SMHS staff triumph at WA Health Excellence Awards
Department of Health Director General Dr Shirley Bowen (left) with members of the GOLD ED team.
Last night, South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS) took home four awards at the 2025 WA Health Excellence Awards (external site) including the biggest honour of the night – the Director General’s Award.
Meet our winners
Geriatricians for Older Adults in the Emergency Department (GOLD ED)
Director General’s Award and Excellence in Research and Innovation award
Since August 2024, Fiona Stanley Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) has offered older patients’ immediate access to specialist geriatric care through the GOLD ED team.
This service identifies frailty early, addresses complex needs, and ensures older adults receive respectful, person-centred care while reducing unnecessary admissions and improving the overall patient experience.
CHARM Oncology Management System Project, in partnership with WA Country Health Service
Excellence in Safety and Quality Award
The CHARM Oncology Project gives patients a safer and more transparent chemotherapy experience by replacing outdated paper charts with a single digital platform.
Since May 2024 it has been rolled out across 11 hospitals, including Fiona Stanley and Rockingham General hospitals and Peel Health Campus, reducing treatment errors and scheduling issues, while ensuring patients receive complete treatment plans upfront for better confidence and continuity of care.
Audiology Advanced Scope Practitioner Project, in partnership with East Metropolitan Health Service and North Metropolitan Health Service
Excellence in Sustainability Award
To reduce long ear nose throat (ENT) wait times, Fiona Stanley Hospital introduced an Advanced Scope Practitioner model that allows senior audiologists to manage suitable patients under ENT-approved protocols. This approach massively reduced wait times, ensuring patients receive timely, appropriate care while improving patient satisfaction and outcomes.
Each year, the awards celebrate the extraordinary contributions made by dedicated healthcare workers across the health system.
Being recognised at a state level is a huge achievement and we thank and congratulate our teams for their passion and commitment to providing expectational patient-centred care to the WA community.
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| Geriatricians for Older Adults in the Emergency Department |
CHARM Oncology Management System Project |
Audiology Advanced Scope Practitioner Project |
We also extend our congratulations to all last night’s winners and finalists.
Read more about the awards (external site).
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