Professor Sue Kurrle awarded Sidney Sax Medal

ANZSGM congratulates Professor Sue Kurrle who was awarded the 2022 Sidney Sax Medal by the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association at a dinner at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra on 26 October 2022. 

The Sidney Sax Medal is awarded annually by the AHHA to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the development and improvement of the Australian healthcare system in the fields of health services policy, organisation, delivery and/or research (excluding clinical research). 

Professor Kurrle is the Curran Professor in Health Care of Older People at the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney and a practicing geriatrician for the Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD), specialising in the areas of dementia, frailty, elder abuse, successful ageing, and intergenerational care. Sue is also the expert geriatrician leading the work on the internationally award-winning ABC TV documentary series ‘Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds’.

Sue was presented with her award by AHHA Board Chair, the Hon Jillian Skinner who said “Professor Kurrle’s work on the many aspects of care for older people, is an area in need of champions who take a holistic approach to their health and well-being”. 

Sue is a well-respected leader and expert driving the research agenda in dementia and aged care, and has has been co-designing services with general practice for several years. She co-designed the Geriatric Rapid Acute Care of the Elderly or GRACE program, a ground-breaking approach to helping treat older patients in the appropriate setting, be it the home, or aged care settings, rather than in emergency departments. The GRACE model has since been adopted by many other Local Health Districts, now more commonly known as ‘rapid-response teams’ and ‘geriatric flying squads’.

Sue’s work across professional groups, and in using an inter-generational and educative approach, has been of great benefit to older people, their families and the Australian health system as a whole.

Image Courtesy Sue Kurrle: Professor Sue Kurrle and AHHA Board Chair, the Hon Jillian Skinner.