Donna Jeffries has been awarded the ABS Centre of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics Excellence in Health Award at the national Dreamtime Awards.
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Ms Jeffries, who is the the Executive Manager of Marrabinya and Western Region Services with Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation was presented with her award at a ceremony in Sydney.
The award was given because of the way Ms Jeffries approaches all her commitments, and has since the age of 15 when she left school in year nine to care for her family after an unexpected accident.
She forged ahead an in 1982 took up a job at the Brewarrina District Hospital caring for Aboriginal twin girls with severe renal failure.
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This was the start of her career in health. Since then Ms Jeffries has undertaken several trade certificates and obtained two university degrees as a mature age student - a Bachelor degree in Nursing through Charles Sturt University and an Executive Masters Degree in Public Administration through Monash Univeristy in Melbourne.
Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation CEO, Bob Davis, said Ms Jeffries' work with Indigenous communities has been exceptional.
"The award is national recognition of Donna's substantial contribution to the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across western NSW and we are very proud of her achievement," Mr Davis said.
The national Dreamtime Awards is an opportunity for First Nations people to come together and recognise excellence in the categories of Sport, Arts, Education, Health and Community and Ms Jeffries was one of four national finalists in the health category.
She said she was very honoured to have been the recipient.
"I was absolutely floored when I heard my name being read out at the ceremony and was overwhelmed with pride.
"My work over the years in health has given me a great sense of achievement and to be recognised by your peers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from all over Australia is an absolute honour.
"One of the most rewarding aspects of working in health is being able to make a difference to not only your client's lives but also to the lives of their families - that's a great feeling going to work knowing that you have an opportunity to make that difference.
"Our work in Aboriginal health is far from over but what we have accomplished over the past 10 - 15 years has made a significant impact on so many lives."
