Waimate doctor wins To Infinity and Beyond
The ability to create a buzz about the selfless work of rural primary response in medical emergencies practitioners has earned a Waimate doctor admiration and recognition from her peers.
Dr Sarah Creegan received the 2020 To Infinity and Beyond award from medical news publication New Zealand Doctor earlier this month for promoting Prime, a jointly commissioned project funded by the Ministry of Health and ACC and administered by St John, which she says is in need of better financial backing.
The To Infinity and Beyond award is given annually to a GP by the magazine for going the extra distance for their patients, community or profession. It was Buzz Lightyear who delivered the classic ‘‘To infinity and beyond’’ line in the Toy Story movies and the award winner receives an action figure of the character.
‘‘The doctor magazine is promoting and giving attention to different medical- and general practice-related issues,’’ Creegan told Stuff.
‘‘They have given me this award this year because they are aware I have had a bit of a profile around promoting the primary response in medical emergencies [Prime].’’
At the 2019 South General Practice Conference and Medical Exhibition in Christchurch, Creegan stood up and addressed Health Minister David Clark, requesting he give ‘‘more consideration’’ to ‘‘funding Prime more effectively’’.
‘‘It [Prime] is amazingly good value for further aspects of rural general practice care and it would not take much more funding from the budget to actually make it more sustainable.
‘‘I would love the minister to actually do that but it is just requiring a little more profile. ‘‘It is an important issue.’’ Creegan said she was uncomfortable with the publicity but the profile she had created could attract further funding for the responder service.
‘‘I know that the Government has limited health dollars but it is so quiet and under the radar that it is very hard to attract interest from the funders to appropriately fund Prime.
‘‘It has been something Prime practitioners have been trying to agitate and get better funding for, for some years now but we have not achieved anything.’’
Prime practitioners, including GPs and nurses, in rural districts throughout New Zealand, went above and beyond the calls of duty daily and deserved praise for their dedication, she said.
‘‘Not all rural doctors and nurses do that work. It is something that just some nurses and doctors do at some personal expense because of the on-call aspects of the work, and the demand of the work.
‘‘Twizel, Fairlie and Waimate all have been fantastic providing services, equipment, support and training of staff.’’
Creegan said the award had personally left her feeling ‘‘slightly embarrassed’’ but grateful to her colleagues and for the pride it had given her family.
‘‘I was absolutely astonished because a lot of incredible colleagues that I work with throughout the country I would have thought should be getting awards well ahead of me.
‘‘I see their pride, respect that and feel grateful for the recognition that my colleagues have given me for this award.’’
The positive publicity was also good for Waimate, she said.
‘‘I really like a little bit of profile coming back to Waimate which I think is one of the true quietly understated parts of New Zealand to live.’’
‘‘It is very hard to attract interest from the funders to appropriately fund Prime.’’ Dr Sarah Creegan