MPHN celebrates award winners and finalists in Primary Healthcare Awards 2021
A morning tea was held on Friday 11 March 2022 to celebrate the award winners and finalists in the 2021 Primary Healthcare Awards.
Award winners and finalists across the Murrumbidgee were recognised for their passion and contribution to their communities in four categories: Promoting Healthy Living, Award for Innovation, Grant of the Year award and Outstanding Contribution to Leadership.
Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network CEO Melissa Neal acknowledged all eight finalists and said the various challenges over the past two years with drought, bushfires and COVID-19 has resulted in changes to the way people work and live.
“Resilience is something we often refer to, and what we’ve seen is resilience often comes from within communities and through people connecting. It might be one person reaching out or doing something differently to inspire others,” Ms Neal said.
“The activities and initiatives instigated by all our finalists are so very worthy of formal recognition, and I congratulate your all for supporting rural communities across our region.
“We know each activity that has been recognised, whether a winner or finalist, has made a significant difference in the lives of the people living across the Murrumbidgee, and for that I extend my heartfelt congratulations for all you do in improving the health of your communities.”
The 2021 Primary Healthcare winners and finalists are:
Outstanding Contribution to Leadership in Primary Healthcare
Winner: Kylie Perry – Murrumbidgee Pain Hub
Kylie Perry established and led the Murrumbidgee Pain Hub to improve the management of patients with persistent pain using a collaborative, multi-disciplinary model delivering nine, collaborative professional development sessions, ensuring access to contemporary research and resources for local clinicians. Kylie demonstrated a commitment to the Murrumbidgee region by working with her colleagues across disciplines to create a nurturing learning environment for health professionals who are dedicated to supporting patients with persistent pain.
Finalist: Brodie Palmer – Rural Health, Tumut
Exercise Physiologist Brodie Palmer has advocated and promoted the importance of regular physical exercise and better health care for people living with chronic conditions. Brodie holds twice weekly ‘Active Ageing’ classes for people aged over 65, runs the Beat It Program for Diabetics organised by Diabetes NSW and is a volunteer trainer for Active Farmers. Brodie has also made an impact with younger members of the community encouraging some to study Exercise Physiology themselves.
Innovation
Winner: Gidget Foundation – Alternative Workforce Program
After identifying there were alternative clinicians in the region who could potentially deliver an appropriate and high quality clinical perinatal psychological service but who were currently unable to bill under Medicare’s Better Access Initiative, Gidget Foundation proposed and implemented an initiative to expand the criteria to include suitably experienced and qualified mental health clinicians and are now able to invest less time and resources on recruitment efforts for the Murrumbidgee region.
Promoting Healthy Living
Winner: 2021 Youth Mental Health Forum, headspace Wagga Wagga
The 2021 Youth Mental Health Forum was held at the Wagga Wagga Christian College and involved over 120 students and 20 teaching staff from 16 regional high schools. The aim of the forum was to empower young people to address mental health problems being faced by the individual, peers, family or broader community networks. The forum also aimed to build capacity within the school environment to effectively bring about change regarding mental health and wellbeing.
Finalist: Sunflower House, Wagga Wagga
Sunflower House is based in Wagga Wagga and provides psychosocial support to members on a one-to-one and group basis. The organisation’s Mental Health Support Workers understand the relationship between mental and physical health and create a nurturing and supportive environment to facilitate a progressive recovery. Members' engagement in healthy living is evident through regular face-to-face interaction, which enhances the nurturing and respectful environment at Sunflower House.
Finalist: Dietary Intervention Program, Dr Heba Azer, KRS Health, Wagga Wagga
The Lifestyle Dietary Intervention program implemented by Dr Heba Azer utilises motivational interviewing and health promotions to deliver dietary and lifestyle advice using a low carbohydrate approach. The target group are patients who have experienced struggles with weight management or have shown biochemical evidence of metabolic syndrome such as prediabetes or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This approach demonstrated great benefit for those newly diagnosed as well as established type 2 diabetics.
Murrumbidgee Grant of the Year
Winner: Gogeldrie Community Gym
Murrumbidgee Community Grant recipient Gogeldrie Community Gym provides community members with a place to connect, gain confidence and improve their physical and mental wellbeing. The gym has become a place where community matters of concern are discussed, information is shared, and support is given. After a long period of drought, the members have become a close unit who value the safety and welfare of each other and promote the gym in the wider community.
Finalist: Community ‘Gather’ Events – Snowy Valleys Council
The Connecting Communities 'Gather' events were created with the support of a Bushfire Recovery Grant to provide a space for the Adelong, Batlow, Jingellic, Tumbarumba and Tumut communities to ‘gather’ in a social environment and reconnect after a prolonged period of limited social interaction. It was also an opportunity to embed supporting agencies in a less formal way and provide an inclusive space for all ages and demographics.