Kapunda, SA Rural Generalist Dr Richard Van Dissel has been named a recipient of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) Distinguished Service Award, recognising almost four decades of service to rural South Australian communities.
Dr Van Dissel was formally presented with the award at the Rural Medicine Australia 2026 gala dinner, held in Tarndanya (Adelaide) last night (23 October).
For 37 years, Dr Van Dissel has provided obstetric, hospital and emergency care to the Kapunda and Eudunda communities, often as the sole provider of local obstetric services and with a longstanding commitment to being on call.
After graduating from the University of Adelaide in 1983, Dr Van Dissel trained at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and in emergency medicine at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. He completed his obstetrics qualification in 1987 and joined the Kapunda practice in 1990.
Since then, he has helped build Kapunda Medical Practice into a thriving rural medical hub spanning three buildings and bringing together doctors, registrars, interns, students, nurses and allied health practitioners.
ACRRM President Dr Rod Martin says Dr Van Dissel’s service shows what a dedicated Rural Generalist can mean to a community over a lifetime.
“For almost four decades, Richard has been there for the people of Kapunda and Eudunda – delivering babies, responding to emergencies, caring for patients through every stage of life and helping sustain local hospital services,” Dr Martin says.
“That continuity of care is incredibly valuable. Richard knows his patients, their families and the community, and they know they can rely on him.
“His contribution also extends well beyond the patients he has personally cared for. Through his teaching and supervision, Richard has helped generations of doctors experience Rural Generalist medicine and develop the skills and confidence to pursue rural careers of their own.”
Dr Van Dissel says the relationships built through rural practice have made his career deeply rewarding.
PLACEHOLDER QUOTES “Rural medicine gives you the privilege of caring for people over many years and often across generations of the same family,” he says.
“You might deliver a baby, care for that child as they grow and, years later, find yourself looking after their own family. That connection to people and community is what has kept me here.
“I have also valued the opportunity to teach and support young doctors. When they experience the variety, responsibility and sense of purpose that come with rural practice, many discover a career they may never otherwise have considered.”
Dr Van Dissel’s service has previously been recognised with a Rural Doctors Association of South Australia award in 2022, recognition for 35 years of rural service from the Rural Doctors Workforce Agency in 2024, and a local mayoral Inspiration Award in 2024.
The ACRRM Distinguished Service Award recognises College members who have made a long-term or significant contribution to the College or provided distinguished service to rural and remote communities.