Changes to top health awards

Media Release

2 November 2006

Changes to top health awards

New Zealand’s top health awards are undergoing an innovation of their own, with new categories for 2007.

The changes to the 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards reflect the growing popularity of the awards within the health and rehabilitation sector, said ACC National Manager Treatment &Rehabilitation Services Anne O’Connell.

“There have been a number of exciting developments across the whole health and rehabilitation sector. The Health Innovation Awards are a celebration of revolutionary ideas and an encouragement to the entire sector to come forward and work together to achieve excellence. ”

The categories for 2007 are:

* Excellence in Quality Improvement

* Excellence in Primary Health Care

* Excellence in Prevention (injury or health promotion)

* Excellence in Rehabilitation (injury or long-term condition management)

* Excellence in Treatment

* Innovation

* Process Improvement

The New Zealand Health Innovation Awards showcase excellence in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, which are services that are of benefit to all New Zealanders.

The awards were initiated by the Ministry of Health and ACC in 2003 to celebrate excellence and encourage the transfer of good ideas, said Ministry of Health Deputy Director-General Clinical Services Dr Colin Feek.

“We’ve seen previous winners go on to garner international acclaim. Stand-out entries from the last four years include a cooling cap to prevent brain damage in newborn babies and a new system to ensure critically ill patients get the right amount of sedation.

The 2006 overall winner was a spinning cardboard wheel, developed by engineers and doctors at Christchurch Hospital, that is revolutionising the care of intensive care patients with a form of stress-induced diabetes.

The awards presentation and finalists’ expo were previously held in June but the date change is in response to suggestions from previous years’ finalists.

Entries are now open for the 2007 awards. Expressions of Interest and further information about the awards are available on-line at _www.healthinnovationawards.co.nz. Expressions of Interest close on Friday January 26, 2007.

Applications are invited from groups and organisations within the health, disability and rehabilitation sectors.

The winner of each category receives a cash prize of $4,000 so they can implement or share their idea further.

Category winners are also eligible for the Supreme Award which carries a grand prize of $13,000. A People’s Choice Award, voted by the finalists, of $4,000 is also presented.

The New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation manages the independent judging process, using international criteria and evaluation processes.

The winners will be announced at a gala dinner in Wellington in October next year.

ENDS

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