Congratulations to our GEM Award winners

The outstanding dedication of staff was recognised at North Metropolitan Health Service’s 2024 Going the Extra Mile (GEM) Awards.

Held on 10 October 2024, GEM Awards recognise the achievements and dedication of staff.

North Metropolitan Acting Chief Executive Rob Pulsford said each of the winners have made significant contributions to our health service and demonstrated that they go that extra mile to support patients, colleagues, or the community.

“The judges all agreed that there were many high-calibre finalists across the 12 categories and that they were all a great reflection of the dedication of our staff and high-quality work happening across our sites and services,” he said.

“The high standard of the nominations across the 12 categories highlighted the many ways in which our teams live our values and embed our vision to be a transformative leader shaping the future of healthcare.”

The 2024 NMHS GEM award winners were:

• Driving Innovation

  Bronwyn Raykos, Mental Health, Public Health and Dental Service
  Bronwyn has led the development of an innovative digital application, adapted from a self-help workbook, to support people with eating disorders while they wait for treatment. Through a human-centred design process involving consumers, staff, and managers, she has launched a pilot at the Centre for Clinical Interventions and is exploring broader applications for families, adolescents, and others not currently accessing services. Her vision, dedication, and collaboration have driven a project that has the potential to transform access to care, improve monitoring of patient wellbeing, and enable more timely, tailored interventions.

• Excellence in Health Care Support

  Jessica Warry, Occupational Therapist, Osborne Park Hospital
  Jessica goes above and beyond to provide optimal patient experience and engage with families. She took on a lead role to establish a comprehensive group program with other Occupational Therapists to support patients experiencing delirium, cognitive impairment, and functional decline. Jessica also volunteered to participate in a project to improve patient wait times between referral and scheduling an initial outpatient appointment, which has been very successful.

• Improving Consumer Experience

  Emma Morgan, State Head Injury Unit
  After identifying a gap in the service delivery for carers of people with an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), Emma developed a Carer Support Group program to support patients and carers during their rehabilitation journey. Over eight weeks, families learn about common challenges, discuss issues that have been causing frustration, confusion or overwhelm, and understand their own psychological adjustment journey. The groups also enables social connections with other carers experiencing similar situations.

• Researcher of the Year

  David Erceg-Hurn, Mental Health, Public Health and Dental Service
  As the senior research scientist at the Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI) Dave drives a continual process of development, evaluation, innovation and re-evaluation. His expertise and dedication supports clinicians and enables utilisation of cutting edge research approaches. The importance of this work is recognised through publication in many high impact journals. His contributions to CCI’s culture of innovation and evaluation have a direct, positive impact on staff job satisfaction and retention.

• Excellence in Clinical Care

  Calina Ting, Renal Transplant Clinical Nurse Consultant SCGH
  Calina goes above and beyond to support her patients. In 2021, Calina’s dedication became a lifeline for a colleague in the NMHS HR team who had been diagnosed with kidney failure and her incredible friend who also works at NMHS who had offered to undergo donor testing. Over two and a half years, Calina provided ongoing support and advice to both the patient and donor, while they waited for the patient’s health to stabilise so she could have the life-saving surgery.

• Strengthening Partnerships

  Aboriginal Midwifery Group Practice and Breastfeeding Centre WA, Women and Newborn Health Service
  A partnership between the KEMH Breastfeeding Centre and the Aboriginal Midwifery Group Practice (AMGP) is providing culturally safe support for Aboriginal women who are experiencing difficulties with breastfeeding. Recognising that many Aboriginal women do not have access to culturally sensitive breastfeeding support after being discharged from hospital, the midwives at the AMGP service sought to create a dedicated program to help improve breastfeeding outcomes. The Breastfeeding Centre provides a dedicated Lactation Consultant for a drop-in session for clients of the AMGP each week. A grandmother and AlO staff to provide cultural guidance. Aboriginal health care workers are invited to participate as well to develop skills to provide further support to women in the community.

• Green Champion of the Year

  Intensive Care Unit Team, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
  A passion for sustainability led SCGH ICU’s team to identify new ways to reduce plastic waste while improving patient experience, with outstanding results. Over 12 months, the team trialled extending the time between intravenous line (IV) changes from three to seven days, in line with current evidence. In addition to saving 948 IV lines, the trial found the risk of infection at cannula sites and patient discomfort associated with cannulation were also reduced. The change also saved valuable staff time that was previously spent gathering equipment, washing hands, and changing lines. This time is now redirected towards more critical patient care activities.

• Making NMHS the Best Place to Work

  Katie McLeod, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
  Katie has played a pivotal role in fostering a positive and inclusive work environment in the Research Department. Her dedication to building strong relationships, promoting open communication, and supporting her colleagues has had a profound impact on team dynamics. She consistently demonstrates empathy, compassion, and patience when interacting with their colleagues. Katie has a genuine care for their colleagues' well-being contributes to a positive and supportive work environment.

• Rising Star

  Laura Clarke, Osborne Park Hospital
  Laura has made an extraordinary impact at Osborne Park Hospital in just five years, progressing from a junior occupational therapist to acting OT Coordinator and Senior OT for the GARM wards. She has driven service improvements, led research and quality initiatives, and championed staff wellbeing through innovative programs, all while managing a busy clinical caseload. A respected mentor and role model, Laura exemplifies dedication, creativity, and leadership.

• Outstanding Leader

  Danielle Carter, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
  Danielle is a respected leader who has transformed her theatre team into a collaborative, inclusive, and patient-centred environment. She leads by example, advocating strongly for both patients and staff, and is recognised for her empathy, foresight, and ability to create a culture where everyone feels valued and supported. Through her dedication, clinical excellence, and commitment to diversity and inclusivity, Danielle fosters high staff loyalty, seamless teamwork, and consistently delivers exceptional patient care.

• Volunteer of the Year

  Helen Anderson, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
  Helen, a retired nurse, is the cornerstone of the Volunteer Falls Inpatient Education Program at Osborne Park Hospital, where she uses her clinical expertise, empathy, and excellent communication skills to empower patients in reducing their risk of falls. She tailors education to each patient’s needs, collaborates closely with staff, and has played a pivotal role in embedding and expanding the program across sites. Dependable, compassionate, and highly valued, Helen not only enhances patient safety and wellbeing but also mentors new volunteers, making her an indispensable member of the multidisciplinary team.

• Chief Executive Award

  Melinda Olive, Women and Newborn Health Service
  As Policy and Project Officer for Abortion Care, Melinda played a pivotal role in leading WA’s Abortion Legislation Reform in 2024, bringing together health services, government, and community partners to ensure safe, equitable, and accessible care. She developed interim statewide clinical guidelines, championed a statewide phone line, improved governance and consumer information, and helped establish a robust Pregnancy Choices and Abortion Care clinic. Recognised for her empathy, innovation, and tireless commitment, Melinda has set a gold standard in women-centred, trauma-informed care and inspired a culture of collaboration, trust, and excellence across the system.

• NMHS Board Award

  Helen Anderson, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
  The Board selected Helen Anderson, our Volunteer of the Year, as the overall winner of this year’s Awards. Her remarkable contribution to falls prevention education and advocacy has had a profound impact on both patients and staff, bringing best practice, compassion, and quality into the workplace. As a volunteer, Helen’s dedication stands out even more—her work not only enhances patient care and safety but also strengthens multidisciplinary teamwork and workplace culture.

Special thanks to GEM Award sponsors Paywise, HESTA and SmartSalary, who generously support our staff recognition program.