Western Health has been crowned metropolitan health service of the year in this year’s Victorian Public Healthcare Awards.
The organisation was jointly awarded with Eastern Health on October 13.
The awards recognise leadership and excellence in Victoria’s publicly funded healthcare sector.
Western Health runs Sunshine, Western and Williamstown hospitals, Sunbury Day Hospital and a range of community-based services.
Western Health appointed former state health and education minister Bronwyn Pike as its new chairwoman in July.
In June, plans for a $550 million Western Health overhaul were revealed, including a new five-storey women’s and children’s centre in Sunshine with enhanced services and technology to meet future demand and improve care for mothers and their babies.
Sunshine Hospital is the third-largest maternity hospital in the state, with more than 5250 births a year. Extensive plans and detailed estimates have been prepared for the project but are still awaiting state government funding.
Health Minister David Davis said Western Health was a major employer in Melbourne’s west, with 6100 staff who provide services for 184,000 medical outpatients and 128,000 emergency patients.
“Western Health is setting the standard for providing person-centred care in a diverse urban community,” Mr Davis said.
“The health service’s focus on enhancing quality, organisational capacity and self-managed care in the community is exemplary.”
Runners-up for the award this year were Alfred Health and Dental Health Service Victoria.
Priscilla Moca
