She is a passionate local doctor, devoted health advocate, a mother and a successful business owner eager to promote her industry and her region, it’s no wonder Dr Casey Sullivan has been recognised as a finalist for the NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year award.
And the New England is proud to call her ours.
“To be a finalist is just incredible, but it’s not the reason I get up every day and do what I do.” said Dr Casey Sullivan.
“I love my job and I have always wanted to give back to the community that I grew up in, and this is a way I can do that and really enjoy it myself.”
Dr Casey is a General Practitioner in Tamworth and business owner, having opened MY GP Tamworth, the first privately owned indigenous practice in NSW.
Her practice brings a wholistic approach to health, not just one cohort of people.
“The philosophy I follow is improving health in the country has a flow on affect whether you are indigenous or non-indigenous Australian.”
“If you can work on health itself and access, it benefits all Australians.”
The NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year award recognises a role model who promotes economic, cultural and/or social opportunities for Aboriginal people across the state, and Dr Casey’s outstanding contributions to the local community puts her in great contention for the title.
And there are more aspirations on the horizon.
“We are getting one application a week from GP’s to come and work with us, and I don’t have space to put them, we don’t have the room.”
“So, we are building a second site and I’ll be able to get a lot more doctors to come and work.”
“That is one of our issues, we don’t have the GP’s to work rurally so people can’t get in to see them, so often they are presenting a lot with a lot of complications from their diseases.”
“What we are trying to do right now is increase the number of GP’s in town, increase the number of services, and not just in General Practices but allied health.”
“Areas like audiology, psychology, exercise physio, physio, chiro, osteopath, life coaches, and we have an ENT who can do Botox for migraine, currently people have had to travel to get specialised services like that and more.”
“I am looking for all of the things I can put in place that people won’t have to travel for, that is what we are working on now.”
In the background Dr Casey Sullivan also trains international medical graduates and takes on other mentor roles in our community.
“I work with doctors who are trained overseas, and they want to come to the country to work and I also have Australian trained registrars that I am supervising, as well as talks in high schools.”
And her biggest achievement of all, a mother of four.
“It is busy, and I love it.”
The Awards Evening
Only a few weeks to go before the big night and Dr Casey is planning on bringing as much attention to the region as possible.
“I am looking forward to representing our region,”
“I grew up here, I went to Quirindi High School and it’s really nice to shine a spotlight on a region that works really hard and can get lost in the country music festival, which is wonderful for the town, but its great to bring some other attention here.”
“If I do win the award maybe more doctors will consider moving out to our region.”
Dr Casey has also teamed up with a local indigenous designer to make her dress for the evening, showing what the New England has to offer.
NSW Women of Year Awards 2024
The NSW Women of the Year Awards recognises the women and girls whose determination, bravery, skill, and passion has inspired their communities and others to achieve great things.
The 2024 NSW Women of the Year Award recipients will be announced at a ceremony on Thursday 7 March at the International Convention Centre, Sydney.
The Women of the Year Awards 2024 finalists are:
Premier’s NSW Woman of Excellence
• Prof. Clara Chow AM – Sydney
• Jessica Hill – Sydney
• Cara Varian – Sydney
• Prof. Adriana Vergés – Sydney
• Commissioner Carlene York APM – Wollongong
NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year
• Kylie Captain – South- West Sydney
• Aliethea Cutmore – Northern Tablelands
• Carly Stanley – Sydney
• Dr. Casey Sullivan – Tamworth
• Deborah Swan – Central Coast
NSW Community Hero
• Seini Afeaki – Western Sydney
• Farzana Farzana – Sydney
• Monica Mudge – South Coast
• Anna Noon – Lake Macquarie
Regional Woman of the Year
• Dr. Skye Charry – Murrumbateman
• Tsukasa Hiraoka – Bourke
• Nicole Kiss OAM – Cowra
• Theresa Mitchell – Tweed Heads
• Rochelle Olsen – Dubbo
NSW Young Woman of the Year
• Noor Azizah – Sydney
• Darian Brooker – Southern Sydney
• Shannon Fox – Wollongong
• Kupakwashe Matangira – Lake Macquarie
• Sarah Williams – Newcastle
Ones to Watch
• Parisa Azad – South-West Sydney
• Aarohi Bansal – Sydney
• Gezel Bardossi – Sydney
• Sophie Berude – Lake Macquarie
• Lola Fotheringham – Sydney
• Bronte Gibson – Hunter Valley
• Matilda Gibson – Hunter Valley
• Abbie Jane – Broken Hill
• Salma Kareem – Sydney
• Izabelle Kelly – Dubbo
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