Wednesday 25th October 2023
PCSA Life Membership awarded to Professor Greg Crawford AM in recognition of his dedication to PCSA and to palliative care in South Australia
Professor Greg Crawford AM started fulltime work in palliative medicine in 1997 after 12 years in general practice on Kangaroo Island.
He was appointed to the Executive Board of the Palliative Care Council of South Australia as an elected member in 2000 and then continued as an ex officio member from 2001 to 2008 while Clinical Head of Lyell McEwin Palliative Care Service. He chaired the Diana Rudd Fellowship, a nursing palliative care award honouring the late Diana Rudd for the PCCSA from 2004 to 2009. He was elected to the Board of Palliative Care SA and appointed Deputy Chair in 2013 until 2016 and then was elected Chair from 2016 to 2022. Two periods of service each of 9 years.
During his tenure PCSA has maintained and developed its strong position as the peak body for palliative care in South Australia. Greg has maintained a strong public education presence even during COVID, increased public and professional knowledge about palliative care, end-of-life care and Advance Care planning, and advocated and gained new funding for palliative care services at state elections, and maintained a strong financially viable organisation.
Greg has had other leadership roles within Palliative Care Australia, the Chapter of Palliative Medicine, the Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine and innumerable international, national and state-based committees ranging from palliative care and cancer clinical networks, development of state-wide palliative care plans, the palliative care liaison group, and education, research and data committees.
He has been recognised by the University of Adelaide with the Executive Dean’s medal in 2017 and the Vice Chancellors award in 2019. In 2021 he received the prestigious John Sands medal from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2022 for his significant contribution to palliative medicine and tertiary education. In 2021 Greg gave the inaugural Jennifer Cashmore oration for the History Trust of SA about the history of palliative care in South Australia. Jennifer Cashmore was a former Chair of the Palliative Care Council of SA and introduced and drove the introduction of the Consent to Medical Treatment and Palliative Care Act 1995 in South Australia – world-leading legislation.
Greg has been a fulltime clinician in palliative medicine for 26 years, providing direct care to a large number of South Australian families, but also providing education and mentorship to undergraduate and postgraduate students, palliative medicine trainees, General Practitioners and other members of the multi-disciplinary palliative care team. Since commencing palliative medicine he has published over 75 peer reviewed journal articles and gained over $8M in research funding.
Thank you Greg for your dedication, inspiring work and contribution to Palliative Care South Australia.
