The professional and community work undertaken by Northern Rivers GP Andrew Binns has been recognized by the North Coast Primary Health Network (NCPHN) in its inaugural North Coast Primary Health Care Excellence Awards.
Dr Binns, described by NCPHN chief excutive Dr Vahid Saberi as “a quiet achiever in the fields of health and the arts”, received an Outstanding Community Service recognition at the awards ceremony held in Coffs Harbour on 9 September.
The same award was given to Minjungbal Elder and health educator Auntie Sue Follent who retired recently after working for the Northern NSW Local Health District for 28 years.
The NCPHN awards recognised the diverse projects developed by GPs, allied health practitioners and community health workers from the Tweed down to Port Macquarie.
Award recipients were -
Category 1 - Innovation, Integration and Partnership
1 Deadly Step – Casino, a health screening event for the Indigenous community, and
No Longer on the BACK BURNER – redesigning Musculoskeletal models of care on the Mid North Coast.
Category 2 - Improving Health Care Access and Outcomes
NCPHN Needs Assessment
Category 3 - Reducing Health Inequity
Early Detection of Chronic Kidney Disease in Aboriginal People – Bugalwena General Practice, Tweed Heads.
Category 4 – Promoting Healthy Living
eVillage – Bay Medical, Byron Bay and FerosCare
People's Choice Award -
Improved Health for the disadvantaged through the operation of the Winsome Health Outreach Clinic (Lismore)
Community Choice Award (joint recipients) -
Improved Health for the disadvantaged through the operation of the Winsome Health Outreach Clinic (Lismore), and Early Detection of Chronic Kidney Disease in Aboriginal People – Bugalwena General Practice, Tweed Heads.
Dr Andrew Binns has been in general practice in the Northern Rivers since 1979. He was a co-founder of Goonellabah Medical Centre, and also works at Jullums, Lismore Aboriginal Medical Service. He was on the board of the Northern Rivers Division of General Practice, a past medical director of the Palliative Care Unit at St Vincent's Hospital in Lismore, and the inaugural Chairman of the Australian Lifestyle Medicine Association.
His interest in this subject led to co-authoring (with Professors Garry Egger and Stephan Rossner) the book Lifestyle Medicine, with the third edition now in production.
He is a member of the NCPHN’s Northern Clinical Council and is the clinical editor of HealthSpeak and GPSpeak magazines.
A keen patron of the arts, he has a special interest in the link between the arts, health and wellbeing, including arts practices as therapy. He has a longstanding involvement with NORPA and is a strong supporter of local Aboriginal art, much of which is displayed at his practice.
Dr Vahid Saberi said, “Andrew has an unassuming manner and few know just how hard he works to support his patients and other community members - improving their lives through healthy lifestyle changes and helping them to become engaged in the creative arts.”
Accepting the award, Dr Binns acknowledged the many talented and dedicated people he works alongside in the arts and health fields.
“There is no better way of gaining awareness and respect for our Indigenous culture than through art in all its forms and it is heartening to see the NCPHN promote health improvement and advance reconciliation in this way.”
http://ncphn.org.au/excellence/ links to details and contacts for all Awards entries.
