NATIONAL MEDICAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2025

Four individuals and three teams received the National Medical Excellence Awards (NMEA) this year, for excellence in the areas of care quality, patient safety, research, education, training, as well as community health. Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, presented the awards at the NMEA ceremony held on 19 September 2025. 

2.           The annual national award recognises the efforts of outstanding clinicians, clinician scientists and other healthcare professionals for their contributions. It acknowledges their achievements in advancing healthcare, improving the standards of patient safety, driving research and education, and developing better health in the community, which ultimately improve people's lives.   

3.           This year’s NMEA recipients are as follows:   

4.           Recipients will each receive a trophy, a citation and a prize of S$10,000. 

5.       The citations of the award recipients and the information on NMEA award categories can be found in Annex A and Annex B respectively. 

ANNEX A

NATIONAL OUTSTANDING CLINICIAN AWARD 2025

Professor Lim Shih Hui (林诗晖)

Senior Consultant 

Department of Neurology 

National Neuroscience Institute

 Head

Traditional & Complementary Medicine Branch 

Ministry of Health

Professor 

Duke-NUS Medical School

Professor

Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

National University of Singapore

Adjunct Professor

Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine

Nanyang Technological University

Registrar (Chief Executive)

Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners’ Board

 “For his clinical excellence in neurology and epileptology, and outstanding leadership in advancing professional standards in Western and Chinese Medicine.”

 Professor Lim Shih Hui exemplifies the rare combination of clinical excellence, visionary leadership, and cross-cultural medical wisdom that is demanded by modern healthcare in Singapore. As an accomplished neurologist, specialising in epilepsy and electroencephalography (EEG) —a notoriously challenging field— he has consistently pushed the boundaries of medical practice, while also bridging Western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

 With more than 35 years of experience managing patients with epilepsy, Prof Lim always aimed for seizure freedom without unacceptable side effects for patients. In the 1990s, when anti-seizure medications were limited, he established the Epilepsy Surgery Programme to provide more options for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Prof Lim evaluated more than 100 patients who eventually underwent surgery, resulting in significantly fewer seizures and a better quality of life.

 Prof Lim was certified by the American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology in 1990, and he set out to ensure consistent, high standards in EEG interpretation and reporting, both in Singapore and the region. He established an EEG Certification Examination under the auspices of the ASEAN Neurological Association (ASNA) and the Asian Epilepsy Academy. This examination has become the gold standard for EEG practice across Asia and Oceania. Close to 1,000 clinicians and EEG technologists have taken the examination, and 40% have been certified over the past two decades. In recognition of his contributions to advancing epilepsy care at the international level, he received the Ambassador for Epilepsy Award from the International League Against Epilepsy & International Bureau for Epilepsy in 2007, and the ASNA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023.

 Prof Lim is a problem-solver with foresight who studies the big picture before focusing on the details and identifying the root cause of problems. He has applied this principle throughout his career in both his clinical, educational, and leadership roles. As Master, Academy of Medicine, Singapore from 2012 to 2016, Prof Lim championed the vital role of family medicine physicians in healthcare, successfully engaging multiple stakeholders, and laying the foundation for the eventual recognition of family medicine as a specialty.

 Recognising the limitations of Western medicine in treating certain neurological conditions, Prof Lim learned acupuncture and established the Acupuncture Unit at Singapore General Hospital in 1998. This early recognition of TCM's value put him in good stead and laid the groundwork for his roles as Head of the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Branch at the Ministry of Health and Registrar of the TCM Practitioners’ Board in 2020. Prof Lim has been instrumental in elevating standards of TCM practice and integrating TCM into Singapore's healthcare system. He is now evaluating how evidence-based TCM practices could be used in the standard neurology care path for conditions such as migraine, neuropathy and post-stroke neurological deficits.

 Prof Lim’s exceptional contributions have been widely recognised through numerous awards, including the NMEA National Outstanding Clinician Educator Award in 2015 and the Outstanding Fellow Award of the College of Physicians Singapore in 2024. He was also conferred an Honorary Fellowship by the Academy of Chinese Medicine Singapore in 2025, acknowledging his three decades of pioneering work in TCM.

 or his clinical excellence in neurology and epileptology, and outstanding leadership in advancing professional standards in Western and Chinese Medicine, Professor Lim Shih Hui is awarded the National Outstanding Clinician Award 2025.

 NATIONAL OUTSTANDING CLINICIAN SCIENTIST AWARD 2025

 Professor Carolyn Lam Su Ping (蓝淑彬)

Senior Consultant

Department of Cardiology

National Heart Centre Singapore

Professor

Duke-NUS Medical School

 “For her outstanding contributions and dedication in the areas of cardiovascular research, clinical trials, digital health and women’s heart health.” 

 Professor Carolyn Lam is a visionary cardiologist, world-renowned heart failure expert, pioneer in artificial intelligence for medical diagnostics, and advocate for women’s heart health, who has reshaped global understanding and treatment of cardiovascular disease through decades of groundbreaking research, leadership, and innovation. Prof Lam’s career reflects the highest ideals of clinician science: combining deep academic rigour with bold innovation and a passion for equity. Her legacy is one of improving lives not only in Singapore, but worldwide. 

 In Singapore, she is the Founding Programme Lead of the Asian neTwork for Translational Research and Cardiovascular Trials (ATTRaCT), the nation’s largest translational cardiovascular research initiative, supported by over $90 million in funding across nine leading institutions. Under her direction, ATTRaCT has driven more than 100 publications, fostered public-private partnerships, and set new standards for integrated translational research.

 Regionally, she is the Co-Lead Commissioner for the Lancet Commission on tackling cardiovascular disease in the Asia-Pacific region, a multinational effort that will develop a roadmap for region-specific solutions, fostering collaboration and promoting innovation to enhance cardiovascular outcomes, thereby improving health and well-being across the region. This follows landmark multinational studies across Asia-Pacific which she spearheaded, such as the Asian Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure (ASIAN-HF) and Asian Diabetes Outcomes Prevention Trial (ADOPT) studies which were both groundbreaking efforts to understand heart failure and diabetes outcomes across Asia. 

 As an international authority on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) —a condition that disproportionately affects elderly women— Prof Lam was instrumental in leading global efforts to treat this elusive disease. Through her work on pivotal clinical trials such as PARAGON-HF[1], DELIVER[2], EMPEROR-Preserved[3], and FINEARTS-HF[4], she paved the way to the first FDA-approved and guideline-recommended treatment for HFpEF, addressing one of cardiology’s greatest unmet needs. 

 Globally, she co-chairs mega-outcomes trials at the forefront of cardiovascular development, such as the SURMOUNT-MMO[5] trial of tirzepatide for reduction in morbidity and mortality in obesity; and the LIBREXIA-AF[6] trial of the Factor XIa inhibitor milvexian in atrial fibrillation.

 A prolific scholar with over 700 publications in top journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, and Nature Medicine, Prof Lam boasts a Hirsh index of 121 and has been named a Highly Cited Researcher by the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate for multiple consecutive years, as well as a World Expert in heart failure by Expertscape. Her achievements were recognised in her appointments to the 2021 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Heart Failure Guidelines Task Force, and as International Honorary Fellow of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) 2021, ESC Rene Laennec Lecturer in 2022, HFSA 2023 Mihai Gheorghiade Lectureship, and Singapore Cardiac Society Lecturer 2024.

 Beyond academia, Prof Lam is revolutionising clinical care through artificial intelligence. Her work in democratising access to expert cardiovascular diagnostics set a new standard for digital medicine. As co-founder of the award-winning MedTech startup Us2.ai, she has transformed the field of echocardiography by automating cardiac ultrasound interpretation with AI. Her clinical vision and strategic direction led Us2.ai to international acclaim, receiving top prize at SLINGSHOT 2019 and listing on Forbes Asia 100 to Watch in 2021.

 A champion of women’s cardiovascular health, Prof Lam founded Singapore’s first Women’s Heart Health Clinic in 2011, addressing gender disparities in cardiovascular care. She continues to mentor the next generation of clinician scientists, with over 40 mentees advancing to leadership positions, international recognition, and grant success. Her mentorship of women in academic medicine was recognised with the Rosalind Franklin Fellowship in 2016 from the University Medical Centre Groningen.

 For her outstanding contributions and dedication in the areas of cardiovascular research, clinical trials, digital health and women’s heart health, Professor Carolyn Lam is awarded the National Outstanding Clinician Scientist Award 2025.

NATIONAL OUTSTANDING CLINICIAN MENTOR AWARD 2025

 Professor Christopher Cheng Wai Sam (郑畏三)

Senior Consultant

Department of Urology

Singapore General Hospital and Sengkang General Hospital

 Clinical Professor

Duke-NUS Medical School

Clinical Associate Professor

Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

National University of Singapore

Adjunct Professor

Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine

Nanyang Technological University

“For his outstanding dedication in mentoring and training the future generation of clinicians and laying the foundation of excellence in urology, while role modelling the ethos of public service.”

Professor Christopher Cheng is a distinguished leader, renowned for his contributions to urology, medical education, and healthcare administration. As a senior consultant urologist and former CEO of Sengkang General Hospital (SKH), he has played a pivotal role in advancing patient care, medical innovation, and hospital leadership. He is a highly regarded opinion leader internationally and has led many regional and international urological organisations and has been on the editorial boards of leading urological journals.

 With a career spanning four decades at Singapore General Hospital and Singapore Health Services, Prof Cheng has been instrumental in shaping urological practices in Singapore, pioneering minimally invasive surgical techniques, and mentoring generations of clinicians. Numerous prominent local and regional urologists count him as their mentor through their formative years, and many local leaders in urology both in public and private institutions recall their time spent training with him fondly. Besides laying the foundations of a structured advanced urological training with annual progressive examinations leading to specialist accreditation when urology was at its infancy, he also dedicated efforts to raise funds for scholarships for fellows from regional countries to train in Singapore. Many fellows internationally (including Japan, China, Vietnam, and Thailand) consider Prof Cheng as a mentor in their training journey through Singapore and they continue to collaborate with him to spread his structured training over the Asia-Pacific region.

Prof Cheng’s dedication to research and innovation has led to significant advancements in prostate cancer management and minimally invasive surgery, improving patient outcomes both locally and internationally. He is a pioneer in using robots in surgery and led the development and introduction of da Vinci robotic prostatectomy in Asia with funding from the Ministry of Health’s Health Services Development Plan grant. The prostatectomy procedure is now widely adopted in all urological services in Singapore. Prof Cheng made a significant impact on the lives of prostate cancer patients, making diagnosis and treatment more effective, resulting in excellent clinical outcomes. 

Beyond his clinical expertise, Prof Cheng has demonstrated exceptional leadership in healthcare administration. As the founding CEO of SKH, he spearheaded its successful development into a major acute care hospital, enhancing Singapore’s healthcare infrastructure. His vision for integrated care and patient-centric services has influenced national healthcare strategies, fostering collaboration across institutions. With National Medical Research Council and Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board (SPRING Singapore) grants, Prof Cheng led the development of the patented Mona Lisa robot for prostate biopsy into a commercial device. With an optional MRI-Ultrasound fusion capability that enables targeted biopsies and potentially targeted treatment, the device is now adopted by leading centres worldwide. This medical breakthrough enables urologists to make earlier diagnoses and pinpoint prostate tumours with higher accuracy. 

Prof Cheng’s healthcare contributions have been nationally recognised with the National Outstanding Clinician Award at the National Medical Excellence Awards in 2017 and the Public Administrative Medal (Silver) and Long Service Medal at the National Day Awards in 2015 and 2013 respectively. Most recently, Prof Cheng was conferred the inaugural Foo Keong Tatt Distinguished Professorship in Urology in 2023, which recognised him as an exceptional urologist who had made substantial contributions to clinical practice, education, research, and administrative leadership. Prof Cheng was also awarded the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre Master Academic Clinicians Award in 2021, GCEO Excellence Award for Outstanding Clinician in 2011, CIO Awards as Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Chairman in 2004 and the Service with a Heart Award in 2005 and 2006.

For his outstanding dedication in mentoring and training the future generation of clinicians and laying the foundation of excellence in urology, while role modelling the ethos of public service, Professor Christopher Cheng is awarded the National Outstanding Clinician Mentor Award 2025.

NATIONAL OUTSTANDING CLINICIAN EDUCATOR AWARD 2025

Adjunct Professor Khoo See Meng (邱诗民)

Senior Consultant

Department of Medicine

Alexandra Hospital

Chairman, Medical Board

Alexandra Hospital

Senior Consultant

Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine

National University Hospital

Adjunct Professor

Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

National University of Singapore

"For his visionary leadership in redefining clinician education through transformative care models, preparing clinicians for evolving healthcare challenges and fostering a culture of lifelong learning."

Adjunct Professor Khoo See Meng has reshaped how clinicians are trained to deliver care in an increasingly complex healthcare landscape. His contributions span curriculum innovation, care model redesign, and interprofessional collaboration—all anchored in a deep commitment to patient-centricity and community needs.

Prof Khoo is a distinguished Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine physician whose pioneering work in medical education has left an indelible mark on clinicians, educators, and healthcare systems at the institutional, national, and international levels.

He is known for his ability to simplify complex concepts and inspire learners across all levels, from medical students to seasoned faculty. His passion for teaching began early in his career and has since evolved into a lifelong commitment to advancing medical education. As the inaugural Programme Director of the National University Health System (NUHS) Internal Medicine Residency Programme, he revolutionised postgraduate training through innovative curricula, competency-based assessments, and reflective learning practices. He believes that achievement stems from the heart as much as it does from the head, with young doctors becoming motivated and productive learners when the standards are clear and supported academically and emotionally. Under his leadership from 2010 to 2017, the programme became one of Singapore's most acclaimed, graduating over 200 residents.

Prof Khoo’s leadership extended beyond NUHS, as he played a pivotal role in shaping international standards for graduate medical education through his work with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-International (ACGME-I). Prof Khoo’s work has elevated clinician education globally. Yet, his greatest legacy lies in the generations of doctors he has mentored; clinicians who now lead with the same compassion, adaptability, and commitment to patient-centred innovation.

At the national level, Prof Khoo has been instrumental in upholding the standards of specialist training in Singapore. Serving on key committees such as the Singapore Specialist Training Standards Committee and the Joint Committee on Specialist Training, he introduced clinically relevant examinable topics and robust assessment tools, ensuring the rigour and relevance of specialist certifications.

At the heart of Prof Khoo’s educational philosophy is the belief that clinician training must mirror real-world healthcare challenges. He encouraged his students to question assumptions, develop informed perspectives, and translate their vision into action as agents of positive change in the healthcare system.

In Prof Khoo’s role as Chairman, Medical Board of Alexandra Hospital (AH), he pioneered the Integrated General Hospital model, providing seamless acute-to-rehabilitative care. Working alongside his former students, he redesigned care models, reducing fragmentation and equipping doctors to handle multi-morbid conditions. His innovative educational initiatives like "Blue Letter Rounds" and "Phone a Friend" sessions fostered collaborative and dynamic learning environment among healthcare professionals focusing on holistic patient management across care transitions.

Under his leadership, the hospital became a testbed for innovative care models and interprofessional education. He equipped doctors with diverse skills to manage complex healthcare cases in an aging society. His approach fostered a culture of continuous learning among doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals, ensuring trainees adapted medicine to practical patient needs while developing the next generation of healthcare leaders.

Recognising that future healthcare demanded digital fluency, Prof Khoo championed the Virtual Care Centre, a telemedicine hub allowing post-discharge patients to consult clinicians remotely. This initiative doubled as an educational platform, where young doctors learned to blend technology with empathetic communication—a skill vital for an era of decentralised care. His "Sea of Stories" initiative—a collection of reflective narratives from faculty and residents—taught trainees patient-centred care through shared experiences, reminding clinicians that medicine is as much about connection as it is about competence.

Despite his numerous achievements, Prof Khoo remains humble and deeply committed to his patients and learners, serving him a role model for countless clinicians and educators.

For his visionary leadership in redefining clinician education through transformative care models, preparing clinicians for evolving healthcare challenges and fostering a culture of lifelong learning, Adjunct Professor Khoo See Meng is awarded the National Outstanding Clinician Educator Award 2025.  

NATIONAL CLINICAL EXCELLENCE TEAM AWARD 2025

NHG POLYCLINICS & CN-PCN HEALTHIER SG IN PRIMARY CARE PROGRAMME

Associate Professor Karen Ng Ming Yann (黄明燕)

Chief, Primary Care, Population Health,

NHG Health

Chief Executive Officer and Family Physician and Senior Consultant

NHG Polyclinics

Associate Professor

Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine

Nanyang Technological University

Dr Lim Ziliang (林子良)

Family Physician and Senior Consultant

NHG Polyclinics

Dr Kung Jian Ming (江健銘)

Family Physician and Associate Consultant

NHG Polyclinics

Dr Eng Soo Kiang (翁树強)

Clinical Lead

NHG Health Central-North Primary Care Network

“For their unwavering dedication to transforming primary and preventive care with patient-centred innovative solutions and strong partnerships for better health.” 

Since 2023, NHG Health has collaborated to implement the national initiative Healthier SG through its NHG Polyclinics and Central-North Primary Care Network (CN-PCN), transforming preventive care delivery in Singapore’s primary healthcare landscape. The synergistic effort has achieved remarkable success in engaging and enrolling Central-North residents for Healthier SG, enabling them to complete the patient-centred health plans.

The team's implementation strategy centred on creating a comprehensive ecosystem for Healthier SG outcomes. Through the development of crucial tools, including a real-time Healthier SG Dashboard developed by NHG Polyclinics and utilisation of the MOH quality improvement (QI) dashboard, the team enabled effective management oversight and targeted interventions across all nine polyclinics under NHG Health and over 200 general practitioner (GP) clinics. This systematic approach enabled NHG Polyclinics to achieve good enrolment, high health plan completion, and patient satisfaction rates of 95% to 99% based on a patient survey on health plan completion. In addition, the impact on preventive care has been substantial, with significant increases in health screenings and vaccinations administered by December 2024, as compared to the year before Healthier SG was launched. 

A distinctive feature of the implementation strategy was its novel social prescribing workflow, which integrates community partners and dedicated Link Workers to address social determinants of health. This innovative approach achieved a 93% patient satisfaction rate and demonstrated measurable improvements in patient outcomes, including a 13.6% increase in physical activity and a 13.2% improvement in protein intake among frail patients.

The team's commitment to continuous improvement is exemplified by the CN-PCN’s launch of three pioneering QI projects in May 2024, focusing on diabetes preventive care screenings, influenza vaccination, and improving glycaemic control for patients with diabetes. NHG Polyclinics provided crucial QI expertise and facilitation, sharing best practices and patient education materials to enhance GP clinic processes and patient engagement. 

The team’s efforts in implementing Healthier SG, including innovations in streamlining processes, IT enhancements to sustain delivery of core Healthier SG services, vaccination service provision and resource optimisation such as deployment of Mammobus (a mobile mammography service) have created a sustainable framework for continued excellence.

With Singapore projected to be a super-aged society in 2026, prioritising preventive care becomes more crucial for ageing well. Looking ahead, NHG Polyclinics and CN-PCN remain committed to advancing the Healthier SG initiative, focusing on encouraging uptake of preventive screenings, such as frailty and osteoporosis screening, strengthening GP partnerships, and optimising health outcomes for enrolled patients. Through continued collaboration with stakeholders and process improvements, the team aims to create an even more robust and integrated primary care ecosystem that serves as a model for preventive healthcare delivery in Singapore. 

Their outstanding achievement through innovative solutions, systematic improvements, and strong partnerships, resulted in significant improvements in health screening rates and patient outcomes.

For their unwavering dedication to transforming primary and preventive care with patient-centred innovative solutions and strong partnerships for better health, the NHG Polyclinics & CN-PCN Healthier SG in Primary Care team is awarded the National Clinical Excellence Team Award 2025.
 

NATIONAL COMMUNITY CARE EXCELLENCE TEAM AWARD 2025

CARE BEYOND WALLS – RE-DEFINING DEMENTIA DAY CARE PROGRAMME

Ms Chua Shi Jia (蔡诗嘉)

Assistant Manager

Health & Senior Care

AWWA

Ms Rianna Chia (谢佳君)

Executive (Client Care)

Health & Senior Care

AWWA

Ms Maria Ng (黄素銮)

Executive (Administrative & Operations)

Health & Senior Care

AWWA

“For its visionary model that enhances dementia care practices, strengthening community partnerships, reshaping public perception, and standing as a national exemplar of excellence in community dementia care.”

Officially launched in November 2024 following a three-year pilot, the Care Beyond Walls (CBW) programme reimagines traditional centre-based dementia care by empowering persons living with dementia (PLwDs) to participate in meaningful community activities beyond the confines of a day care centre. Through thoughtfully designed experiences in volunteering, intergenerational exchange, and learning and discovery, the programme promotes active social integration, builds meaningful connections, and fosters a sense of purpose among PLwDs.

Spanning across both AWWA Dementia Day Care Centres (DDCC) in Ang Mo Kio and Yishun, CBW has facilitated over 1,100 engagements involving 57 unique participants, contributing 746 volunteering hours in diverse settings, from preparing dog treats for animal shelters to storytelling at preschools. Through the engagements, participants demonstrated improved engagement and mood, and caregivers and staff consistently reported enhanced attention and emotional well-being in PLwDs.

CBW also fostered greater social inclusion within the community. With 16 host partnerships and over 300 community members trained in dementia awareness and communication, the programme has improved societal attitudes, evidenced by increased positive attitudes toward dementia after intervention. Community partners reported higher confidence and empathy in supporting PLwDs, cultivating a more inclusive and dementia-friendly society.

Beyond its social impact, CBW enhances quality of dementia care and is scalable; leveraging existing community resources, transportation downtime, and optimal staff-client ratios without significantly increasing operational costs. AWWA DDCC in Ang Mo Kio further exemplified their commitment to holistic dementia care through recent facility upgrades that promote a person-centred environment, such as a home-style breakfast bar and therapeutic indoor greenery.

For its visionary model that enhances dementia care practices, strengthening community partnerships, reshaping public perception, and standing as a national exemplar of excellence in community dementia care, the Care Beyond Walls – Re-defining Dementia Day Care team is awarded the National Community Care Excellence Team Award 2025.

NATIONAL COMMUNITY CARE EXCELLENCE TEAM AWARD 2025

NEUROBEHAVIOURAL CLINIC – AUTISM TEAM

Dr Lan Zhongzheng (蓝忠正)

Consultant

Department of Developmental Psychiatry

Institute of Mental Health

Dr Goh Tze Jui (吴芷锐)

Principal Clinical Psychologist

Department of Developmental Psychiatry

Institute of Mental Health

Ms Magdalene Foo Tze Suang (符玉瑄)

Principal Medical Social Worker

Department of Developmental Psychiatry

Institute of Mental Health

Ms Joelene Tan Bei Lin (陈蓓霖)

Senior Psychologist

Department of Developmental Psychiatry

Institute of Mental Health

“For transforming autism care in Singapore and fostering a more inclusive society for individuals with autism and their families.”

The autism team at the Child Guidance Clinic of the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), NHG Health’s specialist centre for psychiatric care in Singapore, has changed how Singapore understands, diagnoses, and treats autism. Established in 2005 with support from the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) Medical Capacity Development Fund, the autism team started dedicated public health specialist services to treat and care for children and adolescents with autism. Over the years, the service has expanded to encompass a wide range of efforts that have contributed to a better understanding of autism, and improved outcomes and quality of life for individuals living with the condition. 

Beyond providing essential diagnostic and intervention services, the autism team also works closely with community agencies such as the Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) and Rainbow Centre to provide comprehensive and holistic care for children and adolescents with autism and foster a more inclusive society. The team manages an average of 200 new autism cases annually. 

Through research, training, and partnerships both locally and internationally, they have expanded their assessment capabilities, improved service quality, and enhanced accessibility. Training more than 100 professionals yearly, these efforts have successfully reduced waiting times for patients and enabled early interventions, while contributing significantly to professional development and community services. 

The team's influence reaches far beyond their clinical setting through extensive knowledge-sharing initiatives. A key achievement was the development of a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) programme for children with autism, which started in 2006 and was later published as a manual in 2017. This intervention programme is evidence-based, designed to help young people with autism regulate their emotions and manage anxiety as they learn to identify emotions, develop coping strategies, and improve social skills through structured sessions. Using this manual, the programme has since been built upon to cater to other conditions. To-date, hundreds of professionals in special and mainstream schools, social service and government agencies have been trained to conduct CBT. The programme has gained recognition through peer-reviewed publications and was successfully implemented across clinical and educational settings. 

The team's adaptability and innovation came to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognising that medical procedures could cause anxiety in individuals with special needs and their caregivers, and that frontline healthcare workers might lack experience in managing such patients, they developed a Special Care Kit to bridge this crucial communication gap. With support from MOH and working alongside KK Women's and Children's Hospital and National University Hospital, the kit containing visually enhanced materials helped individuals with special needs better understand and cope with pandemic-related medical procedures, including testing, diagnosis, and treatment. This practical kit is now available at major hospitals, general practitioner clinics and Singapore Civil Defence Force ambulances, and accessible online. 

In their role as field leaders, the team has shaped national standards through their work on the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Autism, which serves as a reference guide for healthcare professionals in Singapore. It provides standardised recommendations for the screening, diagnosis, assessment, and management of individuals with autism, helping clinicians make informed decisions about appropriate care pathways and interventions. 

Their latest initiative, the Autism Collaborative officially launched in 2025, focuses on creating a one-stop resource hub, enhancing professional training, strengthening community and caregiver support, and advancing community-driven research. This platform expands autism care from clinical settings into community-based services, fostering knowledge sharing among healthcare professionals, community agencies, and individuals with lived experience, an approach that has garnered interest from regional partners seeking to improve autism care. 

Their integrated approach, spanning clinical services, research, and community engagement, has not only advanced healthcare standards but also set a benchmark for future developments in community care.

For transforming autism care in Singapore and fostering a more inclusive society for individuals with autism and their families, the Neurobehavioural Clinic – Autism team is awarded the National Community Care Excellence Team Award 2025.

ANNEX B

CATEGORIES OF NATIONAL MEDICAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Nominations were open to healthcare institutions, community care organisations, and primary care networks in Singapore. The nominations were reviewed by the NMEA Selection Panel, chaired by Director-General of Health. Winners were selected based on their outstanding achievements and accomplishments in their respective award categories, as highlighted in their citations.

National Outstanding Clinician Award

The National Outstanding Clinician award recognises individuals with at least 15 years of experience as practising clinicians in the local public or private healthcare establishments or community care organisations. They are recognised as master clinicians in their own fields of specialty and have made exceptional contributions to clinical work in advancing the safety and quality of patient care, including supporting and facilitating research in the hospital, community or other healthcare-related settings. The recipients have successfully introduced effective and/or novel treatment methods and/or innovation in various fields of preventive health and community care, resulting in higher quality and standard of healthcare delivery.

National Outstanding Clinician Scientist Award

The National Outstanding Clinician Scientist award recognises individuals with at least 15 years of experience in the local public or private healthcare establishments or community care organisations both as practising clinicians and for the involvement in research work. Their contributions through research work have resulted in novel understanding of diseases with potential positive outcome on healthcare delivery in the hospital, community or other healthcare-related settings.

National Outstanding Clinician Mentor Award

The National Outstanding Clinician Mentor award recognises individuals with at least 15 years of mentorship experience in the local public or private healthcare establishments or community care organisations. They are well-respected senior clinicians who are exemplary role models by perpetuating lifelong values and have contributed substantially to the guidance and training of young clinicians and clinician scientists via mentorship or by virtue of academic positions.

National Outstanding Clinician Educator Award

The National Outstanding Clinician Educator Award recognises individuals with at least 15 years of experience as clinical educators in the local public or private healthcare establishments or community care organisations. They are well-respected clinicians who have contributed substantially to the undergraduate and/or postgraduate clinical education of clinicians and/or clinician scientists at the national level, beyond the medical school/institution alone.

National Clinical Excellence Team Award

The National Clinical Excellence Team Award recognises teams that have undertaken clinical quality/practice improvement projects that contributed significantly to bridging the gap between knowledge and practice. Such projects would have strong research elements in knowledge translation process, resulting in improved standard of care, better health outcomes, higher efficiency and/or more effective patient centred services in the hospital or other healthcare-related settings. The teams should demonstrate their achievements through successful implementation of their projects, which are novel, benefited many patients and are above and beyond the institutions’ routine responsibility.

National Community Care Excellence Team Award

The National Community Care Excellence Team Award recognises teams that have undertaken quality/practice improvement projects/initiatives which contributed significantly to improving community health and raised awareness of preventive health in the community care setting. The teams should demonstrate their achievements through successful implementation of the projects/initiatives, which are novel, significantly contributed to preventive health and/or better community/public health in collaboration with community care organisations, public healthcare institutions, agencies and stakeholders to foster a network of support for the community.

[1] Prospective Comparison of ARNI [angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitor] with ARB [angiotensin-receptor blockers] Global Outcomes in HF with Preserved Ejection Fraction trial.

[2] Dapagliflozin Evaluation to Improve the LIVEs of Patients With PReserved Ejection Fraction Heart Failure trial.

[3] Empagliflozin Outcome Trial in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction trial.

[4] FINerenone trial to investigate Efficacy and sAfety superioR to placebo in paTientS with Heart Failure trial.

[5] A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Study to Investigate the Effect of Tirzepatide on the Reduction of Morbidity and Mortality in Adults with Obesity.

[6] A Study of Milvexian Versus Apixaban in Participants With Atrial Fibrillation.