Dr Khaled Bardawil wins the 2022 Outstanding Contribution to Leadership in Primary Healthcare Award

Lake Cargelligo GP Dr Khaled Bardawil has won the Outstanding Contribution to Leadership in Primary Healthcare award for 2022.

Dr Bardawil has served his local community for the last 15 years and during the COVID-19 pandemic his work led to reducing vaccine hesitancy by de-stigmatising and demystifying information surrounding the COVID vaccines.

MPHN Board Chair Dr Jodi Culbert congratulated Dr Bardawil on his award and thanked him for his dedication and service.

“The Outstanding Contribution to Leadership in Primary Healthcare Award recognises a health professional or practice that has made an outstanding contribution to leadership in primary healthcare,” said Dr Culbert.  

“Dr Bardawil has dedicated himself to ensuring the community of Lake Cargelligo and surrounds are provided with the best care and in the case of COVID-19, he went the extra mile to reach many remote and vulnerable people who may not have otherwise been vaccinated.”

On accepting the award Dr Bardawil paid tribute to his family, practice team and the community of Lake Cargelligo.

“I am deeply honoured to be recognised for this work and would like to thank MPHN as well as my team at Lake Cargelligo Family Practice,” Dr Bardawil said.

“I am most proud of the Lake Cargelligo community who did not hesitate to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by getting vaccinated. As a result we managed the virus well and kept hospitalisations to a minimum”

Two other nominees were recognised as finalists in this award category with My Step to Wellbeing Western Manager Amy Salmon was recognised with a highly commended prize for her outstanding work.

Amy Salmon led the MyStep to Mental Wellbeing Western team during an otherwise challenging time in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amy strived to create a supportive, psychologically safe workplace in which staff felt supported and this ensured continuity of service for consumers across the program during a changing period of time. This has seen the MyStep to Mental Wellbeing team flourish to be the third largest community mental health team in the Murrumbidgee Local Health District.

Centacare introduced two school wellbeing consultants to the Schools Wellbeing Program, a whole-school approach to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of every member of the school community. Consultants Janine Harrington and Mahalia Scholz work closely with each school to support complex cases and ensure continuity of care.