THE Mid North Coast Local Health District’s (MNCLHD) annual Health Innovation Awards have seen three wins by Coffs Harbour-based individuals and teams.
Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Denise McNeill, a General Volunteer at Coffs Harbour Health Campus.
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Excellence in the Provision of Mental Health Services went to the Acute Mental Health Unit at Coffs Harbour Health Campus.
The People and Culture award was won by the Words Matter program.
Words Matter is a program that facilitates discussion about alternative non-judgemental words when describing patients to ensure respectful and dignified communication.
The program provides staff with the right skills to reflect on their language to reduce stigma, create a safe work environment and encourage positive interactions with patients, peer support workers and staff with lived experiences.
By acknowledging the ‘power of words’, staff are encouraged to speak up, respectfully giving other staff alternative words to use, facilitating all staff to become leaders in changing our language.
Showcasing the Mid North Coast’s dedicated healthcare staff, innovative projects and devoted volunteers, the awards highlighted how milestones can be achieved, despite the challenges the district has faced with the COVID-19 pandemic.
MNCLHD Chief Executive Stewart Dowrick applauded the award winners and said the ceremony was an opportunity to recognise the successes of staff and volunteers, while reflecting on how projects and initiatives can help to shape the patient journey.
“It was wonderful to be able to present some well-deserved accolades to the teams and individuals behind these community-focused health solutions that make such a difference in our local communities,” Mr Dowrick said.
“I congratulate all the winners and finalists, and celebrate their dedication, innovation and resilience in both the clinical and corporate setting.”
Several award recipients from the MNCLHD will now be nominated for the NSW Health Awards to be held later in the year.
See more on Denise in this week’s NOTA.
Next week NOTA talks with the Coffs Coast recipients to find out more about what drives them to excel in their volunteering work.
By Andrea FERRARI
