Forty finalists have been announced in the WA Health Excellence Awards, competing across nine areas.
The categories are preventive health, mental health, person-centred care, Aboriginal health, rural and remote health care, research and innovation, workplace wellbeing and culture, sustainability, and safety and quality.
Additionally, The Health Minister’s Award will recognise a West Australian health professional’s lifetime achievement, while the most exceptional team or project will receive the WA Health Director General Award.
“The finalists in this year’s WA Health Excellence Awards, are outstanding health professionals who go above and beyond to provide the best possible care for Western Australians,” WA Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said.
“Their commitment and contribution to our health system means we can all access safe, high quality health care. I wish all the finalists the very best of luck.”
Frontline health professionals received almost 100 nominations acknowledging the exceptional health care provided in WA and all winners will be announced at an award ceremony on Thursday, 7 December 2023.
A new category introduced this year – the 7News Health Hero – has provided patients, colleagues, and the community the opportunity to nominate their own healthcare champion, giving the public the opportunity to thank a person who works within the WA public health system.
Health Hero finalists include Perth Children’s Hospital long-standing senior pharmacist Allan Jones, Child, and Adolescent Health Services Aboriginal health service child health nurse Debbie Scott, PCH oncology nurse Nicole O’Connor, and Clinical Geneticist Professor Gareth Baynam.
Professor Baynam, a practising Clinical Geneticist, has been a regular contributor to Medical Forum magazine and is the Medical Director of the Rare Care Centre, Clinical Centre of Expertise for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases, the Program Director of the Undiagnosed Diseases Program at Genetic Services WA, as well as a Clinical Genomics Policy Advisor with WA Health.