Chris Rankine-Johnson has been crowned the Northern Territory's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner of the year at the annual NT Private Health Network awards.
Rankine-Johnson works at Top End Health Service ensuring the Pine Creek Community can access health care when they need it.
His achievements include increasing health checks, health literacy, immunisation rates and school attendance in Pine Creek.
Mr Rankine-Johnson said he was proud to work in the small community.
"I am the first point of contact when our mob come to the door, they're comfortable seeing me," he said.
"People will tell you what you want to hear but not necessarily what's been happening. I just tell them your blood doesn't lie."
Mr Rankine-Johnson said his community's response to COVID-19 had been inspiring.
"Our first presentation was only in late 2020 and when it did come it went through like wildfire, but over 90 per cent of the community had their second vaccinations," he said.
NT PHN chief executive Gill Yearsley said the region's health professionals had worked hard to keep Territorians safe in the past year.
Indigenous health practitioners Kahla Mclean and Michael Gumbula received special mentions for their work in communities around the territory.
