Brisbane South PHN Board Chair, Professor Cindy Shannon AM, was awarded the AMA Queensland Excellence in Health Care Medal on Friday 15 July 2022.

Prof Shannon is a descendant of the Ngugi people from Moreton Bay, an Emeritus Professor and one of Australia’s foremost Indigenous higher education leaders.

She is the first Pro Vice Chancellor (Indigenous) at Griffith University, where she works alongside colleagues to enable all aspects of the university’s First Nations engagement.

Prof Shannon led the development and implementation of Australia’s first degree-level program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers.

She also played a key role in supporting the establishment of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, which improves the health of First Nations people across South-East Queensland.

She was recognised as a Queensland Great in 2017 and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2020 for her contributions to Indigenous health and medical education.

The AMA presents a range of awards to recognise outstanding achievement by those working to better the health of Australians, and is committed to recognising and honouring those who exemplify medicine’s highest values.