8 March 2011
Long-serving Territory medical practitioner Dr Christine Connors has been recognised in the annual Tribute to Northern Territory Women awards, announced today to mark the centenary of International Women's Day.Dr Connors, who currently heads the NT Chronic Diseases Strategy Unit in the Department of Health, has served in a wide range of medical roles since moving to the Territory in 1987. She has worked as a District Medical Officer in Arnhem Land communities, as a GP and as a Public Health Physician.
"Dr Christine Connors is one of the Department's - and the Territory's - most respected public health physicians, with a wide range of experience and immense dedication to her work, especially to the wellbeing of Indigenous people," Department of Health Chief Executive Jeffrey Moffett said today.
"On behalf of all staff and the many people whose lives have benefited from Christine's work, I wish to thank her for her commitment and congratulate her on winning one of the prestigious Tribute to Northern Territory Women awards."
In 1993 Dr Connors helped establish the Strong Women, Strong Babies program, which recognises traditional cultural approaches to parenting and lifestyle. She also played a key role in establishing Pap smear screening in remote communities.
From 2008-2010 Dr Connors represented the Council of Australian Governments on the National Preventative Health Taskforce that developed Australia's first Preventative Health Strategy, with a strong focus on addressing tobacco, obesity and alcohol.
Dr Connors has been involved in public health research with Menzies School of Health Research (MSHR) since 1994, working on population programs to prevent rheumatic fever and kidney disease by reducing scabies and skin sores.
Over the past 10 years she has worked with both MSHR and with the Cooperative Research Centre in Aboriginal Health on quality improvement programs in primary health care.
Mr Moffett said while it was difficult to single out specific highlights from Dr Connors' many contributions to Territory health care, special mention should be made of her role in leading the team that developed the ten-year Northern Territory Chronic Conditions Prevention and Management Strategy.
"This is a milestone framework for providing high quality care for people with chronic conditions such as cardiovascular and rheumatic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, chronic airway disease, and chronic mental illness," Mr Moffett said.
"This strategy, covering the period 2010-2020, was published last year and has been widely praised by medical professionals and health planners, both in the NT and nationally.
"The strategy aligns with the Commonwealth's focus on reducing hospitalisations for people with chronic conditions whose care can be managed in the community setting.
"These chronic conditions contribute significantly to the gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal and non Aboriginal people.
"The Chronic Conditions Prevention and Management Strategy that was formulated under the clinical leadership of Dr Connors has a strong focus on heath promotion and prevention, and notes the importance of creating systems and environments to support healthy behaviours."
Describing Dr Connors as "one of the Territory's great silent achievers" Mr Moffet said, "Winning a Tribute to Northern Territory Women award provides well deserved public recognition of a career which, by any standards, has been both impressive and of tremendous community benefit."
Media Contact: Bridget Wild 0431 619 902 or 89 992 751
