Emerald’s Dr Ewen McPhee won AMA Qld rural health medal

“Queensland is incredibly fortunate to have such clever, capable doctors working in rural areas”: Central Queensland doctor awarded for dedicated service and leading Australia’s Covid response.

Emerald's Dr Ewen McPhee has won the AMA Queensland Rural Health Medal in recognition of more than three decades' outstanding service to rural and remote communities.

An Emerald doctor has been recognised in Queensland for more than three decades of outstanding service to rural and remote communities.

Long-serving General Practitioner Dr Ewen McPhee won the AMA Queensland Rural Health Medal, presented at AMA Queensland’s annual Dinner for the Profession in Brisbane on August 20.

“I am incredibly grateful for the recognition,” Dr McPhee said.

“It is really unexpected.

“Being a rural doctor is always a partnership between yourself, your family and the community, so I feel I share it with them.”

A rural GP for 35 years, Dr McPhee’s first rural posting was at Charleville Hospital as principal house officer and as an anaesthetist for Dr Louis Ariotti, who he described as one of “the last true rural generalist surgeons”.

In 1989, Dr McPhee moved to Emerald as the solo public doctor and medical superintendent, also working with Dr Jim Baker’s renowned flying obstetric service.

He entered private practice in Emerald in 1992.

“There was one doctor at Emerald Hospital and about three GPs in the community,” Dr McPhee said.

“Now, there are 18 public doctors, including five obstetricians and 10 GPs.

“There has been a real transformation in services to patients.”

In March 2020, Dr McPhee was involved in setting up the first rural GP-led respiratory clinic in Australia in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We set it up in three days in March 2020,” Dr McPhee said.

“We were all wearing appropriate PPE and patients were separated from each other.

“We were really sending a signal to the community that we had the ability to cope with a surge [in COVID cases] and respond to events happening in other parts of the country.”

The clinic also serves as a vaccination hub for the Emerald community.

AMA Queensland President Professor Chris Perry said Dr McPhee had made an enormous contribution to the Central Highlands community and the state.

“Dr McPhee’s commitment, leadership and ingenuity are inspirational,” Prof Perry said.

“Queensland is incredibly fortunate to have such clever, capable doctors working in rural areas.”