Private hospitals' high quality care recognised

A palliative care service offering patients support to
die at home, a driving service that gets patients to and from their dialysis
appointments and a mental health support program are all finalists in the APHA
Awards For Excellence.

The Awards, to be presented at this year's APHA 39th
National Congress (APHA Congress) gala dinner, celebrate private hospital's
achievements in three categories: Clinical excellence, comprehensive care and
consumer partnerships.

Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA) CEO
Michael Roff said the awards were developed to recognise the high quality of
care Australians receive from private hospitals.

"The diversity in the entries for each category
highlights the scope of care private hospitals provide. These are all
innovative programs designed to improve patient's experience and improve care
or access to care," he said.

Mr Roff said one of the great things to come out of
these programs are the additional unintended benefits for patients.

"The Epworth Eastern's program of volunteers driving
renal dialysis patients to their appointments and home again has not only made
it easier for patients to get care, but also created new friendships and broken
the social isolation that often comes from having a serious illness and
challenges in accessing transport.

"Another is South Australia's St Andrew's Hospital's critical
bleeding working group, a program set up to improve timely administration of
blood for patients requiring massive transfusions. Not only has this led to reduced
wastage of blood products but the group also developed a purpose-built Massive
Transfusion Shipper now used by the South Australian Ambulance Service.

"These programs illustrate the patient-focus of our
private hospitals, and it is important to celebrate those successes," he said.

Attendees at the APHA Congress will have a role to
play in determining the winners. Finalists will present their work during a
session at the APHA Congress and delegates will vote for the best entries. The
delegate vote accounts for five percent of the final score.

Winners will be announced on Monday 16 March 2020 in
Adelaide.

Awards finalists

<span style="text-decoration: underline">Clinical excellence – quality of care and patient outcomes</span>
Sydney Adventist Hospital: San community palliative care service
Ramsay Health Care: Ramsay national mental health programs
St Andrews Hospital: Critical bleeding working group

<span style="text-decoration: underline">Comprehensive care</span>
Epworth Eastern: Renal dialysis patient transport vehicle program
Friendly Society Private Hospital: Culture of accountability

<span style="text-decoration: underline">Consumer partnerships</span>
Bethesda Health Care: Consumer partnership committee
Westmead Private Hospital: Luxury maternity unit

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