Aunty Val received the 2019 Dr Jeremy Bunker Outstanding Achievement Award on Tuesday, November 19.

The state-wide award, presented by general practice training provider GP Synergy, recognises a significant contribution to general practice education and training, and the wider community.

GP Synergy CEO, John Oldfield paid tribute to Aunty Val, who has recently retired as the organisation's Aboriginal liaison officer, a role she began in 2009.

"Aunty Val has left a long-lasting legacy within GP Synergy," he said.

"As our Aboriginal Liaison Officer Val's contribution and guidance over the years shaped GP Synergy's resolve to help 'close the gap' in the health of Indigenous Australians.

"Prior to working in GP training Aunty Val was employed by the Area Health Service for more than thirty-five years in the area of Aboriginal health," he said.

"She was active in shaping many programs that continue to support the Aboriginal community, and is a key figure in numerous reviews, and publications.

"Locally, she has been heavily involved in the direction and management of Pius X Aboriginal Medical Service, including serving as its longest chairperson.

"Helping GP Synergy direct our relationships and engagement with the network of Aboriginal medical services across NSW and ACT and their accreditation as GP training facilities, is just one of her many achievements."

Honoured to be nominated, Aunty Val is proud to have won the award.

"Over the years, we worked for things that needed to be done to make systems and things better for Aboriginal people," she said.

"Like the Aboriginal Medical Service Practice Manager Program, we needed to build governance structures and by having the medical services involved we built a sustainable, acceptable and better service for the Aboriginal community."

In 2017, Aunty Val designed an app to ensure younger generations understand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history since colonisation. The app, in the form of a solitaire game, provides players with insights into the events that have shaped the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

"Recently developing the Solitaire explore app was a good example of working with who you know and what you know," she said.

"The app was a way to engage with the younger generation about Aboriginal history. I collated the historical facts and worked with the experts who developed the app and made it happen.

"I'm thankful for the opportunity that I have been given to share information, both cultural and general, to make life better for our communities."