CESPHN Primary Health Awards: 2024 Nominations close in less than a month

CESPHN’s Primary Health Awards are an opportunity to celebrate outstanding contributions made by our community to promote better health and wellbeing for all. 

The PHAs specifically recognise the work of primary health care professionals and organisations, that have provided exceptional service, or an outstanding contribution to primary health care in the Central and Eastern region of Sydney during the previous financial year.  

This year, the awards will be held in Sydney’s eastern suburbs at Centennial Park’s Homestead on the evening of 29 August, and OzHarvest founder Ronni Kahn AO, will be the keynote speaker.  

Our winners from last year’s PHAs reflected on their achievements and shared with us how they have invested in the future of primary health care and community support. 

The winners received: 

• $2,000 grant towards furthering their work 
• Promotion of their work 
• Opportunity for individuals to join CESPHN’s Clinical Leaders Network 

The Excellence in General Practice award was won by Belmore Medical Services. This practice was established by Dr Jamal Rifi AO (pictured below), who has been a GP for more than 30 years, and oversaw the vaccination of in excess of 37,000 people during COVID. 

His daughter, Shaza Rifi, a civil engineer by training, is the practice manager, and said of the award: ‘Winning meant a lot to Belmore Medical Practice’. 

The award was displayed in the reception, added to the website and was a ‘huge boost to morale and overall staff mood’. 

The $2000 grant money was spent to create a brand identity with new signs, board and promotional materials for the Practice. This helped ensure the public clearly understood Belmore’s mission and values and also helps Belmore to attract the right staff.

The Excellence in Allied Health Practice Winner was Erin Brown, Montefiore Aged Care Facility. Erin Brown is an oral health therapist and preventative dental practitioner. 

She helps older adults who have low mobility get dental care and was nominated because she and her team were able to bring dental care to bed-bound or less mobile patients (especially those in the dementia unit) with a portable Dental Unit. 

Enhancing the patient care experience and reducing costs, the team put the funds from the award towards the purchase of a portable x-ray unit, which increases the range of services offered.

Previously, if patients needed an x-ray, they would be transported to a static machine. The new unit is similar to a digital ‘x-ray gun’, and can bring up x-rays directly onto a laptop, simplifying explanations to patients about dental health.

Michelle Kleiner (pictured), Acting General Manager Allied Health Residential Services, Montefiore, accepted the award on Erin Brown’s behalf. 

Nominations for this year’s awards are now open and will close on 30 June 2024.