Dedication, innovation and patient-focused care were just some of the actions celebrated during the 2023 Excellence Awards.
The awards night was a special celebration attended by award finalists, their families and Wide Bay HHS leadership.
The event was also attended by the Hon Shannon Fentiman—Minister for Health, Mental Health, Ambulance Services, and Minister for Women; the Acting Director General of Queensland Health, Michael Walsh; Member for Maryborough, Bruce Saunders; Member for Hervey Bay, Adrian Tantari;.and Member for Bundaberg, Tom Smith.
Special guest speaker Sara Faraj shared her experiences with the guests.
The WBHHS Excellence Awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions of individuals and teams who consistently go above and beyond in their service to the community.
This year, 277 nominations were received across various award categories.
The WBHHS 2023 Excellence Awards have once again demonstrated the commitment of our staff to deliver outstanding patient care, improve health outcomes for First Nations people, foster a culture of volunteerism, and embody the organisation's values and behaviors. These awards have served as a beacon of appreciation for the tireless efforts of those working within the WBHHS.
I’m pleased to share the list of winners from this year’s WBHHS Excellence Awards following a wonderful evening celebrating all of our finalists.
Collaboration Award
Bundaberg Acute Care Team for their ongoing dedication to enhanced mental health care in the community and their commitment to partnering with local NGO and other agencies.
Accountability Award
The Gin Gin Hospital Team for their ongoing advocacy and excellence in nursing services offered to their local community. The Gin Gin Hospital Team received overwhelmingly positive community feedback, highlighting the exceptional impact of their team on the local community.
Respect Award
Kate Close (Porter, Bundaberg) for the consistent, sensitive support she offers for morgue cases, including stakeholder engagement, diligence and an ongoing commitment to the dignity of deceased patients and their families.
Excellence Award
Hervey Bay Department of Medicine for being forward-thinking, innovative and patient-focused in their commitment to implementing alternative models to achieve efficient and sustainable service delivery.
Through Patients’ Eyes Award (joint winners)
Ashlea Seabrook (Social Worker, Childers) for being a tireless advocate for the rights and the voices of her patients. She has approached patient care collaboratively, involving patients and their carers in the decision-making process.
Step Up Step Down Team for providing a structured service and person-centred recovery model. the service provides a ’step up’ from the community setting to avoid mental health inpatient admission, and a ’step down’ from the inpatient unit to assist in transitioning home.
Cultural Connections Award (joint winners)
Eidsvold Multipurpose Health Service for their commitment to improving health care access and outcomes, empowering First Nations consumers with information, and advocating for health equity. All staff are proactive in facilitating the transfer of local patients back on Country, acknowledging the high importance and benefit to spiritual and physical health that being surrounded by family and connected to country brings.
First Nations Health Equity Strategy Team for the extensive stakeholder engagement that they undertook to develop, design and tailor the health service’s inaugural First Nations Health Equity Strategy to meet the needs of the Wide Bay First Nations communities. T
Volunteer Award
Peter Nell for his positive outlook, considered comments and willingness to take on various tasks, all in an effort to engage with the health service to ensure consumer perspectives are integrated into service delivery and evaluation.
Every Value Every Day Award
Theresa 'Max' Coughlin (Menu Monitor, Hervey Bay) for being an integral part of ensuring the provision of the correct and safe diet and fluids for patients at Hervey Bay Hospital. Recently, Max has contributed greatly to the new menu roll-out at Hervey Bay Hospital in accordance with international initiatives, working closely with the speech pathology, dietetics and food services teams.
WBHH Board Values Ambassador Awards:
Torgeir Kvernhusvik (Radiographer, Bundaberg) for his consistent leadership, teamwork and support for other radiographers in the health service, including reviewing all X-rays taken by the rural operators and providing ongoing mentoring and constructive feedback to allow them to optimise their skills.
Dr Benjamin Croton (Clinical Director Emergency Department, Hervey Bay) in recognition of his dedication to the Hervey Bay and Maryborough Emergency Departments, allowing them to flourish in challenging circumstances and deliver patient-centred care, while also improving staff morale.
Tracy Harvey (Dental Assistant, Maryborough) for motivating, inspiring, supporting and advocating for the dental assistant teams within all clinics across the health service.
Dr Graham Rowles (Medical Officer with Private Practice, Mundubbera) for his steadfast support and care for his team and colleagues, which has been paramount to the continuation of high-quality care and services to the North Burnett community.
We were fortunate to host a number of integral members of our healthcare system and our community. Thank you to the Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services and Minister for Women, The Hon. Shannon Fentiman MP, Acting Director-General of Queensland Health, Michael Walsh, Member for Maryborough, Bruce Saunders MP, Member for Hervey Bay, Adrian Tantari MP and Member for Bundaberg, Tom Smith MP for joining us for the awards.
WBHHS Chief Executive Debbie Carroll said, “I would like to acknowledge the individual staff and teams who were nominated. It was wonderful to see the quality and diversity in the 277 nominations that we received.
Each and every day I am proud of the work you all do and the outcomes we achieve for our patients, consumers and community as a result of all your efforts.
“Together, we make a difference, and together, we make our healthcare system stronger.”