Sixteen Murrumbidgee Local Health District staff have been recognised in the annual health excellence awards, including mental health, drug and alcohol workforce development co-ordinator Pam Brinsmead.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Ms Brinsmead has been in the role since 2011 and was recognised with the board chair's choice award for her role in increasing student placements and developing a partnership with St Vincent's Hospital to guide older persons' mental health services.
"It was to deliver education via Telehealth to staff working in Yathong Lodge and to clinicians working across the district," she said.
The Mental Health Drug and Alcohol (MHDA) Human Resource Taskforce was also noted in Ms Brinsmead's nomination.
"It's been in place since August last year ... to work towards developing evidence-based workforce development.
"We have a 2018-2020 working plan that includes a number of strategies, things like the transitional program for graduate clinicians - that's a really important one.
"The MHDA staff advisory council started up just over a year ago, established to provide staff with formal mechanisms to feed back to the executive.
"There's 14 representatives from each of the mental health, drug and alcohol teams, who attend meetings.
"They engage with their own teams, bring that to the meetings and disseminate what we talk about back to the team."
Of more than 300 staff across MLHD, there are about 115 working in community metal health and drug and alcohol services.
Ms Brinsmead, based at Albury, is in one of 19 district-wide positions.
Recent projects include an upcoming staff wellness forum in Narrandera and a survey with emergency department staff to identity training needs.
IN OTHER NEWS:
"Another project I have a lot of time for is the delivery of targeted education for our ED staff," Ms Brinsmead said.
"We're now in the process of putting an implementation strategy in place around what training can be delivered online and face-to-face."
This year a new Consumer Appreciation Award was introduced so members of the public could recognise a staff member who has demonstrated outstanding patient care.
That was awarded to peer support worker Amanda Underwood of the Wagga Acute Mental Health Inpatient Unit.
Other award recipients were:
- 2018 Don Kendell Memorial Leadership Award Awarded to: Dr Carmelo Aquilina, Consultant Psychogeriatrician, Transitional Behavioural Assessment and Intervention Service (T-Basis) - Yathong Lodge
- Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Award Awarded to: Jackie Brodie, Families NSW
- Collaboration Award Awarded to: The HOPE team situated at Yathong Lodge
- Diversity Award Awarded to: Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras Working Group (Alison Nikitas)
- Excellence Award Awarded to: Eithne Moriarty, Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist, Corowa Cluster
- Leadership Award Awarded to: Dr Alyson Hickey, Clinical Director, Mental Health & Drug and Alcohol Services and Clinical Director, Acute Mental Health Inpatient Services, Wagga Wagga
- Quality & Safety Award Awarded to: Tumut Hospital: Medication Reconciliation (Kellie Oddy)
- Volunteer Award Awarded to: Carol Ford, Murrumburrah-Harden Local Health Advisory Committee (LHAC)
- Focus on Wellness Award Awarded to: Metabolic Obesity Service (Rachel Russell)
- Innovation Award Awarded to: Telehealth team: Virtual Reality in the Paediatric Environment (Shane Delves)
- Research & Innovation Award Awarded to: Best Evidence for Stroke Rehabilitation Therapy (BEST) study: Shannon Pike
- Our People Our Future Award Awarded to: Hillston Multipurpose Service (MPS) team Hillston MPS Facility Manager Courtenay Fensom
- Executive Director Nursing & Midwifery Leadership Award Awarded to: Kristen Brown
- Chief Executive's Choice Award Angela Damm, Clinical Nurse Specialist
