2023 Tasmanian Palliative Care Awards

Palliative Care Tasmania, the peak body for palliative and end-of-life care, is thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2023 Tasmanian Palliative Care Awards. These awards recognise individuals and organisations that have displayed outstanding dedication and innovation in the field of palliative care, providing support to thousands of Tasmanians.

Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC and Emeritus Professor Don Chalmers AO hosted 100 finalists and invited guests at Government House in Hobart for the announcement the 2023 finalists and winners.

Ms. Veney Hiller, the CEO of Palliative Care Tasmania, took the opportunity to commend the broader palliative care community in Tasmania.

“We extend our sincerest gratitude to all healthcare professionals, community organisations, volunteers, caregivers, and advocates working tirelessly in our sector assisting people with a life-limiting illness and their loved ones to live, die and grieve well.

While there are many public services provided to improve the lives of Tasmanians, palliative care is the only sector that is dedicated to helping Tasmanians have a good death” she said.

Ms. Hiller congratulated to all the nominees, finalists and winners

“By recognising the depth and breadth of people and organisations that support dying Tasmanians, we give visibility to what can sometimes be an invisible workforce. We are thrilled we can take this time, once a year, to thank just a small handful of these wonderful people” she said.

There are some images from the day including finalists, guests and winners

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.615762443978354&type=3

1) Outstanding Palliative Care Professional

Open to any individual working in palliative care in Tasmania. May include: specialist and generalist palliative care staff, nurses, clinicians, doctors, allied health professionals, GPs pharmacists, CEOs, NFP staff, aged care workers, administrators, marketers, academics and researchers, educators.

The winner is:

• Dr. Cyril Latt – General Practitioner, St Marys Community Health Centre, St Marys

The runner up is:

• Dr. David Knowles – General Practitioner, Glebe Hill Family Practice, Hobart

The finalists is:

• Dr. Jane Cooper – General Practitioner, Don Medical Clinic, Devonport

Millingtons Funerals & Cemeteries is one of Tasmania’s oldest funeral companies and has helped our community say goodbye for nearly a century. Understanding that times of loss require compassion and tailored professionalism, to say farewell in a way as individual as your loved one. Milington provides a full suite of services to Tasmanians, ensuring they help celebrate the life of your loved ones. Their mission is to provide the Tasmanian community with the highest standard of personal and professional care in the delivery of funeral and cemetery services.

https://www.millingtons.com.au/

2) Outstanding Palliative Care Volunteer/Carer

Open to any individual (volunteer or carer) supporting Tasmanians with a life-limiting illness and their families. May include: Palliative and hospice care volunteers, hospital volunteers, community volunteers, cancer support centre volunteers, aged care volunteers, family, friends, loved ones that have gone above and beyond in the support of someone with a life limiting condition, including young carers.

The winner is:

• Karen Zabiegala  – Volunteer, Tasman Neighbourhood House, Nubeena

The runner up is:

• Ken Webster – Carer, Hobart

The finalist is:

• Mary Harper – Volunteer, Specialist Palliative Care Service, Launceston

Volunteering Tasmania connect and build an inclusive community that makes a difference through the impact of volunteering. Volunteering Tasmania aim to represent the interests of all Tasmanians involved in volunteering through research, consultation, policy development and community relationships.

Their membership totals 300 and includes more than 190 organisations across the state, representing more than 50,000 volunteers. Representing the interests of our volunteer organisations and volunteers, and decision-makers, including the government.

3) Outstanding Palliative Care Service Provider

Open to any individual or organisation providing palliative care to Tasmanians with a life-limiting illness. May include: Palliative care units, hospitals, GP practices community outreach teams, multi-purpose and health centres, district or regional hospitals, allied health providers aged care and home care providers, councillors, social workers volunteer organisations, community groups, community services and psycho-social supports, funeral directors, bereavement service providers.

The winner is:

• Robert Johnston – Hospitality Services Manager, Calvary St Luke’s & St Vincent’s Hospitals, Launceston

The runner up is:

• Stevie Dwyer – Care Coordinator, Calvary St John’s Hospital (Gibson Unit), Hobart

The finalists is:

• Melwood Unit – Calvary St Luke’s Hospital, Launceston

The Public Trustee is a Government Business Enterprise that provides important services to the people of Tasmania. They help thousands of Tasmanians each year with preparing a Will and estate plan, estate administration, or trustee services. The Public Trustee often serves as a safety net in situations where individuals may not have adequate support to assist them manage their affairs.

https://www.publictrustee.tas.gov.au/

4) Outstanding Achievement in Palliative Care

Open to any individual or organisation working or associated with palliative care in Tasmania. May include: all the above categories plus non-direct and non-clinical achievements such as academics, projects, disability, inclusivity, policy work, peak bodies, NFP staff, teams and projects, art and creative achievements, advocacy, fundraising and awareness, champions, change makers and more.

The winner is:

• Melissa Staples – Community Development Officer, Kingborough Council, Kingston

The runner up is:

• Melanie Makaryn – Registered Nurse, Launceston Community Nursing, Launceston

The finalist is:

• Krista Rosewarne – Registered Nurse, J.W Whittle Palliative Care Unit, Hobart

The District Nurses provides a range of home-based care services, including Home Care Packages; Short-term Restorative Care, nursing, personal care and domestic assistance under both HACC and Commonwealth Home Support funding; and Clinic based services.

The District Nurses also has State Government funding to deliver additional services to support people at end of life through the End-of-Life Care Supplementary Service (EOLCSS).

https://thedistrictnurses.org.au/

5) Excellence in Palliative Care – Aged Care setting

Open to any individual or organisation working or associated with palliative care in Tasmania working or associated in a residential aged care setting or home care provider setting. May include aged care organisations, staff, volunteers, support workers, team members, service providers and more.

The winner is:

• Clare King – Registered Nurse, OneCare, Hobart

The runner up is

• Suzette Long – Masonic Homes – Peace Haven, Launceston

The finalist is

• Dr. Anna De Vries – General Practitioner, Hobart

ACCPA membership is open to all providers of aged and community care services, retirement living, seniors housing and aligned services.
ACCPA support our members to be high performing, respected and sustainable service providers.
ACCPA understand that effective representation is best achieved through facilitated sector collaboration, research and advocacy.
ACCPA ensure that all ACCPA members are equally represented and valued, regardless of their organisational size, structure, location or service offerings.

https://www.accpa.asn.au/

6) Excellence in Palliative Care – Community setting

Open to any individual or organisation working or associated with palliative care in Tasmania working or associated in delivering services or care in a community setting. May include community nursing teams, outreach, GPs and practice nurses, community health centres and staff, community houses, community service organisations, transport orgs, meal providers, support services,  holistic and social supports and more.

The winner is:

• Lucinda De Bruyn – Registered Nurse, Community Nursing, Queenstown

The runner up is:

• Jacqueline Flood – Registered Nurse, Community Nursing, Launceston

The finalist is:

• Rachel Foster – Project Officer, Hospice Volunteers, Hobart

Caring@home, a National Palliative Care Project funded by the Australian Government, provides free, nationally-consistent, evidence-based resources to support health professionals, clinical services, and carers and families to help manage end-of-life symptoms for people who choose to receive palliative care at home.

Standard resources, tailored resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Families and translated resources in nine commonly spoken languages are available.

To learn more, visit www.caringathomeproject.com.au

Criteria and eligibility

• Entry is free
• Nominations should take about 10 minutes
• Nominations close at midnight, July 7 2023
• A person can be nominated for multiple award categories, but each nomination must be submitted on a separate nomination form
• Self-nominations are accepted
• The nominee(s) must be residing in Tasmania
• It is expected that nominees that are chosen as finalists will attend the Awards
• All nomination information, photos and supporting materials collected during the process may be used and distributed by PCT for media and promotional purposes.
• Nominations that are incomplete or not received by the due date will not be accepted
• The primary organisation the work was undertaken with will be notified if the person is a finalist.
• If you have a question regarding Awards eligibility, please contact admin@pct.org.au or call (03) 6231 2799.

Judging and Selection

Selection panels comprising experienced community, government and business leaders will meet around each category to select the 2023 award recipients.

Partners

The Awards would simply not be possible without the support of our wonderful partners who are committed to the sector and the people within it. We encourage everyone to support the organisations that support us.

Category Partners

The 2023 Tasmanian Palliative Care Awards are the only state-wide awards that recognise compassion and excellence in Palliative Care across the state. This is our opportunity to acknowledge the many selfless individuals and organisations assisting people with a life-limiting illness to live, die and grieve well.

Frequently Asked Questions