The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is proud to announce Dr Tony Lembke of Alstonville Clinic, northern NSW, as the recipient of the 2012 RACGP General Practitioner of the Year Award.
This prestigious College award is presented to a general practitioner (GP) who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the general practice profession, excellence in primary healthcare provision, and significant involvement in training and continuing professional development.
Dr Liz Marles, RACGP President, said the presentation of the award is a wonderful opportunity for members of the College to highlight the champions within the healthcare profession.
“Dr Lembke is a most deserving recipient of this year’s RACGP General Practitioner of the Year Award. With over 18 years’ experience delivering patient-centred, high quality care to the small town of Alstonville, Dr Lembke has also maintained a number of significant leadership roles contributing to improvement of the health system across local, state and national levels,” Dr Marles said.
Amongst the key roles held throughout Dr Lembke’s esteemed general practice career, he serves as the Director of the Australian General Practice Network (AGPN), Chair of the North Coast Medicare Local, Clinical Director in the Australian Primary Care Collaboratives and is a member of the NSW General Practice Council. He has also held previous roles as chair of the Northern Rivers General Practice Network for 11 years and has made a significant contribution to eHealth at a national level.
“In each of these roles, Dr Lembke has remained a stanch advocate for the central role that general practice plays both within the primary healthcare setting and also within Australia’s healthcare system at-large,” Dr Marles said.
“Dr Lembke is a collaborative leader, working to bring the profession together, but also able to cross the professional and service boundaries to bring health disciplines and service managers together around the ideal of patient-centred care.”
Despite his busy schedule, Dr Lembke also manages to continue his involvement with medical student and general practice Registrar training. The Alstonville practice has made a continuous commitment to education and training for more than 20 years, accepting students from the University of Sydney, Queensland, NSW, Western Sydney and Wollongong, as well as John Flynn Scholars.
“I am a strong believer in the concept of a ‘medical home’ whereby each patient receives ongoing, comprehensive patient care via the same GP or practice over time. This model, however, can only work if we have a highly trained, engaged general practice profession – which is why I place great importance on supporting the next generation of GPs as they come through the system,” Dr Lembke said.
Dr Marles acknowledged the numerous patient, registrar and peer testimonials provided in support of Dr Lembke’s award nomination.
“Dr Lembke is a valued, respected, and highly regarded general practitioner and member of the RACGP. On behalf of the College, I sincerely congratulate Dr Lembke on his significant achievements to-date and implore Dr Lembke to continue his unwavering dedication to the general practice profession,” Dr Marles concluded.
For more information on the 2012 RACGP Award categories, visit www.racgp.org.au/awards.