AMA26 Awards: A celebration of excellence

Dr Daniel Byrne (SA) – Excellence in Healthcare Award

Happy Valley GP and former AMA SA Councillor Dr Daniel Byrne was recognised for his significant contributions to general practice for more than 30 years.

He has been at the forefront of various innovations and reforms in South Australia and across the country since he began practising in 1992. Dr Byrne founded the ‘GP in the Hospital Program’ in 1994, which became the forerunner of the now nationwide GP Hospital Liaison services. He was also a driving force behind calls for iron infusions in general practice and played a leading role in these being rolled out in communities across Australia from 2015 onwards.

AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen told the AMA26 National Conference that Dr Byrne epitomises the value that GPs deliver for their local community.

‘We are often described as the caring profession, and it is impossible to look at Dr Byrne’s achievements over the years and not see they have been driven by a deep care and desire to do the absolute best for patients, and an optimism that he can contribute to positive system change,’ Dr McMullen said.

Dr Byrne said patient interactions have been the catalyst for much of his work.

‘As GPs, we are in a great position to hear our patients’ stories, as well as being able to influence the health system to make changes for their benefit,’ Dr Byrne said.

‘That’s what happened to me in 1994 when I asked a patient how her husband was doing, only to find out from her that he had died in hospital a month before. Nobody had let me know and I was embarrassed. It had a profound effect on me.

‘I thought we had to do something better, so I set about establishing “GP in the Hospital”. Now, in 2026, we have GP Hospital Liaison services standard all around Australia, with 95 per cent of patients receiving discharge summaries within two days of discharge.

‘It’s really great to see that the small beginnings back in the 1990s have led to such major improvements.’

Dr Samantha Pillay OAM (SA) – Women’s Health Award

Dr Samantha Pillay – South Australia’s first female urologist and the first in the country to exclusively sub-specialise in female and functional urology – has been recognised for more than two decades of work advancing gender equity, patient care and leadership in medicine.

Dr Pillay developed the first RACGP-accredited online continence course for health professionals and has delivered more than 140 lectures and workshops to medical professionals, general practitioners and students, serving as a role model for the next generation of urologists in Australia.

In 2002, she founded Continence Matters – a practice dedicated to empowering patients through care and education. It has since grown into a public health website, reaching people in 179 countries.

AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said Dr Pillay’s career is a powerful example of what sustained advocacy for women in medicine can achieve – both for patients and the generations of clinicians coming up behind her.

‘Dr Pillay has gone far beyond building an incredible practice to advance women’s health, she has amplified underrepresented health issues by creating infrastructure for the whole sector, including training courses, a free bladder diary app, and public education resources,’ Dr McMullen said.

Dr Pillay said recognition from her own profession means a great deal, and this award belongs to her patients as much as to her.

‘It takes real courage to overcome the stigma of incontinence and ask for help,’ Dr Pillay said.

‘My patients’ trust, and their support for my mission to raise awareness, has carried this work further than I could have alone.’

Dr Amandeep Hansra (NSW) – President’s Award

Dr Amandeep Hansra has been recognised for her outstanding contributions to the medical profession through leadership in digital health, medical innovation, doctors’ wellbeing and the care of vulnerable communities.

The Sydney-based general practitioner is Chief Clinical Adviser (Medicine) at the Australian Digital Health Agency and has held several senior leadership positions across digital health and telemedicine.

She is also the founder of Creative Careers in Medicine, a global community of more than 25,000 doctors supporting career development, professional growth and connection across the profession.

Throughout her career, Dr Hansra has worked across Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, homeless health, refugee health, occupational medicine and travel medicine.

She said she was ‘incredibly honoured and genuinely surprised’ to receive the AMA President’s Award.

‘Medicine has given me opportunities I could never have imagined, and I’ve been fortunate to work alongside extraordinary colleagues who have challenged, inspired and supported me throughout my career,’ Dr Hansra said.

‘I’ve always believed that doctors can make a difference far beyond the consulting room, through leadership, innovation, education and advocacy, while never losing sight of the patients and communities we serve.’

Professor Cassandra Szoeke (Vic) – Gold Medal

Professor Cassandra Szoeke was recognised for her outstanding contributions to medicine, advancing women’s health and healthy ageing through pioneering research, clinical leadership, health policy reform, and advocacy that has transformed understanding of sex-specific health across Australia and beyond.

Professor Szoeke is a general physician, consultant neurologist, full academic professor and multi-award-winning clinical researcher. As principal investigator of the Women’s Healthy Ageing Project, the longest study of women’s health in Australia, she authored the book Secrets of Women’s Healthy Ageing, which was highly commended in the Educational Publishing Awards Australia and was the best-selling title in 100 years of Melbourne University Publishing in the genre of medicine.

Professor Szoeke said she was honoured to receive the award.

‘So many great leaders have held this medal before me. It is a humbling list to be added to, and I do not take the honour lightly,’ Professor Szoeke said.

‘Nearly two in three Australians living with dementia are women – 274,000 of them. Not only because we live longer: past ninety, dementia runs in women at 1.4 times the rate in men. When evidence is that clear and still does not reach the bedside, you stop proving and start implementing.

‘Advocacy has its limits. You can make the case for years and watch nothing move. At some point, you stop asking the system to change and start building it yourself. So we built the first sex-specific healthcare course in Australia, accredited across nine colleges, and put it in front of doctors nationally. Not another report.

‘I accept this on behalf of four hundred and thirty-eight women who gave us more than 30 years of their lives, one annual visit at a time. None of them will be cured by what we found. They did it for the women who come after them.’

Dr Kerrie Aust (ACT) - Women in Medical Leadership Award

Dr Kerrie Aust – immediate past President of AMA ACT and medical director of Drs4Drs – was recognised for her dedication to the wellbeing of fellow doctors.

Federal AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said Dr Aust had demonstrated exemplary leadership, compassion and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by medical professionals.

‘As medical director of Drs4Drs, Dr Aust has provided invaluable resources, support services and advocacy initiatives aimed at promoting the physical, mental and emotional health of doctors,’ Dr McMullen said.

‘Dr Aust was also tireless in her role as AMA ACT President and is a true asset to the medical profession.’

Dr Aust said she was grateful to the AMA for continuing to invest in leadership and mentoring opportunities for women in medicine.

‘Stepping into leadership provided me with one of the greatest experiences of my career. It is a gift to be able to give back to our profession,’ Dr Aust said.

‘We need to continue to support women, break down barriers and remind them that they have the ability to be exceptional leaders.’

Dr Sarah Lee (Vic) – Excellence in Healthcare

Dr Sarah Lee was recognised for her contributions and achievements in the field of anaesthesia education.

The Victoria-based consultant founded the Anaesthesia Discussion, Views and Contemporary Evidence (ADVANCE) platform in 2022 – a multidisciplinary education and research platform that engages clinicians through interactive polls, surveys and expert-led discussions.

It has grown from a local initiative into one that now attracts clinicians and renowned panellists from around the world.

Dr Lee said her long-term goals include utilising ADVANCE survey data to develop a registry and research program to enable the benchmarking of contemporary Australian anaesthesia practice to inform evidence-based education, research priorities and guidelines.

‘I hope we continue to create opportunities for clinicians to learn together across hospitals, specialties and disciplines,’ Dr Lee said.

‘When we are willing to share our experiences, challenge our own practice and remain open to learning from one another, we not only grow as clinicians; we give our patients the very best chance of receiving exceptional care.’

Dr Thomas Drake-Brockman (WA) – Diversity in Medicine Award

Dr Thomas Drake-Brockman has been recognised for their outstanding contribution to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion within the medical profession and the broader healthcare system.

A rural generalist registrar in Western Australia, Dr Drake-Brockman has held a range of leadership and advocacy roles, including as AMA (WA) Doctors in Training Co-Chair, where they championed issues affecting women doctors, parents, international medical graduates, doctors with disability, and LGBTQIASB+ doctors and patients.

They continue to contribute through leadership roles in the AMA and the broader community, including as President of the Rural Doctors Association of WA, Chairperson of Transfolk WA and a Director of Pride WA. Dr Drake-Brockman has also helped shape national and state policy on LGBTIQA+ health and inclusion through advisory roles with the Australian and Western Australian governments.

Dr Drake-Brockman said they were honoured to receive the award and grateful to other colleagues who are working to ensure that healthcare in Australia is safe and welcoming for everybody.

‘We know that parts of our community and our profession face historical and ongoing discrimination in healthcare settings. This includes women, LGBTQIA+ people, First Nations peoples, people from culturally and racially marginalised backgrounds, and migrants,’ Dr Drake-Brockman said.

‘To change this requires the collective effort of individuals, our profession, institutions and governments.’

Dr Danya Duncan (NT) – Doctor in Training of the Year

Dr Danya Duncan was recognised for her outstanding leadership, advocacy and commitment to strengthening medical education in rural and remote communities.

The Northern Territory medical education registrar and final-year rural generalist trainee is also Vice President of AMA NT, demonstrating that doctors in training are capable of exceptional leadership at all levels of our profession.