Dr Meg Creely to lead AMA Tasmania

Dr Creely will begin her term today, following the completion of Dr Michael Lumsden-Steel’s successful two-year presidency. After serving as Vice President, she takes on the role as part of AMA Tasmania’s planned leadership succession.

A Hobart-based general practitioner, Dr Creely brings broad experience across medicine, health leadership, and policy. She assumes the role as Tasmania health care system faces rising demand, ageing infrastructure, workforce burnout and fatigue and growing pressure for clinician led reform grounded in the reality of excellent patient care.

Dr Creely said she was honoured to take on the role and committed to building on AMA Tasmania’s strong tradition of evidence-based advocacy.

"None of us work in isolation. When general practice is under pressure, hospitals carry the consequences. When surgery is backlogged, the impact is felt right across the system, for both patients and clinicians. Which is why doctors need a unified voice across specialties and stages of training because we are connected by the same system, and ultimately by the same purpose of delivering better health outcomes to patients" Dr Creely said. 

“AMA Tasmania has an important role in listening to what doctors are seeing every day and turning that experience into practical, evidence-based advocacy for a health system that reflects how medicine is practised now.

“We've been lurching from one crisis to another for too long and doctors and healthcare teams are working in a system that has not kept pace with need. Workforce shortages, outdated infrastructure and ageing digital systems are all part of that pressure.

“Tasmania needs long-term planning and investment that is shaped by the people delivering care. That means fit-for-purpose infrastructure, a sustainable medical workforce, and reform that is practical enough to make a difference on the ground,” Dr Creely said.

Dr Creely said AMA Tasmania would continue to push for reforms that improve access to care, support doctors across the profession and make the health system more sustainable.

Dr Creely takes over from Dr Michael Lumsden-Steel, whose presidency further cemented AMA Tasmania’s influence as Tasmania’s leading independent voice for the medical profession.

During his term, AMA Tasmania grew its membership, delivered a landmark Enterprise Bargaining Agreement for doctors in training in the north through its TSMPS/ASMOF union arm, strengthened relationships with government and led direct advocacy on Medicare reform, workforce planning, hospital funding, and infrastructure.

The Association has also established itself under the AMA Federal branch model while retaining local Tasmanian leadership, member focus and advocacy priorities.

“The past two years have been about further strengthening AMA Tasmania’s voice, growing our membership and making sure the profession continues to have a strong, respected advocate,” Dr Lumsden-Steel said.

“We have not shied away from hard conversations. Tasmania’s health system is under real pressure, and doctors are tired of words without action. Poor planning and underinvestment cannot keep being pushed down the road.

“Meg will be a leader who listens carefully, understands detail, and keeps coming back to what matters: better care for patients and proper support for the medical profession.

“AMA Tasmania is in an even stronger position than it was two years ago. It has the benefit of local leadership and the national strength of the AMA Federal model; there could be no better time to hand over the baton to a new president. ” Dr Lumsden-Steel said.

Dr Lumsden-Steel will continue to support AMA Tasmania through the work of the unions.>>>ENDS