Primary Healthcare Award winners announced
Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network’s (MPHN) 2019 Primary Healthcare Award winners have been announced over the weekend.
Coolamon’s 12-week Empower Challenge took out Murrumbidgee Community Grant of the Year for providing 82 women an opportunity to escape the stresses of drought.
Temora’s Great Quack Quest was recognised for its innovative campaign to attract GPs to town with the Innovation award.
Calvary Riverina Hospital’s Women’s Wellness and Recovery Program was received the Promoting Healthy Living award.
Retired GP, Dr Kamath was recognised for his Outstanding Contribution to Community after dedicating 43 years as a general practitioner in Temora.
MPHN Board Chair, Dr Jodi Culbert said the awards recognise the valuable and significant work being undertaken by health professionals, organisations and communities to improve health outcomes across the region.
“This year we have four award categories and overall we had a total of 22 nominations – all very deserving in their own right, Dr Culbert said.
“We had two finalists for each award category and either of them could have taken home the winner’s trophy, which is a testament to your hard work and dedication to improve the health of your communities.
“While I only officially judged one of the award categories, I read all the applications and was pleased to see so much innovation, passion and improved health outcomes resulting from all of the programs, activities and people nominated for our Primary Healthcare Awards.
“Thank you to all applicants for making time to nominate and congratulations to all our winners and runner’s up for each award category,” she said.
MPHN CEO, Melissa Neal said the awards evening was a great way to celebrate the region’s successes.
“We had around 75 people from across the Murrumbidgee attend the awards dinner, from doctors, nurses, practice managers and our other health partners,” Ms Neal said.
“The awards presentation provides not only an opportunity for the finalists to be recognised, but also allows people across the region to learn about other projects from the region and how they could be adapted to their local communities.
“I would like to thank those for making time in your busy schedules to join us, and congratulate all our finalists and nominees,” she said.
See more details about the awards further below.
MURRUMBIDGEE COMMUNITY GRANT OF THE YEAR
This award aims recognise excellence in developing and delivering an activity or event funded by a Murrumbidgee Community Grant. The recipient of this award has demonstrated how their event or activity supported the mental health and wellbeing in a drought affected community.
WINNER: The Empower Challenge, Maddox Group Exercise and PT – Serinah Maddox
Maddox Group Exercise and PT received a Murrumbidgee Community Grant for its Empower Challenge. The free 12 week wellbeing challenge for women in Coolamon was attended by 82 people. Participants focused on developing all components of their health – physical, mental, social and emotional wellbeing. The program provided an opportunity for regular exercise and escape the daily stresses of rural living. It also helped build relationships, communication, develop coping skills and strategies, and foster resilience to support their own friends and families. One participant said “I really feel that being part of an awesome group like this has fostered so many good things.”
RUNNER-UP: Active Farmers Games, Active Farmers – Ginny Stevens
Active Farmers received a Murrumbidgee Community Grant to support its inaugural Active Farmers Games held in March 2019 at Lake Centenary Temora. The aim was to raise the awareness about the importance of physical and mental health and community connectedness. Around 250 people attended, which included 81 adults and 50 children tackling an obstacle course around the lake. The atmosphere had an extremely positive and uplifting feel to it, with people covered in mud sporting grins from ear to ear! One unexpected outcome was the positive impact on the children. It was heart-warming to see the children smiling and laughing during these tough times.
INNOVATION
The Innovation award is to recognise those who are promoting new or creative ways to improve the health and wellbeing of our community.
WINNER: The Great Quack Fest, Temora Medical Complex, represented by Dr Jennifer Smith
In early 2018, faced with the imminent retirement of two of its long standing doctors and with no replacements on the horizon, Temora Medical Complex started an innovative plan to attract doctors to town. The brief was to focus on the quality of life living in a small town with a cohesive community, job satisfaction and finding the right fit for the practice. And so, the Great Quack Quest was born. It involved social media, a public competition, and short videos of a day in the life of a GP in Temora, culminating in the release of a three-minute music video.
RUNNER-UP: Hampers of Hope, Griffith Meals on Wheels, represented by Margaret King
Griffith Meals on Wheels implemented a program to change the way its local supermarkets’ unwanted food is disposed. The Hampers of Hope program collects fresh food items which have been identified as not sellable to the public. Fresh goods are also donated from other local suppliers and farmers. This food is then sorted into hampers and distributed by a referral system. Lists of services, schools and not for profit organisations are allocated hampers and on average 25 full hampers are created and distributed daily.
PROMOTING HEALTHY LIVING
The Promoting Healthy Living award is to recognise projects encouraging people to take ownership of their own health and wellbeing.
WINNER: Women’s Wellness and Recovery Program, Calvary Riverina Hospital, represented by General Manager Robin Haberecht
The Women’s Wellness and Recovery Program is provided by the Calvary Drug and Alcohol Centre to support pregnant women and women with children under age five years who are experiencing concerns’ with their drug and alcohol use. The program aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the women and their children through the provision of midwifery support including antenatal assessment, drug and alcohol counselling, care coordination, parenting education and group support programs. Since launching 175 women have received support including linking in with GP and antenatal care teams. Every effort is made to services are trauma informed and culturally safe.
RUNNER-UP: Improved Adult Immunisations project, Lakeside Medical Centre – Finley, represented by Practice Manager Catherine Ryan
Lakeside Medical Centre aimed to improve its adult immunisation rates for shingles, pneumococcal and influenza with its Improved Adult Immunisations project. The practice already had a good uptake of influenza immunisation; however, the rate of pneumococcal immunisation was poor in comparison. The practice took a multi-combination approach to increase rates by implementing a Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle. Elements included sending letters and text messages and checking patient history. Data was used monthly to monitor and review process.
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITY
The Outstanding Contribution to Community award is to recognise a health professional or practice that has made an outstanding contribution to primary health service delivery in the Murrumbidgee.
WINNER: Dr Kamath, Temora Medical Complex, represented by Dr Jennifer Smith
Dr M A R Kamath who is known as “Ajit” served the local community of Temora for more than 43 years as a general practitioner. He was a Visiting Medical Officer and surgeon at the Temora and District Hospital from April 1975 until 2012. After finishing his medical training in 1965 in India he moved to England for surgical training and worked as a house surgeon and registrar, before qualifying in 1969 with Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh). Dr Kamath came to Australia in April 1975 and commenced work at was known as the Temora Medical Centre, where he worked until his retirement in October last year.
RUNNER-UP: Dr Antoinette Del Popolo, Corowa Medical Centre
Dr Antoinette Del Popolo has provided care to the community of Corowa since she joined the Corowa Medical Centre in 1997. She is a GP obstetrician, with a strong interest in nutritional medicine, and has been key in leading Corowa Medical Centre’s focus on quality improvement, and the building of our medical neighbourhood. Dr Del Popolo has been the clinical lead in various MPHN funded projects which have seen continued service improvement through the instigation of multidisciplinary team meetings and the building and creation of communication and referral pathways. These projects have ignited a new awareness and the need to remove silos and embed holistic integrated care into everyday practice of the local health and community sector.