HNE Health’s best and brightest in the spotlight
16 September 2011
Next week (Tuesday 20 September) Hunter New England Health will celebrate its high achieving staff and volunteers at the 2011 HNE Health Achievement Awards Gala Dinner.
The Achievement Awards are held each year to celebrate the people and projects that are influential in improving patient care across the health service. This year, the awards dinner will be held on Tuesday evening, 20 September, in Pokolbin. Winners of the HNE Health Staff Achievement Awards and Quality Awards will be announced on the night.
HNE Health Chief Executive Michael DiRienzo congratulated all the finalists for their outstanding contributions to improving health services.
“The Achievement Awards are one very important way in which we encourage and reward outstanding performance on the part of individuals, teams and volunteers from throughout the Local Health District,” Mr DiRienzo said.
“This year we received a record 118 nominations for the Staff Achievement Awards. This reflects HNE Health’s strong reputation for fostering learning and innovation, and channeling that into improved care for our patients,” Mr DiRienzo said.
“We also received 71 nominations for our Quality Awards. These awards highlight teams that have used quality management principles to significantly improve their service.
“My congratulations go to all finalists for their commitment to their roles and their innovative efforts. The care and dedication these individuals show to their patients and communities – and to the overall health of our region – is definitely worth celebrating.”
The Achievement Awards Gala Dinner will be held in conjunction with the 2011 HNE Health Quality and Scientific Program which will be held on 20 and 21 September at Pokolbin.
The Quality and Scientific Program will be attended by about 200 staff and eminent experts in the fields of quality and safety, clinical and professional development and clinical governance. A number of the nation's healthcare quality leaders will be presenting at the event.
“Hunter New England Health is also extremely grateful to the organisations that have supported the 2011 Achievement Awards event,” Mr DiRienzo said.
Major sponsors for the 2011 event include: NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation; Prosperity Salary Packaging; Travelworld Newcastle; Carestream Health; NuCoal Resources; Cypress Lakes Resort; First State Super and Telstra;.
Below are the 2011 Staff Achievement Awards and Quality Awards finalists. For more information about any of the finalists, call the HNE Health Communication Unit on (02) 4985 5522.
2011 HNE Health Staff Achievement Award finalists
Clinical Leader of the Year
• Mikala Five - Nursing Unit Manager, Medical Unit, Manning Hospital
• Margo Asimus - Nurse Practitioner, Wound Management, Western Newcastle Community Health
• Jennifer Keller - Clinical Nurse Consultant, John Hunter Children’s Hospital
Extended Excellence
• Ian O’Dea - Clinical Lead, Aged Care and Rehabilitation Services Network, Wallsend
• Stephen Collard – Senior Analyst IT&T, John Hunter Hospital
• Dr Eric Ho – Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon, John Hunter Hospital
Healthcare Unit of the Year
• Generalist Care Services, Chronic Care Team – Taree Community Health
• Guyra Multi Purpose Service Team
• Manning Renal Dialysis Team – Manning Hospital
• New England Brain Injury Service - Tamworth
Manager of the Year
• Peter Massey - Program Manager, Population Health, Tamworth
• Jennifer O’Hara - Supply Services Manager, Pharmacy, John Hunter Hospital
• Felicity Wardle - Acting Health Service Manager, Guyra Multi Purpose Service
Outstanding Contribution of the Year
• Derene Anderson – General Manager, Greater Newcastle Cluster, Wallsend
• Sandra Martin – Clinical Information Clerk, Kurri Kurri District Hospital
• Fiona Cameron – Cardiac Nurse, Cardio Pulmonary Rehab Unit, Newcastle Community Health
Support Unit of the Year
• Non-Government Organisation Unit, Newcastle
• CHIME (Community Health Information Management Exchange) Team, Wallsend
• Research Ethics and Governance Unit, Newcastle
Tomorrow’s Leader
• Jessica Clark – Senior Human Resources Consultant, Tamworth
• Dr Younes Ismail – Visiting Medical Officer, Wilson Memorial Community Hospital, Murrurundi
• Jonathan Holt – Raymond Terrace HealthOne Coordinator, Wallsend
Volunteer/s of the Year
• Singleton Hospital Auxiliary members
• Carolyn Humphrey, Inverell District Hospital
• Barbara Dowdell, Guyra Multi Purpose Service
Teacher of the Year
• Cathy Campbell – Senior Pharmacist, Clinical Education and Training
• Dr Elizabeth Jones – Emergency Physician, Tamworth Hospital
• Rebecca Brady – Manager, Capability Services, Organisational Capability and Learning, Tamworth
2011 HNE Health Quality Award finalists
Promoting health category
• Infection control and hand hygiene station – Inverell District Hospital, McIntyre Cluster
• Pit Stop for Youth – Singleton Community Health
• Smoking and cannabis cessation in Summervale Aboriginal community – Tamworth/Nundle Community Health
Creating better journeys – patient safety category
• Blood: A financial, safety and moral responsibility – Mehi Cluster
• Getting it right: Safe administration of patient medications – Singleton District Hospital
• Reducing pressure ulcers in patients with hip fractures – Acute Pain Service, Armidale Hospital
Creating better journeys – improving access to services when and where needed category
• A life worth living; a group worth doing – Hunter Valley Mental Health
• Opening the door on osteoporosis – Royal Newcastle Centre, John Hunter Hospital
• Taking the wait out of waiting lists – HNE Health Oral Health Service
Creating better journeys - improving patient experience category
• Making things sweet for diabetic mothers – Obstetrics and Gynaecology, John Hunter Hospital
• Practice development as a framework to improve communication and patient experience during a hospital admission – Division of Medicine, John Hunter Hospital
• Supporting end of life communication to carers – Community Palliative Care, Lower Hunter Cluster
Improving primary health and care in the community category
• I-Care young carer project – HNE Health EDuCARE Support Service
Building partnerships for health category
• Evaluating our way to success: Area Clinical Networks – HNE Health Area Clinical Networks
• Health and Medical Orders Life Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) – Community Aged Care Services, Greater Newcastle Cluster
Making smart choices category
• Access to eating equipment for all at Tamworth Hospital – Occupational Therapy, Tamworth Hospital
• Midwife-led newborn resuscitation: saving NICU time – Birthing Services and NICU, John Hunter Hospital
• Reducing brown fat improves positron emission tomography – Hunter Nuclear Medicine and PET Service
Building the health workforce category
• Assessing international medical graduates – HNE Health Centre for Medical Professional Development
• Enhancing clinical capacity of HNE Health Pharmacy Service – HNE Health Pharmacy Services
• Strengthening interdisciplinary learning for rural clinicians caring for people with eating disorders – Dietetics, Tamworth Hospital
Being ready for new risks and opportunities category
• HNE Health bushfire response package – HNE Health Disaster Management Unit
Contact: Communication Unit
Phone: 4985 5522