Mid North Coast Local Health District Awards recognise innovation and excellence Coffs Coast Coffs Coast Nambucca Valley by News Of The Area - Modern Media - July 2, 2021 Winners of the Keeping People Healthy Award Vince Carroll and Bonnie Nilsson joined by presenters Governing Board Member Dr Jenny Beange and 2020 award recipient Simon Joice. AFTER hosting a ‘virtual’ event across two sites last year, the Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) staged its annual Health Innovation Awards at an evening event in Coffs Harbour in mid-June. MNCLHD Chief Executive Stewart Dowrick told News Of The Area the annual Health Innovation Awards recognise innovation and excellence in the delivery of health programs and services to the Mid North Coast communities who use the public health system. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au “This year’s awards again showcased innovative ways our dedicated healthcare team and individual workers support better health outcomes for the people of our region,” he said. Awards were presented in nine team and three individual categories including: Excellence in the Provision of Mental Health Services, Health Research and Innovation, Keeping People Healthy, Patient Safety First, People and Culture, Transforming Patient Experience, Close the Gap Award, Governing Board Chair’s Award and the Agency for Clinical Innovation’s (ACI) Innovation Award. Individual awards winners were Coffs Harbour-based Mark Wilson who was named the Collaborative Leader of the Year, Dorrigo’s Lucinda Parker who took out the Staff Member of the Year Award and Helen Mears whose decades of commitment to the Coffs branch of the United Hospital Auxiliaries of NSW earned her the Volunteer of the Year award. Other local programs taking home trophies included the Voice Project, an innovative eight-week program which aims to improve voice-related quality of life for people with Parkinson’s Disease. The online delivery of the program enabled participants to continue to exercise their voices while self-isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARE Collaborative is a project initiated by staff from the Coffs Harbour Health Campus and is designed to provide opportunities for all staff to participate in easily accessible activities such as trivia quizzes and fun events as well as weekly meditation and wellbeing sessions. Unable to meet face-to-face last year, the 2020 award winners were recognised with rousing applause on the night and the opportunity to present awards in the category for which they were honoured. By Andrea FERRARI Coffs Harbour’s CARE Collaborative representatives Lorraine Brown, Casey Cook, Jennie Helisma and Clare Scullion with Governing Board Chair Warren Grimshaw. Staff Member of the Year Lucinda Parker with Governing Board Member Dr Tim Francis and last year’s winner Tracey Patricks. Bonnie Nilsson and Vince Carroll lead the audience in a singing exercise at the MNCLHD Health Innovation Awards with their Voice Project.
