Tony Howarth Awards: nomination process gets facelift

A new format for the annual Tony Howarth Awards is set to give caregivers more time to nominate and more opportunities to have health, safety and wellbeing initiatives formally recognised and celebrated.

Designed to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements and proactive approach caregivers and teams have towards safety, health and wellbeing at St John of God Health Care, the new process will enable caregivers to nominate a team or individual in one of three rounds throughout the year: February, April or June.

Winners from each round will be awarded at their local hospital/service and all nominees will automatically be entered into the final round with award winners to be announced during National Safe Work Month in October.

Recipients of each round will receive a morning tea for their team and be presented with a certificate of excellence.

Final winners will then be invited to attend an awards ceremony with the Board of St John of God Health Care in November (Perth or Melbourne) and will receive cash towards safety or wellbeing initiatives.

There are four nomination categories:

• Best solution to a work health and safety risk (individual or team)

• Health and safety representative of the year (individual)

• Commitment to the prevention of mental injury in the workplace (group or team)

• Leadership excellence award (individual or team)

Submissions can be for initiatives implemented from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023.

If you know caregivers who are leading the way in making safety a part of their everyday work, make sure they are recognised by nominating them.

Our approach to safety is in line with our Mission and Values and at the core of everything we do — we all have a part to play.

Nominations are open for the first round, simply scan the QR code below (or on the posters at your hospital/service) for the nomination form or download from Cora or Pulse

For more information please contact OHSandWellness@sjog.org.au

Born in Vanuatu with bilateral talipes, commonly known as club feet, Garisha spent her early years attempting to move with extreme difficulty. Talipes is a birth defect which sees the feet twisted and bent out of shape. To further complicate matters, Garisha lost her left foot in an attempt to correct her condition when Garisha was just four-years-old.

What started out as hope for a new life for Garisha, quickly turned into a nightmare when a visiting doctor to Port Vila agreed to operate on her feet. While talipes is correctable with early intervention for those born in Australia and although the surgery initially went well, the inadequate resources in place to provide follow-up care in Vanuatu, resulted in Garisha becoming so unwell that and in order to save her life, there was no option but to amputate her foot.

With her right foot already severely dysfunctional, Garisha’s quality of life has suffered considerably since her left foot was removed — taking her ability to stand away with it.

Fortunately for Garisha, Dr Samuel Kemuel, General Surgeon at Port Vila Hospital in Vanuatu alerted Children First Foundation to her story, “When I saw Garisha, I knew she needed help immediately. That’s why I reached out to Children First Foundation for help,” says Dr Kemuel. “There are many other children we see here at Port Vila Hospital who need help too, but we simply don’t have the resources.”

Children First Foundation, together with St John of God Berwick Hospital and orthopaedic surgeon Professor Ton Tran, brought Garisha to Australia earlier this year in an effort to repair Garisha’s remaining foot and help her walk — a life-changing opportunity which will allow her to lead an independent life in the future.

Following the surgery which was undertaken in late January, Professor Tran explains, “Not only did Garisha undergo surgical correction of her right foot, but a revision of her amputation stump was also conducted so a better fitting lower limb prosthesis could be created,” offers Dr Tran. “Garisha was expected to be in a wheelchair for around three weeks following surgery to give her time to heal and enable the fitting of the orthotics and prosthesis. She will then learn to walk with the help of the Children First rehabilitation team,” he adds.

Despite the anxiety that naturally occurs with ensuing surgery, Garisha expressed her excitement over the journey ahead and the ability for her to fulfil her dream of one day being able to wear shoes.

“I am excited I will be able to stand up, and not always be sitting down on the ground,” Garisha says. “I can’t wait to get my first pair of shoes so I can be just like my sisters and my friends at school. Pink is my favourite colour, and I wish for some pink sandals.”