PASSIONATE advocate for Aboriginal health services in rural areas Cheryl Porter has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in this year's Australia Day honours list.
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The long-time Quirindi local has served as CEO of the Walhallow Aboriginal Corporation Health Program since 1992.
She has a history of advocating for Indigenous communities communities in Caroona, Quirindi and Tamworth and hopes the award will "open more doors" when it comes to securing funding.
"It's not easy working in Aboriginal health but you have your little moments," she said.
"It's all I know."
Ms Porter said she's proud GP clinics at Quirindi and Coledale have been able to attract good doctors, something that isn't easy in rural areas.
"Growing up and seeing how we didn't have access to a lot of medical care and support is why I'm passionate about it," she said.
Over the past year, vaccinating the local Indigenous community has been Walhallow Aboriginal Corporation's main focus.
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"We work with NSW Health and we probably wouldn't have been able to achieve what we've achieved with the vaccination rates without the public health unit's support there in Tamworth," she said.
"We ran our own clinics at the Quirindi RSL Club. Our services are not just for Aboriginal people, we see non Aboriginal people too.
"What we've been concentrating on is getting everybody vaccinated and now we've moved on to booster shots."
The former member of the NSW Aboriginal Consultative Group congratulated the local community and multiple health agencies who have "really stepped up over the past few years during COVID to protect our community".
"We realise that COVID doesn't discriminate," she said.
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