Quality in the spotlight: Western Sydney Local Health District awards

Teams and nominees from across our hospitals, clinical, and community-based services proudly showcased creativity and collegiality at the Western Sydney Local Health District 2025 Quality Awards.

An innovative model from Blacktown Hospital’s Emergency Department, the iGEM model, took the top prize claiming the Chief Executive’s Exceptional Contribution Award.

Executive Director of Quality and Safety, Peter Hockey emceed the event, steering the event throughout an evening of excellence.

“Everything you do contributes to quality and care,” Peter said.

“Tonight shows the staff of Western Sydney can do remarkable things together and it’s this work that makes a difference,” Peter said.

All finalists from the 2025 Quality Awards at each hospital were commended for them for their exceptional work, with patient-experience front of mind for all award nominations.

Chair of the Board, Loretta Di Mento, paid heartfelt homage to all the hardworking staff who serve our community every day.

“It’s been amazing to see the resilience, creativity and the strive to excellence in facilities big and small,” Loretta.

“Tonight, we celebrate the people who make it better, who work with the kindness and compassion that lifts others up,” Loretta said.

Loretta extended her thanks to everyone working in the district, to those in the room and those who contributed in their every day work.

“Behind every innovative solution, there are people who care and people who chose to make a difference,” Loretta said.

The 28 finalists of the night were recognised for a range of categories from Multicultural Healthcare to Aboriginal Healthcare, Patient Safety First to Environmental Sustainability; the awards show that people in every corner of every hospital across the district and searching for improvements to make our care, and health, better.

Chief Executive from the Clinical Excellence Commission, Adjunct Professor Michael Nicholl, commended staff.

“Safety and quality are not just goals but lived values across the organisation,” Michael said.

“These are shaping a workforce that is curious, and one must be curious to change things. Listening to patients and families to drive improvements that truly matter to those who you care for,” Michael said.

In presenting the Chief Executive’s Exceptional Contribution Award, Acting Chief Executive Amanda Larkin says the enthusiasm she has encountered in her time has been ‘absolutely amazing’.

“It’s an amazing night in terms of celebrating great work and leadership across the district,” Amanda said.

Noting not just the winners or the finalists, but the people who work hard everyday looking for finding ways to improve systems, make people’s life better and provide better healthcare.

“Be incredibly proud of the efforts you make and understand the impact you have on people’s lives,” Amanda said.

“Be proud of the work you do for the people of the west and as someone great said, the west is the best,” Amanda said.

Here is the full list of winners:

Excellence in Aboriginal Healthcare Award: The New Directions Aboriginal Mothers and Babies Program, Budjery Manya

Environmental Sustainability Award: Removing Unnecessary Bugs and Barriers OFF , Blacktown & Mount Druitt Hospitals Infection Prevention and Control Unit

Excellence in Staff Empowerment and Growth Award: Changing the Quality Improvement landscape in Occupational Therapy, Westmead Hospital

Health Innovation Award: Scope for Improvement: A Colonoscopy Quality Indicator Dashboard by the Gastroenterology Department at Blacktown Hospital AND Procedural Sedation in the B21 Endoscopy Unit at Blacktown Hospital 

Health Research Award: Western Sydney Clinical Frailty Registry Project by Blacktown & Mount Druitt Hospitals Rehabilitation and Aged Care Service, and the Centre for Chronic & Complex Care Research 

Keeping People Healthy Award: Enhancing Syphilis Management and Prevention, Communicable Diseases, Public Health Unit, Integrated and Community Health 

Excellence in Multicultural Healthcare: “What It Means & How It Seems” in Community Palliative Care by Multicultural Health, Priority Populations, Integrated and Community Health

Transforming Patient Experience: Remote Patient Monitoring – Diabetes Tracking Application by Western Sydney Diabetes and Diabetes in Pregnancy Blacktown & Westmead Hospitals

Patient Safety First Award: Improving Adherence to Enoxaparin in Hospital in the Home, Integrated & Community Health AND Hearts Reawakened: Therapeutic Dolls in Dementia Care by Medical 4B Ward, Auburn Hospital

Excellence in the Provision of Mental Health Services Award: Safe Haven – Towards Zero Suicides by Mental Health Services

Excellence in Non-Clinical Service Delivery Award: GP Optimisation by the Clinical Systems Group, Digital Health Solutions

People’s Choice Award: Enhancing Syphilis Management and Prevention in WSLHD

Collaborative Team of the Year Award: Unite – Remodelling the Blacktown & Mount Druitt Hospitals Fracture Clinic

Bright sparQ Award: Makeleta Felila,Community Lifestyle Activator who is part of the Pasifika Preventing Diabetes Program in Integrated & Community Health

Young Leader of the Year: Grace Niccol, Senior Occupational Therapist in the Rehabilitation Team at Westmead Hospital

Consumer/Community Representative of the Year Award: Jan & John Graham who are Mount Druitt Hospital Volunteers

Exceptional Contribution Award: Nicole Winters, Aboriginal Supportive and Palliative Care worker

HCQC Chair’s Award for Commitment to Quality Improvement Award: The INSPIRE Program

The Board Chair’s Award:Young Well Beings, by the Towards Zero Suicides Team, Western Sydney University and Our Young Mums community partners

Chief Executive’s Exceptional Contribution Award: iGEM: An Integrated Geriatric Emergency Medicine Model by Blacktown Hospital Emergency Department