News
Cottee and Coates prominent at WA Rural Health Long Service Awards
Friday March 8, 2024
Resident rural doctor Dr Thomas Cottee and his visiting counterpart Professor Harvey Coates were among those given special recognition at the WA Rural Health Long Service Awards recently.
They were the most prominent of a significant number of AMA (WA) Members among the 50 rural medical practitioners from across Western Australia acknowledged for their outstanding commitment to rural healthcare.
Hosted by Rural Health West and WA Country Health Service, the annual awards spotlight the pivotal role long-serving medical professionals play in sustaining the health, vitality and resilience of rural communities.
Acknowledging milestones of 20, 30, and 40 years in rural medicine, the awards honour doctors who have devoted decades to serving the unique healthcare needs of rural areas.
For the first time, the awards also included Perth-based medical specialists who have been providing long-term visiting services to rural communities, with several recipients supporting rural communities for more than 40 years.
The awards celebrated 40 years of service by Dr Cottee and Prof Coates.
Rural Health West Chief Executive Officer Tim Shackleton congratulated the recipients for their outstanding contributions.
“A long-standing local doctor who knows and understands the community and the families they care for makes a tremendous difference to the health and wellbeing of their patients,” Mr Shackleton said.
“These doctors have had a profound impact on the health and well-being of many, many people over many years. We are honoured to celebrate their achievements through these awards.”
WA Country Health Service Chief Executive Jeff Moffet praised all award recipients and acknowledged the important role they play in the sustainability of country hospitals and health services.
“WA Country Health Service is the largest rural health jurisdiction in Australia, and one of the biggest in the world,” Mr Moffet said.
“Put simply, without clinicians like our Long Service Award recipients, caring for rural and remote communities would be even more challenging.
“They play such a fundamental role in advancing the health outcomes in the bush, but also support our hospitals and health services on a day-to-day basis.
“On behalf of the entire WA Country Health Service, thank you for all you’ve done, and continue to do.”
AMA (WA) Member recipients of the Long Service Awards include:
Wheatbelt
20 years
- Dr Paul Gallacher, Toodyay
South-West
40 years
- Dr Thomas Cottee, South West Gynaecology, Bunbury
20 years
- Dr Michael Hoar, Bridgetown
- Dr Christopher Low, South West Eye Surgeons – Bunbury
- Dr Richard Roddy, Margaret River
Great Southern
20 years
- Dr Airell Hodgkinson, Albany
Mandurah
30 years
- Dr Malcolm Broom, Mandurah
20 years
- Dr Soma Padminie Kain, Dawesville
Specialists from Perth metropolitan region delivering long-term visiting services to country communities
40 years
- Clinical Professor Harvey Coates, Paediatric ENT Services, Cottesloe
30 years
- Dr Digby Cullen, Subiaco
- Dr Michael Davis, Perth Cardiovascular Institute, Nedlands
- Dr Luigi D’Orsogna, Western Cardiology, Wembley
- Dr Mark Hands, Western Cardiology, Wembley
- Dr Brian Hutchison, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands
- Dr James Ramsay, Perth Children’s Hospital, Nedlands
- Dr Craig Smith, West Perth
- Associate Professor Rob Will, Victoria Park
