The annual ideas boom within Gold Coast Health employee ranks has uncovered five projects which will directly improve patient care.
The Improvers is a staff innovation program which rewards winning ideas with the funds to bring the initiatives to life and improve the health service.
This year 14 finalists were given an opportunity to present their ideas to a judging panel, which included Department of Health Director General Michael Walsh and Health and Ambulance Services Minister Cameron Dick.
The live audience was invited to vote for a People’s Choice category.
The 2016 winners are:
Category 1 (up to $100,000):
Kelli Hazard, Emergency Department
Develop a Communication Health Passport phone app for children to relay current individualised information, such as communication needs, likes and dislikes
Category 2 (up to $50,000):
Leah Coman and Dr Kelly Weir, Speech Pathology
A Radiology Registrar Training Program for interpreting adult and paediatric Videofluoroscopic Swallow Studies
Category 3 (up to $25,000):
Dr Nanda Kumar, Orthopaedics
Develop a device to enable clinicians to assess club foot deformity more objectively and help improve treatment
Category 4 (up to $10,000):
Shelley Gapper and Penny Stabler, Speech Pathology
Establish visitor programs to support recently diagnosed laryngectomy patients with communication or swallowing difficulties
Category 5 (up to $100,000): People’s Choice - Joint Winners
Dr Marcin Dzienis, Cancer, Blood and Palliative Care Services
Establish an improved telephone triaging service for Haematology Oncology Triage (HOT), triaging guidelines, staff and patient education and a HOT clinic for cancer patients
Dr Graeme Walker, Gynaecology
Develop a phone/tablet app that takes a patient step-by-step through the hospital journey from initial appointment to subsequent investigations to theatre and possible outcomes that theatre might bring. It would include pictures of staff met at various points of the journey, the clinic, ward anaesthetic rooms and theatre
Special Ministerial Awards
Erin Finn, Clinical Governance Unit (Up to $25,000)
Film patient-family stories following complaints or clinical incidents to promote organisational learning and improve safety and patient experience
Stefanie Baker, Finance and Business Services (up to $10,000)
Create virtual, online tours to enable patients and families to see what the hospital looks like inside
Helen Clifford and Alan Spencer, Public Health/ Food Services (up to $10,000)
Create a produce garden in the grounds of Gold Coast University Hospital in order to enhance health and reduce hospital costs.
Julie-Ann Hendry, Community Palliative Care (up to $50,000)
Four beach wheelchairs for palliative care consumers living in the community with a terminal illness
Project Funded by Gold Coast Hospital Foundation
Meredith Gardiner and Rebecca Pugh, Aged Response Team (up to $10,000)
Implement mp3 players to deliver music therapy and activity boxes for patients in accute wards
For more coverage of the event, visit the Gold Coast Health Facebook Page.
