Who gets a share of the $60,000 prize pool?
The winners of the HESTA Excellence Awards were announced last night at a function in Melbourne, recognising individuals and teams working in disability, allied health, aged care, and community service sectors across the country.
The finalists, narrowed down to 24 from a wider pool of almost 400 nominations, included individuals and teams from Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland.
HESTA CEO Debby Blakey offered heartfelt congratulations to both the winners and finalists.
“These teams and organisations have demonstrated outstanding excellence in providing essential services, significantly improving the lives of patients, clients and their families,” Ms Blakey said.
“We deeply appreciate these professionals’ daily contributions to the Disability, Allied Health, Aged Care, and Community Services sectors. It’s a great privilege for the HESTA team to acknowledge these finalists and shine a spotlight on the crucial work done by so many across these sectors.”
The Western Kids Health Complex Care Team from WA were awarded the gong for allied health team excellence in recognition of their work with children and youths with complex and invisible conditions such as Ehlers Danlos syndrome.
“This recognition validates our efforts and motivates us to continue striving for excellence, innovation, and compassionate care in our field. It acknowledges the dedication and expertise of our multidisciplinary team,” said Rowan Pearce, head of complex care at Western Kids Health.
The aged care individual leadership award went to Geraldene Marr, who has spent 10 years working to improve the lives of elderly Aboriginal community members by creating a space where clients feel valued and respected.
“This award validates the hard work, dedication, and compassion that I bring to my role in aged care every day. This recognition not only highlights the efforts of our entire team but also brings attention to the importance of providing culturally sensitive care and support to our aging population,” Ms Marr said.
The eight winners each received $7500 in prizemoney, which can be used for educational purposes, service improvement, or team development.
The full list of winners:
- Allied Health – Team Excellence: Western Kids Health Complex Care Team (WA)
- Allied Health – Individual Leadership: Prue Walker, Monash Children’s Hospital (VIC)
- Aged Care – Team Excellence: FRIEND Team, The Good Shepherd Home (QLD)
- Aged Care – Individual Leadership: Geraldene Marr, Wyanga Aboriginal Aged Care (NSW)
- Community Services – Team Excellence: Little Dreamers (VIC)
- Community Services – Individual Leadership: Kylie Pussell, Miracle Babies Foundation (NSW)
- Disability Services – Team Excellence: ‘Aspire to Be’ Yooralla project team (VIC)
- Disability Services – Individual Leadership: Samara Cunningham, (It’s No) Drama (VIC).