Cape York doctor to represent region at national leadership conference

From leading Cape York’s innovative kidney care program to establishing networks that support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, Dr Natalie Pink has built a career centred on improving health outcomes in rural and remote communities.  

Under her guidance, the Cape York Kidney Care program has shown promising results in slowing kidney disease progression and reducing the commencement of dialysis, thanks to the flexible community-based model and use of clinical yarning. 

Dr Pink has now been selected to attend the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) Emerging Leaders Conference, to be held on Wadjemup (Rottnest Island) WA this October. She is one of just 23 Rural Generalists from across Australia invited to the inaugural event. 

As a First Nations doctor, Dr Pink says her lived experience has shaped both her values and her drive. 

“My sense of social justice has always driven me, but it’s personal too. Improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples directly impacts the lives of my family and loved ones, so I feel a deep responsibility to keep leading and advocating in this space,” she says. 

Beyond her clinical leadership, Dr Pink serves as a Board Member of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association, has created the Weipa Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Clinical Network, and is establishing the Indigenous Health AST to embed cultural knowledge into training pathways. She is the current lead Medical Educator for the Indigenous GP Training Network (IGPTN) and current medical educator for ACRRM in Queensland. 

Looking ahead to the Conference, she is eager to connect with peers.  

“I want to keep growing my leadership skills, share what we’ve learnt in Cape York Kidney Care program, and learn from others who are innovating in this space. Building these networks is how we strengthen rural, remote, and First Nations medicine for the future, ultimately Closing the Gap and improving health outcomes.” 

The Emerging Leaders Conference runs 19–21 October on Wadjemup (Rottnest Island) WA, immediately followed by the Rural Medicine Australia 2025 conference hosted by ACRRM and the Rural Doctors Association of Australia in Boorloo (Perth) from 22 to 25 October.