NBMLHD celebrates excellence and innovation at 2026 Together Awards
Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District staff were recognised and celebrated for their extraordinary contributions to patient care, service delivery and research at the 2026 Celebrate Together Excellence Awards.
The awards exemplify what it means to go above and beyond to drive meaningful change, improve health outcomes and strengthen the experiences of patients, families and staff across our hospitals and services.
Across a diverse range of categories this year’s recipients highlight the depth of commitment and collaboration that exists throughout the District. From advancing environmental sustainability, to embedding culturally safe care, harnessing data and research and transforming patient and staff experiences, these achievements reflect the very best of contemporary healthcare.
What unites all of our winners is a shared dedication to putting people first. Whether supporting vulnerable communities, pioneering new models of care or fostering strong, inclusive workplace cultures, each recipient demonstrates how excellence is achieved through teamwork, innovation and a genuine passion for making a difference.
We are proud to recognise the 2026 Together Awards winners and celebrate their outstanding contributions to healthier communities across Nepean Blue Mountains.
Environmental Sustainability Award
Winner: Nepean Hospital Green ED Team
The Green ED Team at Nepean Hospital is leading the way in embedding sustainability into everyday emergency care.
This multidisciplinary team has achieved Bronze GreenED accreditation while driving practical changes across waste, energy use and clinical practice.
By introducing lower carbon approaches, they are improving efficiency, reducing environmental impact and supporting safer patient-centred care.
Through strong staff engagement and data-driven action they’ve shown sustainability is not an add-on, but part of delivering high-quality healthcare.
Excellence in Aboriginal Healthcare Award
Winner: Direct Access Colonoscopy (DAC) Improvement Project
The Direct Access Colonoscopy Improvement Team is advancing culturally safe, equitable care for Aboriginal communities across the District.
This team partnered closely with local Aboriginal communities and health partners to co-design solutions that improve access to vital colonoscopy services.
Through yarning circles, community education and culturally tailored resources, they addressed barriers, built trust and strengthened engagement in bowel screening.
Educator of the Year Award
Winner: Irene Goodwin
Irene Goodwin drives exceptional educational leadership, actively shaping workforce capability across NBMLHD and beyond.
Irene draws on decades of clinical, academic and educator experience to lead with innovation, delivering major initiatives such as the CNME Framework, statewide education programs and new digital learning solutions.
Through this work, she has strengthened career pathways, improved training consistency and empowered staff across disciplines to grow and succeed.
Respected locally, statewide and internationally, Irene leads with professionalism, integrity and a clear vision for excellence in education.
Excellence in Mental Health Award
Winner: Psychiatric Emergency Care Centre (PECC)
The Psychiatric Emergency Care Centre delivers outstanding, timely, and compassionate mental health care.
The service drives strong clinical governance and consistently achieves excellent results. The team maintains a 4.3-hour average length of stay, keeps readmissions to just 4.3% and eliminates the use of restraint and seclusion, all while placing consumer and carer experience at the centre of everything they do.
The Centre also leads in early intervention and actively supports staff wellbeing, recognising that a well-supported team is essential to delivering great care.
Volunteer of the Year Award
Winner: Ross Drum
Ross Drum is as an exceptional volunteer who enriches the experience of patients, families and staff at Hawkesbury District Hospital through his dedication and care.
Ross consistently goes above and beyond, contributing to important community moments and enhancing the hospital environment for everyone.
He has transformed the Serenity Garden into a peaceful sanctuary, creating a space where people can pause, reflect, and recharge. His care, consistency, and attention to detail brings comfort to people during difficult times.
Health Equity Award
Winner: Prevention & Response to Violence Abuse and Neglect (PARVAN) Strategic Team
The PARVAN Strategic Team is strengthening health equity by ensuring vulnerable people receive safe, trauma-informed care when it matters most.
This multidisciplinary team actively unites six specialist programs to build workforce capability and deliver consistent, system-wide responses to violence, abuse and neglect.
Through tailored education, expert consultation and proactive engagement, they equip staff across the District to respond with confidence, compassion and cultural safety.
Their work is expanding access, protecting those at risk, and embedding equity into everyday care.
Health Innovation Award
Winner: Insights Hub team
The Insights Hub Team is redefining how data drives decision-making across the District.
The team has built an innovative Insights Hub that brings clinical, operational and workforce data into one central platform, shifting teams from looking back at what’s happened to anticipating what comes next.
By forecasting demand, identifying risks early and enabling smarter resource allocation, the Hub has become a powerful engine for real-time service improvement that’s supporting more responsive, efficient care.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Excellence in Cultural Leadership and Health Improvement Award
Winner: Vicki Thom
Vicki Thom is an exceptional cultural leader who actively strengthens trust, connection and culturally safe care at Hawkesbury District Hospital.
Vicki has led the planning and delivery of National Sorry Day for many years. She brings together Elders, community, and partners to create a respectful space for reflection, truth-telling and healing.
Through her leadership, she amplifies Aboriginal voices in hospital practice, builds understanding and fosters meaningful, lasting relationships across the community.
Patient Safety First Award
Winner: FROP: Com Baby
The Community Health Centre Falls Working Group is redefining how patient safety education is delivered in community care.
The team identified low compliance with falls risk assessments and responded with creativity and leadership developing FROP Com Baby, an engaging and memorable training video.
Their approach captured staff attention, strengthened knowledge retention and embedded safer practice into everyday care.
By thinking outside the box, the team has improved awareness, boosted compliance and enhanced the safety of clients living at home.
Health Research Award
Winner: Nepean Hospital ICU Genomics & Precision Medicine Team: PREDICT-19 Project
The Nepean ICU Genomics and Precision Medicine Team is leading the way in delivering critical care through innovative research.
The team is applying advanced genomics and machine learning to transform how serious infections are diagnosed and managed, helping clinicians to better predict patient deterioration.
Their work is already delivering clear translational benefits which is supporting better triage and more targeted treatments and reducing unnecessary antibiotic use.
Keeping People Healthy Award
Winner: NBMLHD 4yr old Screening Programs: Brighter Beginnings Health and Development Checks and Statewide Eyesight Preschooler Screening (StEPS)s
The Child and Family Health Service is transforming early childhood prevention across Nepean Blue Mountains through an innovative, integrated screening model.
By bringing together two key programs into a single, streamlined approach the team has improved access for families and educators alike.
Their work is delivering results over 5,500 screenings completed, reaching 85% of four-year-olds and enabling the early identification of hundreds of children needing support.
By actively partnering with families, educators and community services the program is strengthening children’s health and development from the very start.
Transforming Patient Experience Award
Winner: Hawkesbury District Hospital High Volume Short Stay (HVSS) Model of Care
Hawkesbury District Hospital’s High‑Volume Short Stay Orthopaedic Model is transforming how patients experience surgical care.
The team has reimagined care delivery by placing patients firmly at the centre, combining structured education, shared decision-making and home-based physiotherapy to support recovery beyond the hospital stay.
Their approach is delivering remarkable results, reducing the average length of stay from four days to just one or two, while improving access, safety and patient confidence.
People and Culture Award
Winner: Psychiatric Emergency Care Centre (PECC) Nursing Team – Staff Wellbeing Project
The Psychiatric Emergency Care Centre Nursing Team is redefining how staff wellbeing drives safe, high-quality patient care.
The team recognise that when staff feel supported and valued, patients do too.
Their strong culture of care is delivering real results with Your Experience Survey and Carer Experience Survey feedback showing that consumers and carers feel safe, respected, and actively involved in care.
By continuously improving and prioritising both their people and their patients, the team has created a calmer, more compassionate environment for everyone.
Excellence in Multicultural Health Award
Winner: Healthy Afghan Seniors
This community-led initiative shows what’s possible when care is designed with culture, connection and collaboration at its heart.
The program was recognised for breaking down barriers faced by older Afghan community members, delivering a 12-week in-language program that improved health literacy, increased confidence and supported safer, healthier ageing.
Through strong partnerships and genuine co-design, the program created a welcoming space for learning, movement, and connection while building lasting links between community and health services.
Staff Member of the Year Award
Winner: Xanthe Pennings
Xanthe Pennings stands out as an exceptional Enrolled Nurse, actively transforming both consumer experience and team culture within the Psychiatric Emergency Care Centre through her compassion, initiative, and leadership.
Xanthe provides calm, person-centred care to consumers in crisis while driving practical, consumer-informed service improvements. She champions carers and families, building trust through clear, empathetic communication, and she mentors students and colleagues with dedication and care.
Widely recognised by her peers for her professionalism and teamwork, Xanthe consistently steps up in high-pressure situations to support both consumers and staff.
Above and Beyond Consumer Choice Award
Winner: Kate Wheaton
Kate Wheaton shows exceptional clinical judgement and unwavering compassion when it matters most.
Kate’s ability to listen and act on her clinical instincts assisted in the discovery of a life-threatening brain tumour. Her actions were praised for likely saving a life.
Kate’s kindness, reassurance, and the genuine care she showed a family during their most difficult days had an equal and lasting impact.
NBMLHD Board Chair's Award
Winner: Psychiatric Emergency Care Centre (PECC)
The Psychiatric Emergency Care Centre delivers outstanding, timely, and compassionate mental health care.
The service drives strong clinical governance and consistently achieves excellent results. The team maintains a 4.3-hour average length of stay, keeps readmissions to just 4.3% and eliminates the use of restraint and seclusion, all while placing consumer and carer experience at the centre of everything they do.
The Centre also leads in early intervention and actively supports staff wellbeing, recognising that a well-supported team is essential to delivering great care.
Thank you to our sponsors
The NBMLHD Celebrate Together Excellence Awards was proudly supported by:
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor