DR Mark Zagorski from Mount Beauty Medical Centre was presented with the Peter Graham Cohuna Award for 2023 at the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) conference held in Tasmania.

This award recognises ACRRM and Rural Doctors Association members who have provided outstanding advocacy and medical service to their community to ensure the maintenance of the highest quality of generalist skills, particularly in procedural practice.

This award is offered in honour of the late Dr Peter Graham AO, who passed away in 2008 aged 80.

Dr Graham provided dedicated service as a doctor in Cohuna, in rural Victoria, for nearly 50 years.

Mark Zagorski, affectionately know as Zag, has been practising in Mount Beauty since 1981.

He has served the Victorian alpine community of Mount Beauty for more than 40 years, as well as the nearby ski resort of Falls Creek and other towns in the region.

ACRRM president, Dr Ian Halliday, said Dr Zagorski is one of those exceptional rural doctors who is not only an icon in his local community, but more widely across the profession of rural medicine.

"As a dedicated teacher and mentor to the many medical students, registrars and interns who have passed through his town, Mark has been instrumental in the recruitment of doctors to his community, including his own daughter Laura," Dr Halliday said.

Laura now owns Mark's share of his practice.

An active medical trainer to the Falls Creek Ski Patrol, providing regular training to ensure they can cope with the trauma that occurs on the ski slopes, he also provides regular training sessions to the local hospital nursing staff as well as health education to local community groups.

Dr Zagorski was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2019, and was named RDAA’s Rural Doctor of the Year in 2008.

He said Dr Graham was the quintessential rural GP.

"He was an inspiration and mentor to me and I was proud to work alongside him for many years on the RDAV Committee," Dr Zagorski said.

"I continue to enjoy working in my community as a rural GP and am extremely honoured to receive the Peter Graham Cohuna Award in recognition of my work, but I must thank my wife Jane and my practice team who have been with me all the way.”