2017 recipients and finalists

2017 Team Awards

Patients as Partners

• Award Recipient: The Patients' Voice​ (Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District)
  A project believed to have international implications where patients’ clinical observations are more thoroughly captured and communicated with peer clinicians.
• Finalist: Bridging cultures​ (Mid North Coast Local Health District)
  A project to reduce the re-admission of Indigenous patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome, and build better relationships between clinicians and Aboriginal clients.
• Finalist: V-DOTS - Unique client care for protracted TB regimens​ (Murrumbidgee Local Health District)
  A new way of implementing directly observed treatment supervision (DOTS) for the long-term treatment of tuberculosis.

Delivering Integrated Care (Sponsored by Baxter Healthcare)

• Award Recipient: Community Eye Care in Western Sydney​ (Western Sydney Local Health District)
  A project to improve access to Westmead Hospital’s ophthalmic services aimed at reducing the waiting-time for patients with non-acute eye disease in Western Sydney.
• Finalist: Making Hospital In The Home Easier to Swallow​ (Mid North Coast Local Health District)
  A project to reduce the number of hospital admissions and improve quality of life of aged-care facility residents with difficulties associated with swallowing.
• Finalist: Responding to after-hours domestic violence presentations at Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital Emergency Department (SDMH ED)​ (Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District)
  A trial of combined domestic violence and sexual assault (DVSA) on-call service project to improve consultation rates for after-hours domestic violence presentations.

Patient Safety First

• Award Recipient: Not another DVT in the ED (Western Sydney Local Health District)
  The project aims to decrease the volume of patients presenting at Westmead Hospital’s ED with acute Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) with evidence-based best practice and international guidelines.
• Finalist: On Time, Every Time for People with Parkinson’s​ (Mid North Coast Local Health District)
  A project to reduce the quantity and duration of patients with Parkinson’s Disease presenting at the emergency department.
• Finalist: PICU Risk Matrix: Making Patients Safer in PICU​ (Sydney Children’s Hospital Network)
  The paediatric intensive care team developed a tool to categorise patient risk to match nursing skills with patient needs.

Keeping People Healthy (Sponsored by Cerner)

• Award Recipient: Elimination of Hepatitis C in a Prison Setting ​(Justice Health & Forensic Mental Health Network)
  An innovative project to reduce the disproportional rate of patients presenting with hepatitis C in the custodial setting.
• Finalist: healthy food@school​ (Hunter New England Local Health District)
  A program to improve the nutrition of children by supporting school canteens to provide healthy food according to NSW Health guidelines.
• Finalist: Proactive prevention beats reactive control​ (Western NSW Local Health District)
  A project to reduce the need for antibiotic treatments for orthopaedic patients and improved outcomes and reduced costs.

Supporting our People (Sponsored by First State Super)

• Award Recipient: Culturally responsive pain management approach (South Western Sydney Local Health District)
  A project to improve pain management services for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients.
• Finalist: CORE Chat - Our Values in Action (Health Education and Training Institute (HETI))
  A face-to-face training program to support a positive workplace culture, bringing to life and into practice the CORE values of NSW Health.
• Finalist: Employ-my-ability​ (Sydney Local Health District)
  A collaborative project to improve employment potential of school leavers with intellectual disability through a training program.

A Safe and Healthy Workplace (Sponsored by First State Super)

• Award Recipient: Working Together to STOP VIOLENCE (Mid North Coast Local Health District)
  A project to gain accreditation as a White Ribbon Workplace (WRW), to recognise an organisation’s commitment to preventing, and responding to, domestic and family violence.
• Finalist: Rethink Your Drink @ Westmead Hospital (Western Sydney Local Health District)
  A project to increase awareness amongst patients and staff at Westmead Hospital about the consequences of over consumption of sugar sweetened beverages.
• Finalist: Workplace Safety through Inventory Management​ (South Western Sydney Local Health District)
  A multi-disciplinary project to improve the environmental design and workplace practices in storerooms to improve staff and patient safety.

Health Research and Innovation (Sponsored by Microsoft)

• Award Recipient: High-risk influenza screening test (Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District)
  A project to develop a blood test to identify which influenza patients will need urgent, life-saving medical treatment.
• Finalist: CriSTAL to improve advance care planning (South Western Sydney Local Health District)
  A project to develop an assessment tool for early identification of frail older people presenting at emergency departments at five Sydney hospitals.
• Finalist: Development After Infant Surgery (DAISy) study ​(Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network)
  A research project investigating post-surgery developmental delays of infants.

Excellence in the Provision of Mental Health Services

• Award Recipient: Innovative Service Delivery Model (Western Sydney Local Health District)
  A project to provide the most appropriate care for mental health patients and minimise inappropriate emergency department presentations via the triple-0 ambulance dispatch system.
• Finalist: Living Well Living Longer - Physical health & mental health (Sydney Local Health District)
  A project to deliver integrated care for patients living with serious mental illness, apressing their complex physical health needs.
• Finalist: Seclusion Reduction in Mental Health ​(South Eastern Sydney Local Health District)
  A project to reduce seclusion rates of mental health patients at the Kiloh Centre and Mental Health Intensive Care Unit.

2017 Individual Awards

Volunteer of the Year

• Award Recipient: Belinda White (Murrumbidgee Local Health District)
  Ms White has volunteered her time to facilitate a creative writing group for participants of the Mental Health Recovery Program.
• Finalist: Douglas Park (South Eastern Sydney Local Health District)
  Mr Park is a volunteer at St George Hospital who has developed innovative patient care programs, including patient feeding and falls prevention programs.
• Finalist: Glad Dent​ (Hunter New England LHD)
  A long-time volunteer, Ms Dent has made a valuable contribution to fundraising for the Calvary Mater Auxiliary ‘Cancer Carers’ fund.

Staff Member of the Year

• Award Recipient: Thomas Glanville (Murrumbidgee Local Health District)
  Mr Glanville is an information technology professional who has devised innovative technology solutions that have improved patient care at Murrumbidgee LHD.
• Finalist: Lisa-Jayne Ferguson (St Vincent’s Health Network)
  Ms Ferguson is a passionate and dedicated clinical leader in her role as a Drug and Alcohol Clinical Nurse Consultant at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, which provides critical services to more than 2,500 vulnerable patients every year.
• Finalist: Louise Brown (Western NSW Local Health District)
  Ms Brown is nominated for her excellence in service to support Aboriginal patients, carers and families and ways to engage staff, patients and carers in Aboriginal culture.
• Finalist: Vicki Solomon​ (Mid North Coast Local Health District)
  Ms Solomon has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to improving health outcomes for Brain Injury Rehabilitation Service clients since 1991.

Collaborative Leader of the Year

• Award Recipient: Claire Phelan (South Eastern Sydney Local Health District)
  As Director of SESLHD Oral Health, Ms Phelan is nominated for having transformed the service into a forward-looking, client-focussed organisation with clear strategic direction and a culture of innovation and excellence.
• Finalist: Alison Loudon (Western NSW Local Health District)
  Ms Loudon is nominated for leadership and strategic direction in the Midwifery and Paediatric service that encourages staff to achieve the best outcomes for WNSWLHD and the community.
• Finalist: Franca Facci (Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District)
  Ms Facci is nominated for her dedicated leadership in various management roles at the ISLHD Health Service for over three decades.
• Finalist: Friedbert Kohler​ (South Western Sydney Local Health District)
  Professor Kohler is nominated for demonstrating exceptional leadership and collaborative skills in promoting safe and high-quality coordinated clinical services.