Dr Stephen Gourley begins term as ACEM President

Dr Stephen Gourley commenced his two-year term as ACEM President following a formal handover at last week’s Annual General Meeting, held on Monday the 20th of November.

Dr Clare Skinner has commenced her one-year term as Immediate Past President after serving her two-year term as ACEM President.

Dr Gourley is presented with the ACEM President’s Medal by the Immediate Past President, Dr Clare Skinner.

Dr Gourley is the current Director of Emergency Medicine at Alice Springs Hospital, a position he has held since 2008, and is also the current Deputy Chair and ACEM representative of the National Rural Health Alliance. He is the first FACEM from the Northern Territory to be elected as President.

Dr Gourley has been a member of the Council of Advocacy, Practice and Partnerships and a range of other College committees and entities for over a decade. He was appointed to the position of Chair of the Health System Reform Committee in 2020 and serves as a member of the College’s Rural, Regional and Remote Committee. He also previously served as Chair of the Northern Territory Faculty Board.

Dr Gourley (right) pictured with Censor-in-Chief, Dr Kate Field.

Dr Gourley has identified three key areas of focus for his time as President: Celebrating emergency medicine’s unique status as a generalist speciality, advancing cultural safety and Indigenous health equity across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand; and promoting the possibilities of Regional, Rural and Remote (RRR) emergency practice.

Dr Gourley, who was elected in August 2022 and served a one-year term as President-Elect before commencing his role, is ACEM’s 14th President.