Wurli’s Aboriginal Health Practitioners honoured

Kudos for sisters caps staff’s multi-award-winning year

Tuesday 18 December 2012

Senior Aboriginal Health Practitioner (AHP) Bonny King was honoured with a 2012 Aboriginal Health Worker Excellence Award in a ceremony at NT Parliament House on Friday. The award capped off a multi-award-winning year for Wurli-Wurlinjang Health Service staff. Eight-year veteran Bonny won in the Specialised category, for her work as the leader of Wurli’s internal clinical auditing program.

Bonny played a key role in Wurli achieving nationally and internationally recognised accreditation standards. Bonny is also the co-founder (with Wurli AHP Leitisha Jackson) of the SOLID program, a grass roots initiative in health education and prevention for adolescent girls.

Bonny said, “I think this award shows the brilliant work that is performed at Wurli. It was also won by our Doctors, medical students, senior staff, and my work colleagues. You are my mentors as well, I could not have done this without you.”
AHP Velma King, meanwhile, was a runner up in the Urban category at the Excellence Awards. In addition to her work in Indigenous chronic disease, Velma is also a role model as an active participant in organised sports in the Katherine region. She is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Nursing degree.

Runners up and winners in each category or the 2012 Aboriginal Health Worker Excellence Award received study bursaries. The Awards are an ongoing initiative of the Rotary Club of Darwin Sunrise in partnership with the Department of Health, United Voice NT, Department of Health and Ageing, and Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT).

In April, Wurli was honoured when Clinic Coordinator and Senior Aboriginal Health Practitioner Gwenda Lawton was presented with the 2012 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers Association’s (NATSIHWA’s) inaugural Legend award.

Gwenda received the award for providing a positive, safe and supportive work environment for AHPs to practice exceptional primary health care, and for her long service and commitment to Indigenous healthcare.

At the same time, Wurli was honoured to learn that AHP Leitisha Jackson had received NATSIHWA’s inaugural Young Warrior award as “a Young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker (Practitioner) who has passion, enthusiasm and a commitment to make a difference.

Leitisha’s career began in 2006 when she was given an opportunity to undertake a traineeship at Wurli. She studied at the Batchelor Institute, completed a Certificate III in Aboriginal Health Work (Clinical), and received a VET Award for Outstanding Achievement for her enthusiasm, determination and positive attitude.

In May, Dr Bruce Hocking, Wurli’s Director of Medical Services, was named 2012 Northern Territory GP of the Year. General Practice Network NT (GPNNT), a peak body representing General Practitioners in the NT, handed out the award. In its second year, the award recognises outstanding contributions to clinical welfare and the overall health of the community by General Practitioners in the NT.

Dr Bruce said, “Being awarded NT GP of the Year for 2012 has been a great honour for me and a big achievement for Wurli. It’s really a reflection on all of us. People know me because of the award, but they also know Wurli better because of it. One of the things that I’m finding as I go to different events, conferences, meetings is the high regard in which Wurli is held not just locally, but throughout the country.