The director of Alice Springs Hospital's emergency department will become the president-elect of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine in November.
Stephen Gourley is the college's first president-elect from the Northern Territory and will also be the first from a regional centre.
He will fill the role until 2024 and said addressing the pressure on emergency departments was a top priority.
"The biggest challenge really is the health system is just not keeping up with demand," he said.
"I think everyone can see that — just look how long it takes to get into see a GP."
Dr Gourley said many facets of Australia's health care systems were failing.
"Emergency departments are overwhelmed," he said.
"Look at the royal commission for the nursing homes — they're overwhelmed and understaffed and the NDIS isn't really living up to its expectations."
Dr Gourley will hold the president-elect position from November 2022 to November 2023.
He will then be president until November 2025.
'Wholesale reform'
Dr Gourley said people were dying while they waited for care.
"We've seen large delays for even getting an ambulance out to people," he said.
"There are reported deaths of people dying waiting for an ambulance, there have been reports of people dying while they're ramped outside of an emergency department in an ambulance."
He said funding models needed to change.
"In my opinion, it's going to take … wholesale reform of the way we actually provide care, and also how the way we fund the whole system," Dr Gourley said.
"The current arrangement where the Commonwealth looks after certain parts and the states and territories look after another part is really challenging.
"It worked 20 years ago, but it's probably not fit for purpose anymore and needs to be looked at pretty carefully by government."
'Cuts and neglect'
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said his government inherited the health crisis and would meet with frontline health workers to assess the sector's challenges.
"After nine long years of cuts and neglect of Medicare it's never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor than it is now," he said.
"The former government froze the Medicare rebate for six years, ripping billions of dollars out of primary care and causing gap fees to skyrocket."
The Albanese government has promised to invest $750 million into Medicare and training and upgrades to GP services.
"Our Strengthening Medicare Taskforce will identify the best ways to boost affordability, improve access, and deliver better support for patients with ongoing and chronic illness," Mr Butler said.
Mr Butler said an investment into urgent care clinics would take the pressure off emergency departments and make accessing a doctor easier.
It is unclear when the urgent care clinics will be operational.
