The New Zealand Medical Association’ s highest accolade the Chair's award was presented to Karen Brown at an NZMA event on Tuesday 3 December in Wellington.

Karen led health news at Radio New Zealand for over 14 years and recently retired as health correspondent. She personifies excellent journalism balancing crisp accurate reporting that the public can understand with necessary sensitivity on the health issues of the day that might impact on any Kiwi.

Karen has worked as a daily journalist for the past 40 years, with 24 of those spent as a newspaper journalist in Wellington at what was the Evening Post and had a variety of roles including as a parliamentary reporter, education reporter and civic reporter at various times.

Dr Kate Baddock, NZMA Chair had this to say: "I'm delighted to give this award to Karen as like many others, over the years, I have come to admire her investigative hard-hitting journalism that makes sure she gets to the heart of the matter and that her audience understands each point made. Karen, skilfully manages interviewees, getting the information needed in a non-confrontational way that nevertheless doesn’t let anyone off the hook.”

Karen has won two media awards: In 2010 from the Royal Australasian College of Pathologists for a documentary on the change in laboratory testing provider in Auckland and a second by the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand for a documentary on the bowel screening pilot in Waitemata.
The Chair’s Award is the NZMA’s recognition of individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the health of New Zealand. Past recipients include Professor Frank Frizelle, Dr Robin Youngson, Dr Paul Hutchison, Dr Russell Wills, Dr Sharad Paul and Professor Swee Tan.

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