The team from Population Health, winners of the Recovery and Resilience Award cut the cake at the MLHD Excellence Awards. Photo: MLHD.
There’s no doubt it’s been a bumpy few years for Australian health services, making it all the more important to celebrate the wins.
On Friday night (1 July), around 150 representatives from across the Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) got their glad rags on to celebrate the winners of the 2022 MLHD Excellence Awards.
Acting CEO Carla Bailey said it was great to finally be able to get together.
“This is the first time we’ve been able to have a face to face celebration since before COVID, so our finalists and their guests were all very excited to come together to celebrate their successes on this wonderful occasion,” she said.
“Many of the nominations reflected on how our staff have adapted and innovated throughout the pandemic to provide continuity of service and also improve the experience of our patients.”
MLHD board chair Dr Tom Douch said it was about acknowledging not only the winners but also the hard work of the almost 4000 staff and volunteers across the district.
“These exceptional people have created and continue to uphold the values of excellence, innovation and collaboration which help improve the lives of people in our care.”
Winners were selected across 12 award categories with the evening culminating in the presentation of the Chief Executive’s Choice Award and the Board Chair’s Choice Award.
Winners from 12 categories were recognised at the MLHD Awards. Photo: MLHD.
The Volunteer of the Year Award went to the Wagga Wagga Local Health Advisory Committee following a project targeting mental health and wellbeing in school-aged children.
Following a spike in youth suicide across the Riverina and poor mental health during COVID, the team launched a program to hand out brightly coloured wristbands with a QR code that digitally connected students with mental health services.
Ms Bailey said the efforts of volunteers were vital to regional health.
“We look upon our volunteers as an extension to our staffing family. Our volunteers offer their time and effort year-round in service to others,” she said.
“Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to the Wagga Wagga LHAC in recognition of their great work in bringing a very important issue to the fore and addressing it in a most practical way.”
Wagga Wagga Community Mental Health was recognised for excellence. Photo: MLHD.
Associate professor John Preddy was awarded for Excellence and Leadership in Research, and Cootamundra’s care coordinator Katherine Donoghue was recognised with the Exceptional Rural Healthcare Award.
Amy Byrom, the Aboriginal health targeted early intervention coordinator was awarded the Exceptional Aboriginal Healthcare Award.
The innovative Arts in Health Multipurpose Service Pilot Project won The Chief Executive Award for its arts engagement project working with aged care residents.
A resident engaged in innovative Arts in Health Multipurpose Service Pilot Project at Murrumburrah-Harden Health Service. Photo: MLHD.
Working with the NSW Art Gallery, a curated display of 20 high-quality reproductions of artworks was provided to engage aged care residents in self-guided, one-on-one and group activities led by trained staff.
“This project has touched the hearts and minds of our staff, our patients, our residents and our broader community and has the potential to offer truly integrated health beyond the walls of our hospitals and aged care residences, to truly impact everyone in our community,” Ms Bailey said.
The Board Chair Award was presented to Wagga Wagga Renal Unit nurse unit manager Mitch Woods in recognition of their collaborative approach to supporting patients.
The complete list of winners is as follows:
- Enriching Consumer Experience: Spencer McGill, Consumer Peer Worker, MyStep MHDA, Deniliquin
- Value Based Healthcare Award: Renal Support Care team – led by Patrina Marsden, Renal Nurse Practitioner
- Exceptional Aboriginal Healthcare: Amy Byrom, Targeted Early Intervention Coordinator, Aboriginal Health
- Patient Safety First Award: COVID Model of Care (WWBH)
- Keeping People Healthy Award: Child and Family Health Nursing Services
- Recovery and Resilience Award: Population Health Infectious Diseases team
- Collaborative Staff Member of the Year: Anna-Maree Bloomfield (RN), Community Nurse, Wagga Wagga Community Care
- Nurse or Midwife of the Year award: Anna-Maree Bloomfield (RN), Community Nurse, Wagga Wagga Community Care
- Exceptional Rural Healthcare Award: Katherine Donoghue, Care Coordinator, Cootamundra
- Our workforce at its best: Wagga Wagga Community Mental Health team
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