700 years of service recognised

More than 700 years of service were honoured during the presentation of the staff service awards at the 2024 RNH Christmas party.

Welcoming all to the very warm summer day, CEO Jenni Masters thanked Executive Assistant Carolyn Conners and Administration Support Officer Wendy Schulz for their hard work in organising the function, along with the maintenance team who had spent hours manicuring the lawn to ensure it and the pergola area looked amazing for the event.

Shading under the pergola and marquee, the teams caught up over a range of treats from the Seed ‘n’ Sprout and ice cream trucks, while the kids enjoyed activities on offer from Kelly Sports including an egg and spoon race.

Discussing how the party also provided an opportunity for existing, and new, staff to engage with each other, Jenni issued a heartfelt thanks to all for their dedication, hard work, commitment and professionalism.

Board members Katherine Burton, Chair Dr John Aitken and La Vergne Lehmann were invited to present the service awards to the following staff:

45 years: Marie Bellinger
40 years: Mandy Morcom*, Marianne Huebner
35 years: Karen Miller, Brenda Sleep, Sharon Watts
30 years: Sue Sanford, Tony Wagenknecht, Debra Cook
25 years: Sue Forsyth, Kathleen Peters, Debbie Glenn, Pauline Robins
20 years: Bron McIntyre, Rachel Henke, Angelique Koenen, Kimberley Decker, Linda Hinch, Janine Patullo, Christine Harris
15 years: Lynne Boschen, Raelene Fay, Joanne Watson, Lee-Ann Nikkelson, Jade Taylor, Katrina Fallon, Bridget Williams, Helisa Cook, Jacqueline Johnston
10 years: Desna Napthine, Elizabeth Bennett, Paula Connell, Mylaine Wright, Robyn Patten, Madelyn Sinclair, Kellie Heller, Renu Maliackal Saivadas.

Note: Some of the team were unable to make the presentation and will receive their awards this week.
*In line with Mandy’s wishes, RNH has not published her image.

Enrolled Nurse Stephanie Doolan and Movement Disorder Nurse Lou Bellizzi were named the winners of the Leo Casey Scholarships and will use their scholarships to assist with completion of nursing, and sexual health training, respectively.

Leo is a former RNH Board chair and director who has dedicated his life to helping others to learn and grow, and his scholarship supports RNH team members to undertake learning which will increase the capability and capacity of our workforce to deliver high quality, safe care and services to our communities.

After many years honouring staff, 2023 sadly saw the final year of the Betty Richardson award as Betty requested to step down.

RNH thanks Betty for her support and guidance over the years and acknowledges her contribution to staff excellence and growth.

This then gave RNH an opportunity to renew the awards to a new format, with 2024 seeing the introduction of a new series of awards across four categories:

– The Individual Award, nominated by the staff member’s Team Leader or Manager, was awarded to the staff member who displayed a commitment to excellence against RNH’s values of being caring and connected, a lifelong learner, who listens and collaborates, and is friendly and enjoys their work.
A total of 12 nominations were received for this category, with Hopetoun Administration Tahlia Durie named the winner.

Tahlia has exceeded expectations in her role as Hopetoun’s Administrator throughout 2024. She has worked independently for much of the year, consistently maintaining a professional attitude and never complaining about her workload.

Tahlia remains positive and is welcoming to both new staff and the public, always going out of her way to make them feel comfortable at the Hopetoun Campus.

– The Improvement Award recognises evidence of a project showing improvement for delivery of services.
Winner, Dietitian Vincent Ablaza’s creation of optimised spreadsheets and fillable forms significantly enhances the efficiency of dietetic services by streamlining the handling of medical information.

These tools enable standardised data collection, reducing redundancy and minimising errors, while providing a centralised repository for client information that is both accessible and compliant with privacy regulations.

By simplifying data management and facilitating analysis, such as tracking nutritional outcomes or generating reports, these resources save time and allow dietitians to focus more on patient care. Additionally, they support personalised care by ensuring quick access to up- to-date information, fostering improved collaboration within interdisciplinary teams, and ultimately contributing to better client outcomes. These advancements could also pave the way for further innovations, such as automated dietary calculations or integration with electronic medical records.

– The Team Award recognised the team that worked together and achieved goals as a team. The team/s can be from the same service or a team across services.
This year there were 2 nominees, with the Reception and Administration team named winner.

The Reception and Administration team have shown exceptional dedication, efficiency and commitment supporting smooth operation of the front of house and enhancing productivity.

Their proactive approach, attention to detail and consistent delivery of high-quality results have made a remarkable impact. The teams’ contributions are invaluable to achieving our organisation’s goals and overall success.

– The Community Engagement Award recognised the team that implemented a project that has shown significant engagement with the community and/or partnering with our consumers.
Winners were the Community Health Promotion Team comprising of Bernie O’Connor, Tif Devasia, and Mel Jefferies.

The Community Health Promotion Team has demonstrated significant engagement with the community by actively participating in field days and show events.

Their efforts focus on promoting skin cancer checks and raising breast cancer awareness, two critical areas of preventative health.

The team’s key activities and achievements included:

Attending several community events to increase awareness of early detection and cancer prevention.
Collaborating with local organisations and community members to ensure health promotion messages were widely disseminated.
Providing accessible and relatable education about the importance of regular health checks, particularly for skin and breast cancer.
Strengthening relationships with community members, fostering trust and encouraging proactive health measures.

Winding up the awards, Dr Aitken wished all a Merry Christmas and a safe, happy holiday season.

Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners.