After a challenging couple of years, South Australia’s health care heroes have been awarded the 2021 SA Health Awards.
The SA Health Awards showcase excellence in the public health sector.
The Awards recognise and reward individuals, teams, programs or projects that have significantly improved the delivery of health services to the South Australian community. They also honour the commitment of those who work to improve the performance of the public health sector.
Held on Friday the 19th of November our heroes were awarded prizes in over 10 categories with the Covid Tracing team taking out the largest award – The Premier’s Award for Excellence in Health.
The Communicable Disease Control Branch (CDCB) Covid Operations Branch was awarded the top prize.
Premier Steven Marshall thanked all SA Health employees singing his praises for the tireless efforts they have devoted to keeping South Australians safe.
“There are so many heroes in this room … the people that are working on our front line doing everything they can to keep our state safe, I am genuinely, genuinely, very, very grateful.”
Emma Denehy, Director, Disease Surveillance Team for Covid Operations says her team manages all positive cases and their contacts to keep SA safe.
“Since the introduction of the new COVID operations surveillance system we’ve managed to track every single case of Covid and to identify all of their contacts to ensure nobody else in the community becomes unwell and we’ve prevented lockdowns.”
During her team’s acceptance speech she thanked everyone who’s a part of SA Health acknowledging they are one big team who all rely on one another to keep SA safe and healthy.
“This has been a very difficult two years in public health but also this is what we have trained for, this is what we are ready for and we’ve done a really great job and we will continue to do a good job in the next two years or however long it lasts. We have had fantastic minds working on this … the best in the world and our response is evidence of that,” said Emma.
Premier Steven Marshall once again thanked the Covid Management Team saying their contact tracing efforts have “put us in extraordinarily good stead in South Australia.”
The Premier also thanked the South Australian public for abiding by the restrictions and listening to expert advice and responding accordingly.
For details about the 2021 winners and the diverse programs they work on, please see below:
Minister’s Research and Innovation Award
3D Printed Sternum Replacement
Cardiothoracic Surgery and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Units, CALHN
Chief Executive’s Imitation Award
Tom’s Court Virtual Monitoring
ICCNet SA (RSS), Rapid Response Nursing Midwifery Service (DHW), Digital Health SA (DHW)
Out of Hospital Strategies and Care
Child and Adolescent Brain Injury Rehabilitation Service
Paediatric Rehabilitation Department, WCHN
Enhancing Hospital Care
The Fast, Feed and Wrap Project
Children’s Anaesthesia, WCHN and South Australia Medical Imaging, SCSS
Excellence in Strengthening Partnerships
Southern Adelaide Mobile Vaccination Clinic
COVID-19 Programs, SALHN
Excellence in Non-Clinical Services
South Australian Population Health Survey – Response to COVID-19
Data Analysis and Reporting, Prevention and Population Health, Wellbeing SA
Excellence and Innovation in Aboriginal Health
Closing the Gap Medicines Access Program
SA Pharmacy, SCSS
Young Professional of the Year
Dr Andrew Vanlint
NALHN
Improving Safety and Quality
The Dialysis Start Program
Central Northern Adelaide Renal and Transplantation Service, CALHN
For more information visit SA Health.
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