The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) will celebrate Victorian GPs and practices that have excelled in their practice and service to their communities.
Each year, the awards acknowledge GPs, registrars, and practices and practice teams who make an outstanding contribution to the health and wellbeing of their communities.
The RACGP Victorian award winners for 2025 are:
· Victorian GP of the Year: Dr Muhammad Raza, who practices in Drouin
· Victorian GP Supervisor of the Year: Dr Olivia Stuart, who practices in Wangaratta
· Victorian GP in Training of the Year: Dr Amireh Fakhouri, a registrar in Armstrong Creek
· Victorian General Practice of the Year: Sunraysia Medical Centre
RACGP Victoria Chair Dr Anita Munoz congratulated the recipients on their awards and significant contributions to the health and wellbeing of Victorians.
"These awards shine a spotlight on the outstanding contributions of GPs and their teams across Victoria," said Dr Munoz.
"It's a chance to celebrate the dedication, compassion and excellence that define general practice.
"This year's winners exemplify what it means to deliver high-quality care. They are trusted by their patients, admired by their peers, and play a vital role in strengthening the health of their communities.
"To be recognised with these awards is a testament to their leadership and impact. Our winners, and all nominees, set the standard for what it means to be a GP, demonstrating the value they bring to both their patients and the broader health system."
Dr Raza has demonstrated significant commitment to general practice, and contributions to the profession including medical education, mentoring and advocacy.
He is described as a tireless advocate for international medical graduates, participating in federal government forums, and raising IMG concerns as the first RLO for the RACGP's FSP program. He dedication to education is also highlighted by the popular online education forum he runs for registrars, and his regular mentoring of IMGs preparing for exams.
"This award is a profound honour and a reminder of the privilege I have as a GP to care for patients through every stage of life, to serve communities, and to advocate for the next generation of doctors," Dr Raza said.
"It symbolises not just recognition of my work, but the enduring strength of general practice as the heart of Australian healthcare. General practice is where compassion meets continuity, where prevention meets community, and where trust is built every single day. I am proud to stand with my colleagues across Australia in shaping a healthier future for all."
Sunraysia Medical Centre has impressive state-of-the-art facilities and a patient-centred and community-minded approach. The multidisciplinary practice undertakes community education and health promotion including to local ethnic groups, and an annual Men's Health seminar at the local Men's Shed. The practice has a proactive data-driven approach to patient care, which includes SMS reminder systems for chronic disease management, health assessments, preventive care, and screening. It has also developed award-winning program that address unmet healthcare needs in its diverse community, including an award-winning COVID-19 vaccination program for underserved communities.
"This is a great honour to receive RACGP practice of the year award for 2025," Dr Mehdi Sanatipour OAM said.
"Our team at Sunraysia medical centre work together with our community to overcome many challenges facing general practice in rural Victoria. Dedication and hard work of our doctors, nurses and admin staff as well as our partners in community helped us achieve this award.
"Our practice is part of community and takes part in many activities like health promotion at men's shed.
"Our innovative approach to health care with the support from Murray PHN allowed us to provide world class care to rural patients who would otherwise be missing out.
"Examples of these innovations are remote patient monitoring, nurse lead heart failure clinic and chronic disease care coordination for frequent visitors to emergency department."
Dr Stuart demonstrates a long-standing commitment to general practice training, with over 20 years mentoring numerous GPs in training. She is an excellent role model for registrars, demonstrating clinical excellence, compassion, and a patient-centred approach. Her experience providing weekly outreach clinics to Aboriginal communities also enables to her to guide and mentor registrars in delivering respectful, culturally safe care.
"I would like to express gratitude for the recognition from the RACGP and the privilege of receiving the award," Dr Stuart said.
"I am lucky enough to work at Gateway Health which fosters a culture of learning and teaching. I am grateful to be in the position to educate and guide the next generation of GPs, for they will provide healthcare to us in the future. I enjoy seeing registrars grow, gain confidence and develop the skills necessary for a career in General Practice. As a rural GP our community relies on registrars for care."
Dr Fakhouri demonstrates outstanding commitment and contributions to general practice, medical education, and health equity, particularly for refugee and asylum seeker communities. Her contributions to education include authoring a book chapter on paediatric health inequity, presenting research at the GP24 in Perth, leading career engagement sessions in high schools, and as an affiliated lecturer at Deakin University. She also demonstrates growing refugee health leadership, including through her executive role at the Australian Islamic Medical Association (AIMA) and working with the Department of Health on refugee health policy reform.
"It is a true honour to receive this award, and I see it as a privilege to be a role model for the next generation of doctors. I draw my resilience and determination from my Palestinian heritage, and I hope to show younger doctors that with perseverance, they can create meaningful change," Dr Fakhouri said.
"Being a GP is not just a career for me, it is part of who I am. It shapes the way I live, serve my community, and advocate for health equity. I am deeply passionate about advocacy, especially for refugees and asylum seekers, and I hold a strong commitment to ensuring women have equitable access to healthcare. This recognition is not just for me, but for the communities I serve and the values that drive my work every day."
The winners from Victoria have been shortlisted for the national RACGP Awards, which will be presented at the RACGP GP25 conference in Brisbane in November.
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About the RACGP
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is the peak representative organisation for general practice, the backbone of Australia's health system. We set the standards for general practice, facilitate lifelong learning for GPs, connect the general practice community, and advocate for better health and wellbeing for all Australians. Visit www.racgp.org.au. To unsubscribe from RACGP media releases, click here.
