Dubbo’s Tammy O’Connor has received the most prestigious award among the Premier’s Awards for Public Service for helping pregnant women and mothers in rural and remote communities of Western NSW.
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Her work has positively impacted families and communities in ways including a decrease in emergency births.
Ms O’Connor, a clinical midwifery consultant with the Western NSW Local Health District, has won the Anthea Kerr Award.
The award comes with an “individually-customised” professional development program to help progress the recipient’s career.
“I feel so privileged to have not only been a finalist for the Anthea Kerr Award but to have won is incredible,” Ms O’Connor said.
“I am really excited to take part in the professional development program and hope to continue to be able to improve the health of people across rural and remote Australia regardless of where they live”.
The health district’s manager maternity and children’s strategies, Alison Loudon, said Ms O’Connor saw a need for rural and remote women to have access to quality antenatal and postnatal care.
“Through community consultation a model was developed that increased access in a way that was both timely and culturally appropriate,” Ms Loudon said.
“Her initiatives led to a number of positive outcomes for the communities including a decrease in emergency births.
“Tammy has a strong passion for healthcare and ensuring equal access to high-quality care is received by all people, regardless of their location and social determinants of health.”
The standalone award was established in 2013 in honour of Anthea Kerr, an assistant director general at the Department of Finance and Services who died suddenly at 38 years of age.
It recognises future public sector leaders who are under 35 years of age.
Nominations for the Anthea Kerr Award are invited separately to 12 categories of the Premier’s Awards for Public Service, and is judged against a separate criteria.
The Premier’s Awards for Public Service recognise excellence in the delivery of public services to the NSW community by the public sector, not-for-profit organisations and private businesses.
They have been running since 1997 and are the responsibility of the Public Service Commission.