As the world marks International Women’s Day, it’s an opportune time to reflect on the legacies of women who’ve significantly impacted the field of healthcare.
Here, we delve into the lives and accomplishments of pioneering Australian women whose contributions have revolutionised healthcare, transcending borders and generations.
- Dr Emma Constance Stone – First woman registered with the Medical Board of Victoria
- Sister Elizabeth Kenny – Innovator of physiotherapy and polio treatments
- Dr Elizabeth H. Blackburn: Uncovered how cells age and protect themselves
- Professor Fiona Wood – Inventor of ‘spray-on skin’ techniques
- Dr Tracy Westerman – Advocate for culturally congruent psychological services
- Dr Nikki Stamp – Leading cardiothoracic surgeon advocating for diversity and equality in medicine
- Professor Sarah-Jane Dawson – Pioneer in ‘liquid biopsies’
- Lucinda Lines – Esteemed embryologist and compassionate advocate for ethical fertility education and support
- Professor Ingrid Winship – Distinguished geneticist advancing the study and prevention of heritable cancer
- Dr Amandeep Hansra – Notable expert in telemedicine and advocate for innovative digital healthcare solutions
Read the full story at GPEx >>
Source photo and article: https://gpex.com.au/news/10-women-whove-transformed-healthcare-in-australia/
Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM is the Immediate Past President of the AFMW (2020-2023), former President of VMWS (2013 & 2017-2020) and current AFMW National Coordinator (2024-2026). She is a full time clinician who also holds positions on several not for profit organisations, driven by her passion for bridging gaps across the health sector. She is a leading women’s health expert, keynote speaker, climate change and gender equity advocate and government advisor. Magda is member of The Australian Health Team contributing monthly articles.
Magdalena was awarded a lifetime membership of the RACGP for her contributions which include past chair of Women in General Practice, longstanding contribution to the RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care, the RACGP eHealth Expert Committee. She is regularly invited to comment on primary care research though mainstream and medical media and contributes articles on various health issues through newsGP and other publications.
Magdalena has represented the RACGP at senate enquiries and has worked on several National Health Framework reviews. She is author of the RACGP Guide on Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery and co-reviewer of the RACGP Red Book Women’s Health Chapter, and reviewer of the RACGP White book
Both an RACGP examiner and University examiner, she undertakes general practice research and is a GP Educator with the Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence, which develops education tools to assist the primary care sector identify, respond to and manage family violence . Roles outside of RACGP include the Strategy and Policy Committee for Breast Cancer Network Australia, Board Director of the Melbourne University Teaching Health Clinics and the elected GP representative to the AMA Federal Council. In 2022. she was award the AMA (Vic) Patrick Pritzwald-Steggman Award 2022, which celebrates a doctor who has made an exceptional contribution to the wellbeing of their colleagues and the community and was listed as Women’s Agenda 2022 finalist for Emerging Leader in Health.
Magdalena has presented at the United Nations as part of the Australian Assembly and was appointed the Australian representative to the World Health Organisation, World Assembly on COVID 19, by the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) in 2021. In 2023, A/Professor Simonis was included on the King’s COVID-19 Champion’s list and was also awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division for significant service to medicine through a range of roles and to women’s health.
