The achievements of Western Australia’s exceptional rural health workforce were celebrated in March at the 2026 WA Rural Health Excellence Awards. These awards recognise outstanding individuals and teams who demonstrate excellence, leadership and innovation in delivering healthcare to country communities. This year’s recipients spanned nearly every region of WA, reinforcing the depth and breadth of expertise, commitment and compassion that underpin the state’s rural healthcare.
Community Health Professional of the Year
Dr Sarah Youngson
South West
Dr Sarah Youngson is a well-known and much-valued member of the Warren Blackwood community, recognised for her commitment to making it easier for young people and families to get the care and support they need, close to home.
Her announcement as Community Health Professional of the Year at the 2026 WA Rural Health Excellence Awards recognises the very real difference she has made in the lives of young people across the region.
Early in her career, Sarah recognised that living rurally should not mean young people have fewer opportunities to access care and support. This belief has shaped her work and driven her to find practical, local solutions to long-standing access challenges.
A defining example of this belief is the Kids Co-Lab program, established in 2023. After seeing the strain on families trying to navigate paediatric services, Sarah has helped develop a more coordinated, collaborative model that reduced wait times and made the process less stressful and more accessible for families.
Sarah was also instrumental in securing a GP in Schools pilot at Manjimup Senior High School. With a GP now on-site one day each week, students can seek help in a familiar environment, reducing barriers to care and making it easier for young people – particularly those needing mental health and LGBTIQA+ support – to reach out early.
Beyond her clinical work, Sarah has played a significant role in strengthening support for young people across the community. As Founder and Chair of the Blackwood Youth Association, she has helped establish local service hubs offering counselling, support, life skills education and youth case management in Bridgetown, Manjimup and Boyup Brook, giving young people more places to turn when they need support.
Her leadership in suicide prevention has also had a profound impact. As Chair of the Bridgetown-Greenbushes Suicide Prevention Network, she has led community education and partnerships, including work with Roses in the Ocean to establish a Safe Space in Bridgetown – a place where people can find crisis support, connection and hope.
At the heart of Sarah’s work is a deep belief in empowerment, advocacy and equity for rural communities.
“My inspiration comes from growing up in community… I have always wanted to break down barriers, advocate for our region, and ensure everyone has equal opportunity.” Sarah was also recognised for 20 years of service to rural WA at the 2026 WA Rural Health Long Service Awards.
Health Team of the Year and Chairs’ Award
WA Country Health Service – Older Person Complex Care Team (OPCC)
South West
The WA Country Health Service Older Person Complex Care Team (OPCC) has been recognised with both Health Team of the Year and the Chairs’ Award at the 2026 WA Rural Health Excellence Awards – an acknowledgement of the extraordinary impact the team has had in supporting some of the region’s most vulnerable older people to remain safe, well and connected to their communities.
The team was established in 2019 to support older people who were at risk of “falling through the cracks” of the health, aged care and social systems – people whose situations were often too complex for any one service to support on its own.
Working across the South West, the team provides intensive care coordination for older people living with a combination of health, social and cognitive challenges, many of whom are unable to access or engage with traditional services. Many of the people they support are experiencing isolation, abuse, memory loss, mental health challenges or housing insecurity, and some do not have family or friends who can help them navigate increasingly complex systems.
The team is often contacted when an older person is at risk of homelessness, harm, declining health or crisis. In these situations, the OPCC team works alongside the person and the services around them – advocating, coordinating support and helping put plans in place to keep them safe and supported.
Since its inception, the service has supported more than 600 older people, helping to improve their safety, wellbeing and quality of life, and in many cases enabling them to remain living in their community.
A key strength of the team is its ability to bring services together around the person.
Working closely with hospitals, aged care providers, mental health services, WA Police and advocacy organisations, the team helps ensure people do not get lost between systems and can access the support they need.
Demand for the service continues to grow, reflecting both the effectiveness of the team and the level of unmet need across the region, with referrals increasing from 47 in 2020 to more than 160 each year.
Through its person-centred approach, strong advocacy and ability to work across systems, the OPCC team has changed what care can look like for older people in complex situations in the South West.
Young Professional of the Year
Rosalie Gent
Goldfields
When Rosalie Gent joined Full Circle Therapies in Kalgoorlie in 2024, her top priority was clear: restore speech pathology services after an 18-month gap that had left more than 160 children and their families waiting for support.
Now in just her second year of professional practise, Rosalie has made a remarkable impact in the Goldfields. She was named Young Professional of the Year at the 2026 WA Rural Health Excellence Awards, recognised for her role in rebuilding an essential service and ensuring local children could access the support they need, close to home.
Stepping into a disrupted environment required resilience, initiative and leadership. Demonstrating capability well beyond her years, Rosalie reviewed and rebuilt systems, redesigned intake and scheduling processes, and worked through the extensive waitlist, prioritising children with the most urgent communication, feeding and developmental needs.
At a time when many families were worried about delays in their child’s development and their ability to access support, Rosalie not only restored services but also rebuilt confidence and trust within the community.
Alongside this work, she supports around 30 children with complex needs and works closely with families, educators and allied health assistants to ensure children receive consistent goal-focused therapy. She also provides mentoring and training to strengthen the broader team, helping to build a more sustainable service for the region.
Recognising the distances many Goldfields families travel to access services, Rosalie also delivers outreach therapy in schools and homes, making it easier for children to receive regular support and reducing the need for families to travel long distances.
Rosalie is naturally warm and encouraging, putting both kids and their families at ease. Parents often say her sessions are fun and engaging, but also really effective. She is great at connecting with children, and she gives families the confidence and tools to keep things going in everyday life, which makes a big difference.
For Rosalie, the most rewarding part of her work is seeing children achieve their goals.
“Seeing their pride and confidence grow is so rewarding. It reminds me how powerful it is to help change how a child is understood, supported and included in the world.”
Other 2026 WA Rural Health Excellence Awards recipients were:
Aboriginal Health Professional of the Year:
Vernon Dann (Kimberley)
Allied Health Professional of the Year:
Dr Kathryn Braysich (Midwest)
Clinical Leader of the Year:
Kim Tracey (South West)
General Practitioner (GP) of the Year:
Dr Richard Taylor (Midwest)
Nurse or Midwife of the Year:
Jane Darlington (Kimberley)
Specialist (non-GP) of the Year:
Dr Jacinta Cover (South West)
WA Country Health Service Intern of the Year:
Dr Celia Wong (Midwest)
WA Country Health Service Resident Medical Officer of the Year:
Dr Catherine Daly (South West)