2026 WA Rural Health Excellence Awards finalist: Dr Joshua Luhrs
With a background in intensive care nursing, it’s no surprise Dr Joshua Luhrs has extensive clinical experience and a knack for keeping composed under pressure.
It’s these qualities, among many others, that have seen him shortlisted in the 2026 WA Rural Health Excellence Awards after an outstanding 12-month stint at Albany Health Campus.
Dr Luhrs, who is in the running for the WA Country Health Service Intern of the Year award, said he felt “incredibly honoured” to be named one of 17 finalists from our health service.
“Albany attracts an exceptionally strong cohort of junior doctors, so to be recognised among that group means a great deal to me,” he said.
“I see the award as a reflection not just of individual effort, but of the medical mentorship, teamwork and culture at Albany.”
Hailing from rural Queensland, Dr Luhrs developed a strong foundation in critical care while working as a nurse at Bundaberg Base Hospital and Wide Bay Hospital.
He moved to WA in late 2020 and completed his medical degree at the University of Notre Dame before accepting an internship at Albany in 2025.
As an intern, he was soon noticed for his wealth of knowledge, consistently positive attitude, and outstanding communication and teamwork skills.
“There were far too many highlights to list; every single rotation was outstanding,” Dr Luhrs said.
“Most notably, the Albany Emergency Department had me learning from some phenomenal physicians. I was able to work with fantastic doctors who I'm able to consider mentors, and who I continue to model aspects of my own practice after.”
Working in both emergency and surgery, Dr Luhrs enjoyed plenty of “time on the tools” and took the opportunity to build on his procedural skills.
“I also absolutely loved my psychiatry rotation, particularly the neuro-pharmacology aspect of psychiatric pathology/treatment, but even more so, the team at Albany Psych are all outstanding,” he said.
“My general medicine rotations were also fantastic. There is an incredible team of both rural generalist and physician trained consultants there who taught me a lot about the importance of quality care from a longitudinal point of view.”
With roots in the Koko Berra tribe of the Cape York Peninsula, Dr Luhrs is motivated to enhance acute and critical care for Aboriginal patients, focusing on culturally safe communication, consent and decision-making.
He returned to Queensland after completing his internship and is now a Resident Medical Officer at the Gold Coast University Hospital Intensive Care Unit.
Looking forward, Dr Luhrs hopes to pursue training in Intensive Care Medicine while continuing to expand his collection of vintage watches.
Hosted by WA Country Health Service and Rural Health West, the WA Rural Health Excellence Awards celebrate the dedication, compassion, skills and ingenuity of outstanding health professionals.
Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony during the WA Rural Health Conference on Saturday, 14 March 2026.