November 2003

Excellence in primary health care recognised

Mildura Rural City Council has been recognised for its Outstanding Achievement in Primary and Community Health in the 2003 Awards for Innovation and Excellence in Primary Health Care.

The Council received the award for Connectingcare.com—Networking to Increase Access—an electronic referral and service directory between primary health agencies.

This system is now operating in multiple local government and primary care sites across Victoria.

Other finalists in this category were the Upper Hume Primary Care Partnership (lead agency Upper Hume Community Health) and the Victorian Medicare Action Group.

The Outstanding Achievement category was one of seven attracting 87 nominations for the Innovation and Excellence in Primary Health Care awards.

Nominations came from community health services, local government, primary care partnerships, divisions of General Practice, hospitals, Royal District Nursing Service and other community-based primary health services.

The awards were organised by the Primary and Community Health Network—a collaborative partnership of peak organisations including the Victorian Health Care Association’s sub-branch Community Health Victoria, the Australian Institute for Primary Care at La Trobe University, the Victorian Community Health Association, General Practice Divisions Victoria, Municipal Association of Victoria, the Royal District Nursing Service and the Department of Human Services’ Primary and Community Health Branch.

A separate and independent panel of judges assessed each category.

The awards were presented by Parliamentary Secretary for Health Daniel Andrews at a celebration dinner at the Darebin Arts and Entertainment Centre.

Winners and finalists for each award category were:

• Health Promotion award to Moonee Valley City Council for its H20 for Moonee Valley Kids—an innovative program that worked with schools, pre-schools and parents to encourage drinking water instead of sweetened drinks. Finalists were Melbourne Moonee Valley Primary Care Partnership for Youth Access and Darebin Community Health Service for Feeling Good about using Accessible Transport.

• Direct Care award to Darebin Community Health Service for its Beyond Survival program for women who have experienced sexual abuse as children. Finalists were Austin Health for Integrated Disease Management and North Yarra Community Health for Next Door Primary Health Care Facility.

• Consumer and Community Participation award to the North West Region Migrant Resource Centre for its Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Local Diabetes Resource and Service Development project. Finalists were Banyule Nillumbik Primary Care Alliance for Take The Pressure Down and Upper Murray Health and Community Services for Upper Murray Community-led Consultation.

• Improving Quality award to Castlemaine and District Community Health Centre for its organisation-wide Improving Quality program. The finalist was Southern Health for its Risk Management in Primary Care program.

• Organisational Development and Innovation award to the South East Primary Care Partnership for its Integrated Disease Management Diabetes project. Finalists were Whitehorse Community Health Service for the Community Health, Health Promotion Special Initiative Group and the Kingston City Council for its program to support and develop a skilled Home and Community Care workforce and program initiatives to meet the complex needs of frail clients.

Refugee Health was a specialist category for 2003.

Darebin Community Health Service received the Refugee Health award for its Welcoming, Supporting And Advocating For Health Rights Of Refugees project.

Finalists were the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre for its Bula Bula Health project and the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture for Building on an Early Health Intervention Program for Refugees and Asylum Seekers.

Award sponsors included the Department’s Primary and Community Health Branch, BDO Accountants and Advisors, Silver Circle Home Support Services, General Practice Divisions-Victoria, Victorian Community Health Association, Primary Health Care in Action, Community Health Victoria (VHA) and the Australian Institute for Primary Care.

The Awards were held in conjunction with the Not Just Health: Primary Health Care Addressing Health Inequalities conference organised by the Primary and Community Health Network.

• For more information on the award-winning projects and conference proceedings visit www.latrobe.edu.au/aipc.cdih/pchnetwork.