outstanding service in the promotion of the RACGP and what the College is trying to achieve.
Associate Professor Murphy, a Kamilaroi man, practiced as a GP Registrar in Rural Queensland townships of Theodore and Eidsvold before establishing his own practice on the rural outskirts of Bundaberg.
Whilst studying towards Fellowship he drove the creation of the RACGP National Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health. This year the faculty, which has been described as a "shining light" and is now led by the highly regarded Professor Peter O'Mara, celebrated its ten year anniversary.
Acting RACGP President Associate Professor Ayman Shenouda today congratulated Associate Professor Murphy.
"Associate Professor Murphy is a worthy winner of this prestigious award," he said.
"Through his strong leadership, he has made a lasting, positive impression on the RACGP and general practice.
"Associate Professor Murphy drove the development of the RACGP National Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and was inaugural Chair of the faculty. He advocated successfully to not only create this faculty but ensure that it had full representation on the RACGP board.
"In no small part to Associate Professor Murphy's determination and hard work it is now recognised as a fundamental and enduring feature of the College.
"He is an inspiration to us all and has had a particularly profound impact on young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people studying medicine or working as GP registrars - the future leaders of general practice.
"People who have worked alongside him, including Professor Jenny Reath and Professor Peter O'Mara, have praised his incredible vision. Associate Professor Murphy looks ahead, sees what needs to happen to achieve change and makes it a reality.
"So once again I congratulate Associate Professor Murphy on winning this year's Rose-Hunt Award; he certainly deserves all the plaudits that will be coming his way."
Associate Professor Murphy said that he was humbled to win the award.
"It is a great honour to be recognised by the RACGP. My focus in establishing the RACGP National Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health was a belief that the College needed to do more to boost Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes, with GPs at the coal-face and central to holistic patient care," he said.
"Closing the gap in healthcare inequalities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is a great challenge and when this care is done well we are driving improved health outcomes for all Australians.
"This is the outcome for me that we have achieved through the faculty and wider RACGP that gives me the most hope for the future and pride in what we have achieved thus far.
"The GPs behind the faculty, who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, bring something to the profession that makes a difference.
"At the faculty's 10-year anniversary event earlier this year, I reminded everyone that GPs like me have not had a silver spoon-type journey and are rarely straight out of school.
"It is important for primary care to feature GPs who have had different life experiences, including exposure to
communities where financial pressures and chronic illness are strongly felt. The faculty is built on that idea and this must
never be forgotten.
"I could not have created the faculty on my own and I would like to acknowledge Professor Jenny Reath and Alan Brown as well as Professor O'Mara, who is currently leading the faculty. We worked hard together to get this faculty started and it has gone from strength to strength over the last decade.
"I am really proud of the fact that the faculty is doing tremendous work supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander registrars. If we can bring more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into the general practice workforce that will have tremendous benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.
"It also results in colleagues working alongside them in general practice learning from them and absorbing new skills, including how to provide culturally appropriate care.
"During my time as Chair I focussed on affording proper respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and doing everything possible to take positive steps forward.
"This is why early in my time as Chair I made sure the faculty had a seat on the RACGP board. The Chair now has a voice when the big decisions shaping the future of the College are being made.
"I also pushed for the RACGP gown to be respectful of the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples because a symbolic gesture like that can make such a difference.
"I would like to thank the Board for awarding me this medal and encourage everyone in general practice to engage with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health faculty in the years ahead."
The RACGP Awards recognise the value of GPs in our community, celebrating the achievements of exceptional individuals such as Associate Professor Murphy who go above and beyond to care for their patients.
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