Katherine doctor Simon Quilty has been celebrated nationally for his work in rural and remote Australia.
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NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles said the specialist physician was awarded the Clinical Service in Rural and Remote Areas Medal by The Royal Australasian College of Physicians Congress.
“This is significant recognition of the fantastic work that Dr Simon Quilty and his team do at Katherine Hospital,” Ms Fyles said.
“I’d like to congratulate Dr Simon Quilty and thank him for the work that he and his team do to ensure Katherine residents have access to the best quality health services.
“We visited the hospital last month and saw first hand the leadership he’s shown with Tele health - greatly improving access to services for remote patients.”
“The PATS project in Telehealth included Katherine, Tennant and Alice Springs Hospitals and aimed to treat more people in regions rather than sending them to Darwin. The Katherine region, because of its size and logistics, had the greatest savings, and the estimated costs saved was $649K.
“A year after the arrival of specialist care on-site in 2012, the number of acute aeromedical retrievals from Katherine Hospital to Royal Darwin Hospital went from 67 to 38. This number is now down below 30 per month, as there are now 2 on-site specialist physicians providing 7 day a week coverage.
“The outcomes of this has been greater patient confidence with an 84% drop in the number of patients leaving before seeing a doctor between 2011 and 2016."
Dr Quilty said he was honoured to be recognised for his work and is proud of his contributions to rural healthcare over the years.
“I am honoured to have been awarded this medal so early in my career, the past 5 years has been lots of hard work but lots of fun,” he said.
“We have a great team at Katherine Hospital and we have made significant improvements to the model of inpatient care in recent years, which I am extremely proud to have been involved with.
“We have developed a comprehensive medical outreach service that provides specialist services to all remote communities in the Katherine region, and expanded services at the hospital, including oncology, cardiology diagnostics and a training program for medical students and junior doctors.
“I feel lucky to have the opportunity to work in this hospital for our Katherine community, and look forward to the coming years with our great little team down here.
“We’re on the way to showing how a little remote hospital can not only provide excellent care but also be a national leader in health care innovation.”