Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network Clinical Director
Rural Health Dr Jeremy Webber has been awarded Distinguished
Fellowship of The Royal New Zealand College of General
Practitioners, Division of Rural Hospital Medicine.
Dr
Webber was grateful to receive this award for his commitment
to rural medicine at the GP22 Conference in Christchurch on
Saturday 23 July 2022.
“I am humbled to be
recognised in this way, particularly as the work I do has
strength only due to the mahi of my colleagues in rural
practice. Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa
takitini.”
Dr Webber is a stalwart for rural health
in both his role at Hauora Taiwhenua and as a rural medicine
hospital specialist in Taupō Hospital, where he has worked
since 2016.
His passion for rural life stems from his
farming childhood where he grew up in the Manawatu and then
Whangārei. He was inspired to pursue a career in rural
health after working in a remote Aboriginal community in
Western Australia where GPs ran the local hospital.
Dr
Webber is dedicated to improving health equity which is
reflected in his impact at Hauora Taiwhenua as Clinical
Director Rural Health, representing rural general practice
on many Ministry of Health taskforces and panels.
He
contributed to the advocacy efforts with the team at Hauora
Taiwhenua presenting at Select Committee hearing, which has
resulted in the recent inclusion of Rural Communities as a
priority population in the Pae Ora legislation and the
development of a rural health strategy presented to Te Whatu
Ora Health NZ as a basis for their planning for
rural.
Dr Grant Davidson, Chief Executive of Hauora
Taiwhenua says that one of Jeremy’s strengths is his
ability to engage effectively with a diversity of people,
irrespective of age, gender, culture, and
status.
“His natural empathy and genuine concern for
people leads to effective relationships being built which
enables an ability to get great outcomes whether clinical or
political,” Dr Davidson says.
As the first Rural
Hospital Medicine graduate of the Division of Rural Hospital
Medicine training programme, Dr Webber is enthusiastic about
the education and training of rural medicine and growing a
robust future rural health workforce.
This year, Dr
Webber was the only rural hospital doctor to receive this
award alongside five GPs including Dr Kiriana Bird, Dr
Janine Bycroft, Dr Sean Hanna, Dr Lauren McGifford, and Dr
Peter JS Moodie.
Distinguished Fellowship is awarded
to GPs or Rural Hospital Doctors who have demonstrated
sustained contributions to general practice, medicine, or
the health and wellbeing of the community. It is one of the
highest recognitions that can be given by the
College.
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