A Sydney GP fighting the radicalisation of Muslim youth is one of many GPs to receive Queen’s Birthday honours
Dr Timothy Mooney of Georgetown, Tasmania, and Dr John Moran of Murwillumbah, NSW, have been appointed members of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant services to medicine and the community.
Dr Mooney, an RACGP Rural Faculty member, RFDS board member and GP proceduralist in his hometown for 35 years, was recognised also for his multiple practice roles. He runs a 10-doctor practice, with an adjacent 15-bed, acute-care hospital that serves mostly trauma patients.
“The ambulance service triages patients and brings them here; they know what we can handle,” he said. “It keeps our skills up, we avoid patients’ unnecessary travel to hospital in Launceston, 55km away, and we get to keep our local ambulance service.”
Dr Moran, a founding member of ACRRM, said the AM was a huge, unexpected honour. A rural GP for 35 years, Dr Moran has trained hundreds of registrars and teaches at the University Centre for Rural Health on the NSW North Coast.
He is also the regional academic leader for a Wollongong University program that sends final-year medical students for year-long placements in rural locations.
“It is an extremely successful program, even better than the PGPPP (Prevocational GP Placement Program),” he said.
A celebrated GP in Belmore, in Sydney’s west, Dr Jamal Rifi, was appointed an AM for his services to the Lebanese community and for improving multi-faith relations.
Dr Rifi has earned a string of accolades for his fearless work with Muslim youth at risk of radicalisation.
The same gongs went to Dr Catherine Regan, of Newcastle, for her contribution to general practice training and education, and to Dr Hugh Seward, long-time doctor to the Geelong Cats AFL club, for his pioneering work in injury prevention in Australian Football.
Eight GPs received medals of the Order of Australia (OAM).
Dr John Kramer, a stalwart of the RACGPs’ rural and NSW faculties, said he regarded his OAM as a mark of respect for all country doctors.
“I have never come home from work and not known that I’ve made a difference to the lives of at least some people. That’s a great privilege,” he said, referring to his 36 years of practice in Woolgoolga, on the NSW north coast.
Dr Kramer has also taken on the “incredibly stimulating” role of teaching students in primary care at the UNSW rural clinical school in Coffs Harbour.
Other GPs in the OAM list are: Dr Roger Magdwick Davidson (ret), of Sydney; Dr Geoffrey Harding of Sandgate, Queensland; Dr John McLaren of Cowra, NSW; Professor John Marley of Newcastle, NSW; Dr Robert Rogers of Kew, Victoria; and Dr Mehdi Pour of Mildura, Victoria.
