Dr Samantha Johnson recognised at 40 Under 40 2026
SHQ Medical Director, Dr Samantha Johnson was recognised at the 40 under 40 Awards in the Intrapreneur category earlier this month.
She received well-deserved acknowledgement for implementing and facilitating multiple programs at SHQ over the past 10 years, reducing traditional barriers, destigmatising care and creating tangible benefits for both the community and our organisation.
She developed and launched our online, client-led sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing service, then went on to expand the model further into community settings, enabling pop-up testing at SHQ education sessions, university orientation days and other events. This led to a partnership with ACON that allowed us to provide almost 50 cervical screening tests at the 2025 Pride Fair Day, most of whom were overdue for screening or disengaged from routine care.
“The pop-up testing has allowed us to screen up to 30 times more clients per session than a traditional clinic set-up without compromising on quality. These approaches emphasise patient-centred care, increase convenience, support autonomy and improve engagement for people who might otherwise face barriers accessing services.”
Samantha also led our gender-affirming service from concept to delivery in 2024. The service commenced as a tightly controlled pilot with 10 clients and now delivers more than 1,000 gender-affirming appointments annually, improving access to care for over 200 individuals.
She plans to dedicate the next decade to transforming healthcare delivery, developing and expanding new programs that reduce barriers to care and improve community outcomes.
“Mentoring emerging leaders will ensure these initiatives are sustainable and adopted widely across the sector. Collaboration, creativity and empowerment will drive these outcomes.”