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November 2023 Nov 2023
The 2024 Australian of the Year Award recipients for New South Wales have been announced at a ceremony in Sydney this evening.
The PHN would like to send congratulations to John Ward who has been announced as the 2024, NSW Senior Australian of the Year. A Geriatrician and co-founder of Hunter Ageing Alliance, John is also a highly valued member of the PHN's Hunter Manning Clinical Council and our Palliative Care and care for older people reference group.
John has devoted his life to providing outstanding medical care for disadvantaged people and ageing Australians – often at personal cost and with little recognition. As director of the Prison Medical Service, he provided care to inmates – despite few resources – and advocated for prison reform to protect this vulnerable group.
Focusing on geriatric medicine and aged care since the mid-1980s, he advocates for older Australians and the importance of social determinants of health such as social connection, exercise and accessible environments.
His integrated, collaborative approach to dementia care for patients and their carers has made the Hunter region a leader in this field.
John also co-founded the Hunter Ageing Alliance, which calls for governments, businesses and organisations to better focus on older people’s needs. The organisation has eight programs in planning or implementation stage to create age-friendly communities, tackle elder abuse and end social isolation of older people.
The NSW recipients will join those from the other states and territories for the national awards to be announced on 25 January 2024.
Congratulations to John on this wonderful achievement.
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In 2022, the PHN developed its 2022-2025 Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Strategy. The strategy is critical to delivering the PHN’s community, workforce and cultural objectives and aligns to the PHN’s strategic purpose of “keeping people well in our communities through innovation, performance, collaboration and local engagement.”
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