AMA VICDOC Winter 2025 - Magazine - Page 22
W E LCO M I NG D R S I M O N JU D K I N S
Dr Simon Judkins has been the Director of Emergency Medicine at Echuca
Regional Health since 2020. He previously spent more than 20 years
as an emergency physician with Austin Health, including roles as Chair
of the Senior Medical Staff Association, lead of the Choosing Wisely
Program and ED Director at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A Past
President of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine (ACEM), he is
Chair of ACEM’s Sustainable Emergency Medicine and Climate and Health
Advocacy Network and an executive member of the Advancing Women in
Emergency Medicine Committee. Simon has been an AMAV Board Member
since 2021 and was Vice President from June 2023-2025. Simon is a strong
advocate for health equity and system reform, social justice, regional
and rural health, mental health and sustainability in healthcare.
WHAT DOES GOOD LEADERSHIP
LOOK LIKE TO YOU?
-
I've always had a desire to make a
difference. Taking on leadership roles
like this allows me to do just that; make
a positive difference in our healthcare
system. I’ve been Vice President of the
Board for the past two years and I know
that we’ve got a well-established and
very cohesive team. We don't agree on
everything of course, but we share the
same purpose. At its core, AMA Victoria
is about representing our doctors, DiTs,
GPs and specialists and about working
together to build a better healthcare
system. Jill has been a fantastic President.
She's incredibly passionate, intelligent
and articulate, and many of the priorities
and advocacy initiatives the Board drove
during her tenure remain in progress.
I’ll continue to support Jill’s work, along
with some of my own ideas and priorities.
22
AMA VI C TO RIA
IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE HAD A
RURAL OR REGIONALLY BASED PRESIDENT.
HOW WILL THIS SHAPE YOUR PRESIDENCY?
-
Improving rural and regional healthcare
is already in focus as one of AMA
Victoria’s core priorities, but it will be a
big focus for me personally too. My work
in Echuca has brought about a very close
relationship to the local GP community
and the community itself. And then, I
very much have a finger on the pulse of
what’s happening at urban and metro
areas as well. I live and work in a regional
rural area, but I also work at St Vincent’s
and the Austin ED. I have a broad
understanding and a very good network
of clinicians working across different
parts of the health system.
