Doctor’s dedication rewarded

EMMA SPILLETT
KIAMA has been recognised as an area providing exceptional medical services.
Kiama Medical Practice and local doctors Jon Phipps and David Grant were recognised at the Illawarra Division of General Practice Annual General Meeting earlier this month.
The awards gave patients the opportunity to acknowledge the superior service provided by GPs and practices in the Illawarra community.
Kiama Medical Centre was named the Illawarra Practice of the Year and was nominated by patients of the Centre who admire the dedication of the staff and their commitment to providing efficient and genuine medical service.
Long-serving local doctor Jon Phipps was also recognised with a new peer-nominated award that aims to promote the importance of colleague recognition within medical practice.
Kellie Marshall, Deputy CEO of the Illawarra Division of General Practice, believes the peer-nominated award will encourage doctors to celebrate the work of their colleagues and ensure recipients know that their contribution to medicine is appreciated.
“This award was devised to allow colleagues to recognise each other and to acknowledge the importance of colleagues respecting and representing their peers”, she said.
Dr Phipps was nominated by the GPs in his Kiama practice for his outstanding contribution to general practice in the Illawarra, with his peers believing him to have a “genuine interest in his patients, with many of them known on a first-name basis”.
Dr Phipps has been working within the Kiama medical community for more than 40 years and has operated as a GP and a member of the After Hours Roster, working in the emergency department of local hospitals on weekends and public holidays.
Within the wider Kiama community, Dr Phipps has also been a dedicated member of Kiama Lion’s Club and has worked tirelessly in fundraising for the club.
Ms Marshall said Dr Phipps was a worthy recipient of the new award as he was a hard worker who had earned the respect of his peers, who believes he was a “good doctor and practitioner who looks at the entirety of health in his patients and has never lost his enthusiasm for the job”.
Along with the winners, a number of other GPs were recognised for the excellent service they provide to patients, including Dr David Grant from Kiama, who was nominated by patients of his practice.