South West Healthcare takes out top Victorian health service award

The health service beat dozens of others across the state as it was recognised for its ability to provide "timely" and "culturally safe" care in Warrnambool, Camperdown, and its smaller community and mental health services.

It is the second time SWH has won the award after winning in 2019, and chief executive officer Craig Fraser said it was a credit to the staff.

"We are thrilled to be recognised in this way, our service has experienced extraordinary growth in terms of the number of programs and services we offer since we last won this award in 2019, which considering the challenges of COVID in the intervening years is a great effort by our staff," Mr Fraser said.

"Our teams continue to work hard every day to meet the challenges and demands of providing care to our community.

"In particular, this is great acknowledgement and thanks for the tireless work the staff and teams dedicate to improving the health and wellbeing of our communities, and this award is for them."

The Warrnambool Base Hospital came under enormous pressure through the pandemic, with its undersized emergency department struggling to cope with demand even after the lockdown era had ended.

But after a challenging 2022 where the ED regularly recorded some of the longest wait times in the state, the hospital overhauled its "systems and processes" and wait times have plummeted.

In winning the award, SWH was commended for its non-intrusive care and its supportive workplace culture, but Mr Fraser said the huge expansion of clinical services in the past couple of years also played a part.

"In the last 12-18 months we have established public specialist outpatient clinics and recruited a number of new specialists to our medical teams," he said.

"So far we have treated more than 10,000 patients through these newly established clinics which give people access to specialist care through public clinics, which is something we're very proud to offer in a sub-regional setting."

The health service also got the top award for community safety and wellbeing, winning the honour for its School Readiness Program.

The program provides about 50 kindergartens across the south-west with early childhood educator and parent support to help identify preschool aged children that may benefit from early intervention from allied health professionals, including speech pathology, occupational therapy, and social work.

Occupational therapist Danili Dwyer leads the program and said the win highlighted the transformation benefits of early intervention for young children.

"We know that many foundational skills for development are formed in the first 5 years of life and early identification of challenges and implementation of supports is key to helping children reach their fullest potential," Ms Dwyer said.

"Kindergarten teachers are sometimes a child's first contact with a formal service meaning they are best placed to identify and promote the need for early intervention."

Mr Fraser said the awards were a sign the region's medical care was looking healthy.

"It's a proud moment for us and our team but also for Warrnambool, and with the addition of a brand new hospital tower in 2026 the future for healthcare in the region is looking bright," he said.