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the iO
President's Medal 2022 awarded to Yinka Fabusuyi
Awarded in recognition of the achievements of colleagues for their exceptional contribution to osteopathy, Yinka Fabusuyi was presented with the medal at the virtual awards ceremony in November.
With a varied, successful 30-year career and still working with considerable drive and commitment at a grassroots level to unite osteopaths from diverse backgrounds Yinka has been constantly promoting wider access, equal opportunities, and inclusive culturally appropriate osteopathic education and patient care. Since graduating from the British School of Osteopathy in 1992, she has made a significant contribution to raising awareness of osteopathy, through engaging with other professions and supporting the development of the profession through research and education.
Yinka has a thriving, well-established South London practice which allows her to reach patients that might not normally know about, or choose to seek osteopathic treatment. She has also contributed significantly to raising awareness of the profession within the NHS through her extensive work in a GP practice between 1995 and 2012.
Approach to patient care
Yinka’s approach to practice embodies person-centred care, based on the ‘3Cs’ of Communication, Consent and inspiring patients’ Confidence and supported by personal qualities of curiosity, compassion and caring. She practices evidence-informed osteopathy, supported by wide reading around traditional principles and contemporary research literature.
‘Yinka is a very inspiring colleague with extraordinary energy and a sense of justice and compassion that drives her work. It’s a delight to work with her and see her projects flourish. I’m very proud that Yinka is receiving this award; a fantastic way to celebrate her pioneering work!’
This approach to working with other people in face-to-face consultations and her online presence, illustrates her strong and consistent commitment to the values of person-centred care, shared decision-making, equal opportunities, recognition of diversity, inclusive, accessible and affordable healthcare.
She also acknowledges the power of embodied therapeutic relationships, trust, and informed consent, and aims to help people develop achievable, valued goals, self-efficacy, and a commitment to their own self-care and wellbeing.
Championing diversity
Yinka has contributed significantly to initiatives and collaborative research projects, including the UrGEnT study (Underrepresented Groups’ Experiences in osteopathic Training) – which is being supported by the iO and GOsC – the aim of which is to identify students’ attitudes to cultural competence and humility and experiences of conscious or unconscious discrimination, bullying or harassment due to racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, ableism and other barriers to inclusivity and academic achievement.
Senior Research Fellow at the UCO and academic clinician Jerry Draper-Rodi reiterates Yinka’s passion and commitment to the osteopathic profession and her work on diversity. ‘Yinka is a very inspiring colleague with extraordinary energy and a sense of justice and compassion that drives her work,’ he says. ‘We’ve worked together with undergraduates on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and I’ve learned a lot from her. She has also been a Black History Month champion which involved trawling UCO’s archives where she found some of the first black osteopaths and wrote pieces on their lives. She made sure this work was disseminated widely, reaching UCO staff, students, and social media. It’s a delight to work with her and see her projects flourish. I’m very proud that Yinka is receiving this award; a fantastic way to celebrate her pioneering work!’
Uniting and developing the profession
Hilary Abbey, associate professor, and head of research at the University College of Osteopathy said: ‘I believe Yinka represents the future of osteopathy and is an inspirational role model for women and people of colour. Her recognition creates increased visibility within the profession and potentially provide the impetus and confidence to generate further developments in practice, education and public awareness.’
The consensus from those who know and have worked with Yinka is that she represents a dynamic role model to osteopathy, to become the inclusive, diverse contemporary community of healthcare practice that we all strive to see and to be.