Category Awards
Page contents: Important entry information | Entry steps | Assessment period | Assessment criteria | Award categories | Entry form
The 2009 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards categories seek to reflect important areas of practice across the health spectrum, regardless of the setting, service or specialty. While some categories may not be applicable to your organisation, the Awards provide a range of different options for showcasing work of outstanding quality, innovation and excellence.
The winners and finalists from past Awards were as diverse as the sector itself, demonstrating that inventive work of a high standard is happening everywhere, whether it is in large or small services, in rural or metropolitan areas, in acute or primary care.
When assessing entries the judges are careful to focus on the benefits to consumers and communities, not on the scale of the initiative.
Important entry information
Entries for the 2009 Victorian Healthcare Awards must be submitted through the online submission system.
Public health research and initiatives are invited across all categories.
One supporting document (up to three A4 pages) in the form of graphs, charts, tables or other illustrative material is permitted with the official entry.
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Entry steps
- Step 1: Review the category descriptions and decide on the most appropriate category for your initiative. The initiative may be suitable for more than one category but you need to select the one category which best matches the central purpose of your program or initiative.
- Step 2: Download the PDF entry form guide and review the submission requirements and conditions of entry.
- Step 3: Consult with your chief executive or equivalent’s office and seek authorisation to submit an entry. For multi-campus and multi-service organisations, the authorising chief executive should be the head of the overarching health service.
- Step 4: Register your details with the 2009 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards online submission system. An official entry form (MS Word document) and instructions on the submission steps will be emailed to you.
- Step 5: Complete the entry form and have it approved by the chief executive or equivalent. One supporting document containing up to three A4 pages (including graphs, charts, tables or other illustrative material) can be included.
- Step 6: Submit the entry by 6pm 10 June 2009 through the online submission system.
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Assessment period
Initiatives should be current or have concluded in the 2008-09 financial year. Initiatives must be sufficiently developed so that the benefits and outcomes can be demonstrated.
Assessment criteria
When assessing entries the judges are careful to focus on the benefits to consumers and communities, not on the scale of the initiative. The judges will assess and rank the entries according to the following criteria and weightings.
- Objectives
- Do the objectives clearly address the problems identified?
- How do the objectives ‘fit’ with the organisational priorities?
- Methods and strategies
- Are planning processes clearly demonstrated in the submission?
- Has data been collected to demonstrate improvements?
- Have mechanisms to report progress been included?
- How has the patient/consumer been considered and included in the initiative?
- Service improvement and innovation
- Has the initiative been able to show improvements in health outcomes, patient experience or organisational outcomes?
- How was the approach different from any previous attempts to improve the service, system or area?
- Has the submission shown evidence of innovation?
- Outcomes
- Has the submission provided evidence of improvement?
- Was data used to support the initiative?
- What other information has been provided to illustrate the success of the initiative?
- Status and sustainability
- Has the submission provided adequate information regarding the sustainability of the initiative?
- Has sufficient consideration been given to the sustainability of the initiative?
- Will the tools and techniques be applied in other areas? What activities do you have planned to disseminate your results?
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Category Awards
1. Doing It Better Award: providing sustainable, well managed and efficient health services
Providing high quality care through the delivery of effective and appropriate services is the central aim of public healthcare. The Victorian community also expect healthcare organisations to make the best use of available resources and manage finances responsibly. All healthcare services face the challenge of keeping their services sustainable in terms of the cost and quality of services. This award recognises initiatives that lead to more sustainable healthcare services, by achieving efficiencies or reducing performance variation through the adoption of innovative practices.
2. Improving Access Award: providing timely and accessible health services
A constant challenge for health care organisations is managing the continuing and cumulative demand for services. Increasing demand for services stems from many factors, including population increase, an ageing community, and new treatments and interventions, made possible by new technology. This award recognises innovative ways of managing increasing and changing demand for services while maintaining continuity of care and high standards of care.
3. Most Appropriate Care Award: promoting least intrusive and earliest effective care
Healthcare organisations continuously seek ways to optimise how they deliver care that is responsive, high quality and provides a sustainable service. The future vision for healthcare organisations involves re-orienting service delivery so it is provided to clients at earlier stages or in more appropriate settings, such as home or community-based health settings. This award recognises innovations or partnerships that allow the most appropriate care to be delivered in the least intrusive setting.
4. Safer Care Award: improving health service safety and quality
All healthcare organisations strive to ensure that healthcare services continue to be high quality, safe and appropriate and aim to involve and inform patients and their carers of the healthcare treatments. The community, as well as healthcare organisations expect safe progress through all parts of the system. This award recognises initiatives that enhance safety and reduce risk to consumers irrespective of where the care is provided.
5. Prevent and Promote Award: strengthening the capacity of individuals, families and communities through effective prevention and health promotion
There is a growing body of evidence that intervening earlier to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals will ease the pressure on healthcare organisations and maintain the sustainability of the healthcare system into the future. Effective prevention and health promotion programs can significantly enhance quality of life, life expectancy and reduce the burden of disease across the population. This award recognises initiatives that assist people to live healthy lifestyles and prevent the onset of disease to maximise the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.
6. Reducing Inequalities Award: improving health and wellbeing for disadvantaged people and communities
Public healthcare organisations strive to provide equitable services, meeting the needs of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the community. Many disadvantaged members of the community face a range of difficulties accessing health services. This award recognises initiatives that have tackled barriers for disadvantaged people and communities through the use of innovative approaches.
Entry form (guide only)
Download the PDF entry form guide. You must register with the online submission system to receive the official entry form.
 PDF entry form guide (38kb, pdf)
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