THANK YOU Assoc. Prof Magdalena Simonis AM

I write to thank AFMW and the Immediate Past President, Dr Magdalena Simonis for awarding me one of the President’s Awards at AFMW AGM this year.

In the face of all her achievements over the triennium it was humbling and a particular honour to receive this from her.

I want to acknowledge and thank Magdalena not merely for my award but for all that she achieved during her term as President of AFMW: individually, within AFMW and as active member of MWIA.

Magdalena was awarded of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division for her significant service to medicine through a range of roles and to women’s health in the King’s Birthday Honours and at the same time recognised for her role in the National Covid Honour Roll

She has received two AMA awards for her leadership in AMA and national health and women’s health. In Victoria she won – the Patrick Pritzwald-Stegmann award which recognises a doctor who has made an exceptional contribution to the wellbeing of his or her colleagues AND most recently on November 20^th 2023 the National AMA President’s Award.

Magdalena has contributed over and over again within MWIA with research into the gendered effects of CoVid which she and international colleagues presented at European meetings in the northern summer entitled, Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) survey of COVID-19 experiences of women doctors as healthcare providers. She has been a guest speaker and panellist at the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA)  and a number of Western Pacific meetings, including speaking at the Philippines Medical Women’s meeting on the same weekend as our AGM.

Magdalena was the inaugural chair of the MWIA Leadership and Mentoring Special Interest group (2020-2022) and hosted the very successful webinars to which members from 42 countries attended during COVID-19:

MWIA 2021 Mentoring and Leadership for Medical Women – Supporting Women in Medicine Achieve their Goals

 

“Mentors and younger doctors – finding a mentor and what to expect

All the above and so much more:

• She is a leading women’s health expert, climate change and gender equity advocate, government advisor, board director and keynote speaker.
• She has been on the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Expert Committee for Quality Care for several years and before that on the e-Health Committee^.
• She has also been on national boards of government-funded health organisations and holds positions on several not-for-profit organisations bridging gaps across the health sector².
• She has been actively involved in the Greek community in Melbourne, serving on the board of PRONIA which provides care for the Aged and those with disabilities in their homes and has contributed to the promotion of historical accuracy of the ancient Greek heritage of the Macedonian region  She was honoured by the Melbourne Greek community for the way she worked within that community during lockdowns in Melbourne with articles and translations for the Greek language newspaper.
• She has been a member of the National COVID-19 Taskforce expert committee, the Australian representative to the World Health Organisation, World Assembly on COVID 19, and the National Endometriosis Expert Advisory Group.
• She has made regular media and article contributions on various health issues and has represented AFMW at Senate enquiries, National Health Framework reforms.

Many thanks Magdalena and my thanks for all that you do.

Kind Regards

 

Dr Marjorie Cross, OAM
AFMW Council member
AFMW representative for ACT and Region MWS