19th Victorian Public Healthcare Awards — winners revealed

At a gala night at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday, 26 November, the winners of the 19th Victorian Public Healthcare Awards were revealed. Recognising leadership and excellence in the provision of publicly funded health care in response to established and emerging community needs, highlighted were initiatives that strengthen care, advance equity and support healthier futures for all Victorians.

And the winners are …

General awards

1. Care in the community — Paediatric and Neonatal Hospital in the Home (HITH) Service Expansion (Mercy Health Victoria Limited)
2. Creating a sustainable and climate-resilient health system — Our Climate, Our Health: Embedding Sustainability and Equity in Community Healthcare (Your Community Health)
3. Excellence in mental health and wellbeing — Elimination of Seclusion (Peninsula Health)
4. Excellence in public sector residential aged care services — Restoring Dignity and Quality of Life: Specialist Dementia Care Program for People with Severe Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (Barwon Health)
5. Excellence in value-based healthcare — Transforming Asthma Care: Delivering Value-Based Care with a Co-Designed Asthma Digital Pathway (Northern Health)
6. Excellence in women’s health — Pioneering Care: supporting the addiction medicine needs of women in the custodial setting (Western Health)
7. Excellence in Aboriginal health and wellbeing — FLIP THE VAPE: Flipping the script on vaping for Aboriginal youth (Victorian Aboriginal Health Service; Mo Works Creative Agency)
8. Excellence in equity, diversity and inclusion — A Blueprint for Community-led Multicultural Health Resources, starting with the Arabic-speaking community (Eastern Health; Rahma Health)
9. Celebrating a strong and sustainable workforce — Boosting Social Work via AHA Roles in RACS/TCP Pathways (Eastern Health)
10. Partnering in healthcare — Public Fertility Care Partnership (The Royal Women’s Hospital)

Premier’s Health Service of the Year Awards

11. Premier’s Primary Healthcare Service of the Year — Oral Health Victoria
12. Premier’s Small Health Service of the Year — Heywood Rural Health
13. Premier’s Medium Health Service of the Year — Dhelkaya Health
14. Premier’s Large Health Service of the Year — St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne

Volunteer Awards

15. Health Volunteer Team of the Year — Volunteer Services Team (Bendigo Health)

Winner spotlight

Among the winners was Werribee Mercy Hospital for its Neonatal and Paediatric Hospital in the Home (HITH) program in the ‘Care in the community’ category. “The service delivers true hospital-level care in the place where families feel the safest: their own home,” Director of Paediatrics Dr Kathy McMahon explained. “It keeps parents close to their baby, builds confidence and strengthens their understanding of their child’s care. We’re incredibly proud of the difference this program is making for families in our community.”

More information on the winners (together with a list and information on category finalists) is available here.

Image (L to R): Clinton Cummins, CEO Health Services, Mercy Health; Sharnee Lowry, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Mercy Health; Dr Jye Gard, Paediatrician, Mercy Health; A Prof Kathy McMahon, Clinical Director of Paediatrics, Mercy Health (Courtesy Mercy Health).