Lake Cargelligo General Practitioner Doctor Khaled Bardawil has been named the winner of the Outstanding Contribution to Leadership in Primary Healthcare category in the 2022 Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) Primary Healthcare Awards.
Dr Bardawil and other outstanding achievements in community wellbeing advocacy, health initiatives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and leadership in general practice were recognised at the Awards on Thursday, 3 November.
He has served his local community for the last 15 years and during the COVID-19 pandemic his work led to reducing vaccine hesitancy by de-stigmatising and demystifying information surrounding the COVID vaccines which led to the community achieving excellent vaccination rates.
Dr Bardawil also dedicated himself to providing vaccine clinics to small remote locations such as Murrin Bridge and Euabalong and his hard work helped create a community for his patients to feel safe, understood and cared for.
“I am most proud of the Lake Cargelligo community who did not hesitate to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by getting vaccinated. As a result, we managed the virus well and kept hospitalisations to a minimum,” he stated.
Award winners and finalists across the Murrumbidgee were acknowledged for their contribution to their communities and dedication to excellence in healthcare in four categories: Promoting Healthy Living, Award for Innovation, Grant of the Year award and Outstanding Contribution to Leadership.
Hay Aboriginal Medical Service – Marrabinya 0-4 head to toe health checks, claimed another accolade, claiming the the Innovation category.
The Marrabinya zero to 4 head to toe health checks are delivered by the Griffith Aboriginal Medical Service mums and bubs team at the Hay Aboriginal Medical Service (HAMS) providing health checks, parental support and advice. With the aim of increasing clinic attendance, staff from Hay AMS approached local schools and early learning centres and as a result there has been an uptake in referrals to this service leading to early intervention outcomes.
“The program was created to ensure children in the community receive effective health checks and opportunities are available to support families when more serious health concerns arise,” Hay AMS Team Leader Jean Woods explained.
MPHN Board Chair Doctor Jodi Culbert acknowledged all eleven finalists and said the quality of each was a testament to the hard work, resilience and dedication of the regions primary healthcare providers in what has been another challenging 12 months.
“Although our awards recognise excellence in primary healthcare and community activity, our finalists also remind us of the incredible diversity, ingenuity and determination of our region and of the people who work hard to make a difference,” Dr Culbert said.
“The activities and initiatives we have recognised come from all across the Murrumbidgee and demonstrate that dedication to improving the health and wellbeing of community can be found in every community.
“It is with great pleasure I extend my heartfelt congratulations for all of our winners and finalists and thank them for everything they do in improving the health of your communities.”