Emergency medical officer announced as Doctor of the Year

16 Dec 2020

Dr Erik Hagen was presented the prestigious award by St John of God Murdoch Hospital CEO Ben Edwards, in front of his family and colleagues.

Mr Edwards described Dr Hagen as an incredibly dedicated, hardworking man who has had an impressively diverse career.

“Dr Erik Hagen began his career as a GP in country towns, completing stints as a retrieval doctor in the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and has been at Murdoch since 1997,” he said.

“He has delivered babies, worked in numerous emergency departments and worked across all facets of emergency medicine.

“We appreciate everything Dr Hagen has done for our over the past 23 years. He exemplifies our hospital values and has always been a team player who knows how to approach crisis situations.

“This was never more apparent than when he delayed his retirement when COVID-19 hit and give another year of service during a global pandemic – he’s definitely not one to shy away from hard work.”

Dr Hagen is also well known for his passion of motor sport medicine, especially internationally in the fields of Formula 1 and World Rally Championships.

Being a top medico in global motor sports, car rallies have taken Dr Hagen all around the world and have seen him treat major injuries with very limited equipment.

Many of Dr Hagen’s career highlights are depicted in his biography 'Imperfect Recollections' which tell the tales of his medical experiences around the world.

He was joined on stage by his partner, four children and oldest grandchildren as he was handed his gift and award at St John of God Murdoch Hospital’s annual doctors Christmas event.

The event was held in a beautiful marquee by the lake on the grounds of St John of God Murdoch Hospital in early December to thank doctors for their hard work throughout the year.