Compass Autumn 2022

compass

2022

autumn

NSW Health Pathology Awards special edition

Congratulating all our winners, finalists and nominees Caring, connecting and pioneering – for all of us

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A message from the Chief Executive We help to make things better: providing accessible IVF treatments and fertility preservation for people with cancer and rare genetic diseases.

Last year alone, our dedicated lab staff processed more than five million PCR tests for COVID-19 and one million saliva tests for hotel quarantine and airport workers.

Others used whole genome sequencing to support the public health response and diagnose new variants of concern and differentiate between vaccine-induced and natural infection antibodies.

Our 2021 NSW Health Pathology Awards reminded us what a privilege it is to work in public pathology and forensic services.

We’re there to help from birth to death and everything in between.

We provide answers that matter.

We help when things go wrong: identifying potentially deadly illicit drugs, enabling clinicians to save lives and public health authorities to issue warnings that prevent deaths.

Despite all this, we maintained exceptional business-as-usual performance, pushing ahead with initiatives vital to the future of our services – our electronic Specimen Tracking System (AKUNA), Statewide Test Catalogue, statewide billing system and more.

These are huge projects driven by many incredible teams and people that will change the way we work and significantly improve services, outcomes and experiences for all who rely on us.

At the end of 2021, having postponed our awards several times due to the pressures and realities of COVID-19, we came together in a virtual ceremony to reflect on all we achieved.

Thank you to our wonderful master of ceremonies, NBN Television’s Natasha Beyersdorf who brought the sparkle to our screens and the more than 700 people who tuned in to watch our virtual event.

I am so proud of our organisation and its dedicated and talented people.

This edition of Compass celebrates not only our awards winners, but the spirit of NSW Health Pathology that is reflected in the amazing work that goes on across our organisation every day. We care. We connect.

We pioneer.

It serves as a memento to our inspiring award winners and showcases our achievements to our partners and the wider NSW community.

I hope you enjoy this edition.

Tracey McCosker PSM Chief Executive NSW Health Pathology

Acknowledgement of Country NSW Health Pathology acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of New South Wales and their special place as Traditional Custodians of this land.

Through their sacred cultures and customs, they have nurtured and cared for this land for thousands of years and continue to do so today.

We would like to pay our respects to the Elders past, present and emerging, for they hold the memories, the traditions, the cultures and hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the state.

NSW Health Pathology is committed to help closing the unacceptable gap and is implementing a range of strategies through its first Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan.

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Message from the Secretary of NSW Health Congratulations to all NSW Health Pathology Awards winners and finalists on the incredible contributions you make to our public pathology and forensic services.

It is great to see the world-class expertise, drive and resilience you’re known for, recognised and celebrated.

Your stories show what goes on behind the scenes to keep a public health service as large as ours effective, responsive and caring.

I am extraordinarily proud of the critical role you play at such a challenging time.

The leadership of your Chief Executive Tracey McCosker is commendable, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I look forward to working with you all to continue delivering quality, patient-centred health and justice services for the people of NSW. Sincerely, Susan Pearce Secretary of NSW Health

2021 NSW Health Pathology

Award Winners

Keeping people safe and healthy South Coast bushfire response – Moruya and Bega laboratories NSW Health Pathology (NSWHP) Rural and Regional

Creating safer healthier workplaces Strategic implementation of staff safety and service delivery resources at Drug Toxicology Unit NSWHP FASS

Research excellence

Recognising our pioneering spirit

Delivering truly connected care Pathway IoT Diagnostic Pipeline NSWHP Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Point of Care Testing (PoCT) teams

JOINT WINNERS

Dr Kerri Basile, Post Graduate Research Fellow – ICPMR-Westmead, NSWHP West

Contributing to better health and justice systems Development of services to enable the NSW Drug Surveillance Strategy NSWHP Forensic & Analytical Science Service (FASS) Supporting our people Haematology morphology workshops to upskill staff Randwick laboratory, NSWHP East

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Randwick Microbiology and Serology and Virology Division (SAViD), NSWHP East Westmead Virology and Serology teams, Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services (CIDMLS), Institute for Clinical Pathology and Medical Research (ICPMR), NSWHP West Environmental sustainability Campbelltown laboratory’s paperless lab (almost!) NSWHP South Collaborative, connected leader Liz Geddes – Project Manager, NSWHP Statewide SMS Service

JOINT WINNERS Jeremy Watherston, Senior Forensic Biologist – NSWHP FASS

RITE staff member JOINT WINNERS Tyler Haigh, Technical Solution Architect, DevOps Ian Carter, Principal Hospital Scientist, Clinical Virology, ICPMRWestmead, NSWHP West Chief Executive award Kempsey laboratory – NSWHP North

Moruya team.

Bega team.

Keeping people safe and healthy South Coast bushfire response – All Moruya and Bega laboratory staff led by supervising scientists Iain Hutchinson, Moruya and Mark Carroll, Bega.

On 2 January 2020 a State of Emergency was declared for bushfire ravaged areas of NSW, including an unprecedented 14,000 square kilometre ‘leave zone’ for tourists that stretched from Nowra south to the Victorian border. The Moruya and Merimbula airports closed due to smoke, major arterial highways were cut by fire, and the Moruya township, our lab and 2000 stranded tourists were cut off.

It fell to our brave and committed Moruya and Bega lab staff to continue service, caring for their communities and each other during this frightening

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and chaotic time. They juggled work with fire-fighting duties and defending their own properties. Some would lose their homes and livestock.

They charged phones and hearing aids for evacuated tourists who sat patiently outside the lab awaiting their turn.

Moruya staff worked day and night ready to provide emergency assistance. They became well known at road blocks, seeking permission to travel on back roads to deliver urgent goods to Batemans Bay Hospital and return with specimens for processing.

Others braved the road from Bega to Moruya, and Moruya to Westmead, subject to safety assessments, ensuring urgent referred specimens could be tested and results returned.

Throughout it all, both laboratories remained open and provided a continuum of care for diagnosis, routine monitoring and treatment, even after-hours.

The unprecedented crisis showed what our staff are made of, working alongside other services to contribute to the overall bushfire response to achieve great outcomes for the local community.

Representatives from our ICT, PoCT and DevOps teams.

Delivering truly connected care Pathway IoT Diagnostic Pipeline – NSWHP ICT, PoCT and DevOps teams Michael Bourke, Katherine Astill, Phil Summerville, Joash Reddy, Desmond Horsley, Tyler Haigh, Joe Daley, Gareth Halbert, Nicholas Whitall and Nathan Anstess.

How do you realise the potential of point of care technology in a public hospital system as big and complex as ours, with intermittent connectivity at some sites and an overriding requirement for data security?

Our Information and Communication Technology and Point of Care Technology teams collaborated with industry giants Siemens, Microsoft and Dius to apply advances in technologies that gave us smart light bulbs, air conditioners and sensors around our homes to the medical setting.

Their Pathway Internet of Things (IoT) Diagnostic Pipeline delivers

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a world-first in open diagnostic equipment connectivity. Patients and clinicians – wherever they might be – can be joined to the full capabilities of NSW metropolitan hospitals. Results that took hours now take minutes and treating teams can quickly determine the risk of transferring acutely ill patients to bigger hospitals.

Chronically ill patients can monitor themselves at home. Pathology results and vital signs data from medical devices can be sent directly to clinical staff via electronic medical records or My Health Record in near

real-time. Pathology and vital signs information can be combined to automate the calculation of a sepsis risk score which is relayed to clinical staff in near-real time, ensuring appropriate and timely lifesaving treatment.

Future applications for the pipeline include ‘virtual hospitals’.

This unique and innovative collaboration was also recognised as a finalist in the 2021 NSW Premier’s Awards in the “Excellence in Digital Innovation” category.

Contributing to better health and justice systems

Science that is saving lives, our expert FASS teams are deserving winners.

Development of services to enable the NSW Drug Surveillance Strategy – NSWHP Forensic & Analytical Science Service (FASS) Forensic Toxicology Laboratory (FTL) and Illicit Drugs Analysis Unit (IDAU).

When a patient presents to a NSW hospital emergency department (ED) affected by an unknown illicit substance and the clock is ticking, clinicians know who to call.

It is just one component of the testing undertaken by two specialist teams within our Forensic & Analytical Science Service (FASS) as part of the NSW Government’s Drug Surveillance Strategy.

The strategy aims to identify emerging drug trends in NSW and develop early warning systems to drive evidence-based policing as well as drug health policy and practices in NSW. FASS’s Illicit Drugs Analysis Unit (IDAU) and Forensic Toxicology Laboratory (FTL) are critical to this, along with the Centre for Alcohol and Other Drugs, NSW Ministry of Health, NSW Police Force and NSW Poisons Information Centre.

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It’s a multipronged approach to identify and act upon emerging drug issues and collate data in real-time. The FASS FTL analyses biological samples from critically ill, drug-affected patients admitted to EDs through the NSW Prescription, Recreational and Illicit Substance Evaluation (PRISE) program. Their results inform patient treatment.

The FASS IDAU identifies and tracks composition changes in streetlevel drugs and identifies high risk substances in the community through the Combined Surveillance and Monitoring of Seized Substances (CoSMoSS) program.

The teams have contributed to the analysis of 302 physical substances from 19 music festivals, tested biological samples from 230 critically ill patients presenting to EDs, and informed nine clinical health alerts and five public health alerts which may have saved lives.

Gillian Rozenberg, with help from Siobhan Cunliffe, went above and beyond to share a lifetime of knowledge and experience.

Supporting our people Haematology morphology workshops to upskill staff – Randwick laboratory, NSWHP East Gillian Rozenberg and Siobhan Cunliffe It was early 2020 and Senior Medical Scientist Gillian Rozenberg was on the verge of retiring after 40-plus years with what we now know as NSW Health Pathology.

Before retirement, she had committed to leave her Randwick lab and hit the road for a year of rural and regional touring. Renowned for her commitment to education equity, Gillian wanted to share her morphology expertise with lab staff across the state in a series of two-day workshops before she left.

Our Learning and Development and Human Resources teams also wanted to ensure Gillian’s expansive and well-respected knowledge was passed on, particularly to our regional and rural colleagues.

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But the COVID-19 pandemic soon brought Gillian’s travel and workshop plans to a standstill. Gillian had to be agile. How – during a pandemic – could she deliver a series of specialised morphology workshops to a geographically diverse workforce?

The solution was the video conferencing service, Zoom.

Although a little daunted by the prospect, Gillian and our Learning and Development and Human Resources teams, led by

Siobhan Cunliffe, supported Gillian to rejig her workshop to be delivered online via Zoom.

With Siobhan’s help and the support of Director Scientific and Technical Vanessa Thomson, the course was offered to rural and regional staff via five, two-hour Zoom sessions over three weeks.

A comprehensive booklet that contained the lesson slides was also made available to staff ahead of the Zoom sessions.

Despite the pandemic, Gillian went above and beyond to share her knowledge and experience across our organisation. In less than 12 months, she delivered her workshop content to 118 staff across NSW.

Creating safer, healthier workplaces How do you recognise truly transformative change when it’s at home?

Strategic implementation of staff safety and service delivery resources at Drug Toxicology Unit (DTU) – NSWHP Forensic & Analytical Science Service (FASS) The 21 staff of the DTU

At our Drug Toxicology Unit at North Ryde it’s by increased productivity, reduced workers’ compensation claims and fewer manual handling incidents.

The unit performs comprehensive drug testing of urine and oral fluid for a range of NSW clinical clients and government agencies. Its staff analyse approximately 100,000 samples annually.

Until recently, many of the laboratory operations had relied on manual processes and due to outdated technology, there had been a high incidence of workplace incidents and workers’ compensation.

Review and analysis of incidents and workers’ compensation data showed that occupational overuse syndrome caused by performing repetitive manual tasks was the most consistent contributor to these incidents.

Action was taken to reduce manual handling by updating equipment, technology and lab processes; training staff; and creating a lasting safe work, health culture within the team.

The initiative has seen a 100 per cent reduction in the number of workers’ compensation claims. Reported manual handling injuries have fallen to one or less for each of the past four calendar years.

The use of hazardous solvents and chemicals has been reduced by 80 per cent in the past six months. Turnaround times are down from 10 to two working days.

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Masters of transformative change, teams from the DTU at North Ryde.

Over six months, the average daily number of outstanding samples was whittled down from over 2000 to less than 250.

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Behind t he scenes

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at our virtual event

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Recognising our pioneering spirit

JOINT WINNER Randwick Microbiology and Serology and Virology Division (SAViD), NSWHP East Professor William Rawlinson and team (Anna Condylios, Dr Zin Naing, Jane Shi, Dr Kerry Varretas, and the wider laboratory team).

Tackling the massive challenge of COVID-19 testing before processes and adequate resources were even in place proved no impediment to our Randwick Serology and Virology Division (SAViD).

It had developed in-house RTPCR assays using artificial templates even before the first Australian case was diagnosed, along with in-house serology and neutralisation assays.

It grew the virus in collaborative PC3 facilities using internationally novel processes. This led to over 500,000 SARS-CoV2 RTPCR tests in 2020, the largest number in any of our laboratories, accounting for about a third of all tests done performed by NSWHP.

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Collaboration with the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Program’s biosecurity program through the Chair, Prof Bill Rawlinson, led to a world-first quality assurance program for RTPCR and whole genome sequencing (WGS) – all within three months of the first Australian cases.

Prof Rawlinson’s innovative approach to ‘pool’ samples, allowing 6,000 to be processed each day, with results in 24 hours, was validated and the method and shared with other labs.

In 2021, the team continued to perform the largest number of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) of all our specialist public health laboratories.

This work has been rewarded with several collaborations in Research and Development, with more than $20 million in grants in 2020 and recognition from the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine.

The team is extremely proud that their pooling and rapid WGS methods were adopted nationally, and truly appreciate the heartfelt accolades from clinical colleagues and the community.

JOINT WINNER Westmead Virology and Serology teams, Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services (CIDMLS), Institute for Clinical Pathology and Medical Research (ICPMR), NSWHP West Virology and Serology teams (Ian Carter, Jen Kok, Linda Hueston, Matthew O’Sullivan, Sue Alderson and all team members).

In December 2019, reports emerged of a new virus spreading rapidly around the world, causing significant illness and death. Delayed diagnosis was having devastating consequences for patients in other countries and impeding their public health responses.

Without a means of rapid and accurate diagnosis for infection, we faced a similar scenario here.

Our Westmead CIDMLS and ICPMR teams quickly realised the risk and got to work. They developed the first diagnostic assays in NSW that could rapidly and accurately detect the virus itself (diagnosing the first patients in Australia) and the serological response to infection from it.

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These tests have been critical to the NSW Health public health response to the pandemic. They inform the investigation of outbreaks and help trace them to their source. The tests confirm approval for returned travellers to be released from quarantine. They also give assurance to clinicians and patients.

The Virology team was also the first in NSW to successfully grow SARSCoV-2. This provided positive and quality control material for genomic sequencing and other NSW Health Pathology laboratories, and helped clinicians determine if patients were still ‘infectious’.

Even now, these talented and committed professionals continue to assess, modify and improve their assays to ensure they provide the best diagnostic service for the people of NSW. More recently, this has included work on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to ensure it can detect newer ‘Variants of Concern’, introduction of a trimeric spike, and a nucleoprotein IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) which can differentiate between vaccineinduced antibody and natural infection.

Sustainability warriors, the team from our NSWHP South Campbelltown laboratory.

Environmental sustainability Campbelltown’s paperless lab (almost!) – NSWHP South Parth Nanavati, Kristian Peralta, Paola Carreno and Muhammad Islam In 2018 our Campbelltown laboratory staff made the wise and environmentally-sound decision to dig themselves out from under an Everest of paper.

Several years later, their Paperless Lab (Almost!) project is a resounding success, with barely a sheaf in sight.

Like most labs at the time, the team was reliant on paper for handover books, request and shift swap forms, annual leave approvals, competency documentation, performance appraisals – you name it.

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It was hard to track trends and find historical documentation. New processes were needed, fast.

The first step was the introduction of an electronic handover system via an iPad. Next came electronic handover forms via Google Forms and linked to a back-end database that collects information and identifies long-term issues.

Staff now safely share computers in a hot desk area to complete their administration functions. Request form record keeping was next in the firing line.

More than 300 requests a day were being sent to Liverpool Hospital, and they’d be photocopied first and kept for tracking. Now, they are scanned in batches of 20 at a time. This has saved 109,800 pieces of paper, which equates to 220 reams of paper and savings of $1540 a year.

It also equals 10 whole trees. Water and chemicals that would be otherwise used in papermaking was also saved.

The team worked together to encourage support and acceptance of the change, which has freed up more space in the office and will have a lasting positive impact on the environment.

Liz mobilized and led the teams that devised our Statewide SMS Results Service.

Collaborative, connected leader Liz Geddes – Project Manager, NSWHP Statewide SMS Service

Everyone has their moment in history and Liz Geddes’ came during a lifechanging global pandemic that called for urgent solutions to new problems.

We needed a way to deliver negative COVID-19 results direct to patients; something we had never done before.

With members of the public anxious, in isolation and facing more than a week for COVID-19 results, Liz and a core team were tasked with finding a new solution. It had to deliver results faster and alleviate the burden on the lab and hospital staff who until then needed to telephone thousands of patients with their negative results.

Liz was instrumental in mobilising and leading the teams that established a solution that could be used not just for COVID-19 but other pathology results in the future: NSW Health Pathology’s COVID-19 SMS solution and outbound statewide call centre.

The service was a hit from the start with more than 85% of people routinely registering for an SMS result. It reduced the time for results delivery from more than nine days to less than 72 hours and later, under 24 hours. It even won a NSW Premier’s Award.

Like many, Liz realised the pandemic asked us to work above and beyond what we had ever done before. She spent many weekends in the call centre and was available at all times, supporting our call centre staff as they took calls from distraught members of the public.

Her incredible capacity to remain focused and driven has been instrumental in making our SMS service and call centre what it is: life-changing.

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Research excellence JOINT WINNER Dr Jeremy Watherston, Senior Forensic Biologist – NSWHP FASS

When mass disaster strikes, one of the tragic consequences is often the loss of multiple lives.

Timely, accurate identification of victims gives much needed answers to family members. It also enables thorough investigation.

But identification is often complicated by heavy disruption to a victim’s body, as well as difficulties linked to the disaster recovery setting. In the past five years, our Forensic & Analytical Science Service (FASS) forensic biologist Dr Jeremy Watherston’s research has focused on faster identification of disaster victims at lower cost.

JOINT WINNER Dr Kerri Basile, Post Graduate Research Fellow – ICPMR-Westmead, NSWHP West

Kerri is an emerging researcher, known for her excellent communication and collaboration skills.

She developed SARS-CoV-2 cell culture techniques at NSW Health Pathology’s Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research (ICPMR), Westmead.

Viral culture had been performed for respiratory virus diagnostics in the past, but Kerri further refined the method and introduced innovative ways for detecting SARS-CoV-2 growth. This assay is now routinely offered and was recently accredited

by Australia’s National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA).

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Our world-class researchers impressed and inspired with their fascinating work in disaster victim identification and the management of SARS-CoV-2.

In 2020 he participated in a national disaster victim identification (DVI) exercise, which was coordinated by the Australian New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency’s DVI Committee and hosted by the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER).

Donated human cadavers were buried under rubble in a collapsed building scenario and left for two to four weeks before being recovered.

During the exercise, Jeremy trialled the application of in-field DNA testing on two different rapid DNA platforms.

Kerri’s research has been invaluable in informing Australian guidelines on the release of persons with COVID-19 from isolation. Her findings have also been referenced in national and international guidelines to manage the de-isolation and management of critically unwell people infected with SARS-CoV-2.

His goal was to achieve rapid identifications and reassociation of body parts, and to assess how the technology could be integrated into post-mortem phase operations.

These platforms offer an ability to obtain DNA results within 90 minutes in the field, with non-expert operation.

Outcomes from Dr Watherston’s research have ensured that FASS remains a leader in DNA-led identification for comprised human remains and is recognised for scientific excellence.

Patients, clinicians and public health physicians have benefited from Kerri’s work. Her findings also improved the provision of hotel quarantine rooms and hospital beds by reducing the length of quarantine required for persons with persistently positive PCR results.

Dr Watherston is now Team Leader, Forensic Biology, at Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services. We wish him well in his new role and thank him for his contribution to NSWHP FASS.

The outcomes of Kerri’s work have featured in high impact medical journals including Nature Medicine and Clinical Infectious Diseases.

She has also presented at many conferences, including the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Conference on Coronavirus Disease in 2020.

In the future, Kerri’s research aims to evaluate the optimal cell lines for isolating SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern (VOC). She is also examining mechanisms that drive genomic variation, as well as developing functional assays to comprehensively assess VOC and improve our understanding of vaccine escape mutants.

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RITE staff member

JOINT WINNER Tyler Haigh, Technical Solution Architect, DevOps, NSWHP ICT

The word ‘dynamo’ comes to mind when you learn about Tyler’s work ethic and achievements.

He’s the go-to-guy who goes above and beyond. Delivering the first release of our first ever Statewide Test Catalogue for user testing; helping deliver our initial COVID-19 SMS solution; instrumental in the Service NSW COVID-19 results system going live; and guiding the delivery of our future infrastructure platform, Kubernetes, are some of his recent achievements.

Tyler’s efforts have allowed NSW Health Pathology to share innovative and life-changing features with our patients in the most challenging times, without compromising on safety or quality.

Many of the features he’s driven have been adopted by Local Health District and Ministry of Health colleagues, helping them adapt and manage their own responses to the pandemic.

He has been praised by every third party he has collaborated with, including industry giants Microsoft and Deloitte. And he is acknowledged as only one of 20 MuleSoft technical ambassadors in the world.

It is fair to say that Tyler’s work is the embodiment of our RITE (Respect, Integrity, Teamwork, Excellence) values and has been integral to delivering new solutions that during this pandemic have supported millions of people more than they might ever know.

Tyler also went on to be shortlisted in 2021 NSW Premier’s Awards, where he was a finalist in the Anthea Kerr Award, which recognises future public sector leaders under 38 years of age.

Tyler is an ICT dynamo and humble hero.

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JOINT WINNER Ian Carter, Principal Hospital Scientist, Clinical Virology, ICPMR-Westmead, NSWHP West

The news of a worldwide pandemic sweeping towards Australia was the most significant public health crisis most of us are likely to experience in our lifetimes.

For Ian, the virologist in charge of producing the first assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in NSW, this was also likely the most crucial, high pressure task of his career. And he was up to it.

The principal hospital scientist in Clinical Virology at NSWHP-ICPMR Westmead, Ian managed the design, evaluation and implementation of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and virus culture methods in record time, while balancing routine work.

He began in mid-January 2020, only weeks after the first reports of the disease internationally and by 22 January 2020, had developed the first PCR test for rapid detection of COVID-19 infection.

Three days later, it was used to diagnose the first confirmed case in NSW. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of COVID-19 patients using this assay was important for the health of patients and prevention of disease transmission in the wider community during the early stages of the pandemic.

While developing the PCR test, Ian was growing SARS-CoV-2 in culture; a task he was able to achieve by early the next month – 4 February 2020.

He spent countless nights and weekends in the lab, designing and evaluating his tests, providing material to other laboratories for their tests, working himself to the point of near exhaustion.

Ian rapidly developed a test to accurately diagnose COVID-19 patients.

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From Ian’s perspective, our patients and the community needed this test and he would not stop until he could meet that need. This RITE-led work ethic and attitude in extraordinary times were inspiring to his workplace colleagues, creating a culture where everyone did what they could to achieve the greater good.

The Chief Executive Award recognises the outstanding contribution of an individual or team to the success and strategic priorities of NSW Health Pathology.

Chief Executive award Kempsey laboratory – NSWHP North All NSW Health Pathology Kempsey staff

When the rivers are rising but there’s still vital public pathology services to perform, our NSWHP Kempsey staff don’t worry, they just get on with it.

They just keep swimming.

When the floods returned to Kempsey again in March 2021, urgent action was needed. With road closures and evacuation imminent, decisions had to be made quickly to ensure service continuity and avoid the risk of staff driving in floodwaters.

The team put together a fast, fair plan that struck the right balance between personal responsibilities, patient safety and the resourcing needed to maintain services.

Those who needed to go home to animals and family went, but not until colleagues who volunteered to stay, ducked home and returned with packed bags for the duration. For some, this would be 10 days.

Those who stayed found temporary accommodation close to the laboratory at the Kempsey Hospital staff house. The camaraderie this established with fellow healthcare providers created valuable professional bonds that have lasted beyond the flood.

NSWHP Chief Executive Tracey McCosker said the Kempsey team personified the organisation’s values of caring and connecting.

“They showed a level of dedication and caring that exceeds expectations and should be an inspiration to us all,” Ms McCosker said.

“It’s not just about the efficiency and leadership of their response, as great as it was. It’s the care they showed – for their patients and clinicians and one another.

They’re a shining example of all that is great and good about our organisation. I am tremendously proud of this team and lifted by the example they set.

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A message from our Board Chair On behalf of my fellow Board members, I would like to thank and recognise all NSWHP staff for their ongoing dedication to delivering highly specialised pathology and forensic services, which help to protect the health and safety of our communities.

The Board was proud to see the NSWHP Staff Awards return in 2021 for its second year. More than ever, the caring, connecting and pioneering spirit that underpins this great organisation deserves to be celebrated.

There’s no doubt this has been a challenging period for everyone, personally and professionally. In these uncertain times, it’s important to acknowledge and celebrate the essential role NSWHP staff have played in the ongoing response to COVID-19, as well as during bushfires, floods and droughts … all while continuing to maintain vital health and justice systems.

The value NSWHP brings has been on full display in recent times and in so many tangibly human ways. Their collective efforts and the quality of work has been nothing short of amazing.

I was on one of the judging panels for the 2021 awards and was impressed with the high quality of more than 100 entries from across the state. The issues of quality and safety are very important to the NSW Health Pathology Board.

The teams and individuals represented by the finalists showcase the incredibly innovative work being undertaken, and the passion and commitment of staff.

However, we know these awards highlight just some of the excellent work being undertaken right across NSW Health Pathology every day. Not everyone can be a finalist or the winner, but they are all worthy of this acknowledgement.

We thank you for working tirelessly to help protect, improve and save the lives of our families and friends.

Sincerely, Peter Loxton NSW Health Pathology Board Chair

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NSW Health Pathology would like to thank the major sponsor of its 2021 staff awards, icare, and supporting sponsors Aware Super, Nous and Smart Salary.

Their generous support ensured our awards went ahead despite the challenges of COVID-19 which saw it rescheduled four times before being reimagined and delivered as a virtual event.

Thank you for your patience and for helping us celebrate our greatest asset – our people, who help deliver the best services our communities deserve.

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NSW Health Pathology Awards 2021

Caring, connecting and pioneering – for all of us Congratulations to all our 2021 winners, finalists and nominees. If you have a question or would like to be part of our annual staff awards, please contact our awards team: NSWPATH-Awards@health.nsw.gov.au The credits

Our judges

Panel 5

A very special thank you to our Virtual Awards ceremony hosts

Panel 1

Tarquin Pollock, Dr. John Ng, Brett Matthews and Shauna Stafford.

Natasha Beyersdorf, NBN Television and Tracey McCosker PSM, NSW Health Pathology Chief Executive

Dr. Deanna Paulin, Carmen Rechbauer. Bobby Dimitrijovski, Frances Little, Charlene Khurana, Elizabeth Geddes, and Alexander Cillekens.

Special virtual event guests Brad Hazzard, Minister for Health and Minister for Medical Research Elizabeth Koff, Secretary, NSW Health Dr Kerry Chant, NSW Health Chief Health Officer Peter Loxton, NSW Health Pathology Board Chair Sandra Myk, icare NSW Our generous sponsors icare NSW – Major sponsor The Nous Group – Bronze sponsor

Panel 2 Paul Dunn, Kris Avery, Geoff Channels, Kerry Varettas, Justin Lyons, Vishaal Singh.

Panel 6 Peter Loxton, Prof William Rawlinson, Dr. Mark Formby, Amanda Koegelenberg and Nicole Tripney.

NSW Health Pathology Awards team

David Spence, Zoe Hitchcock, Ross Armitage, Prof. Nick Hawkins, and Dr. Genevieve McKew.

Nicole Tripney, Kristy Waddell, Taylor O’Brien, Tina Sorenson, Shannon Ramadge, Dannielle Hinwood, Sally Topp, Elisha Whitburn, Nicki Webster, Tanya Dunn, Dr Deanna Paulin, Natasha Wilkinson, Casey Forster and Maria Prasad.

Panel 4

Production partners

Vanessa Thomson, Christopher Bourke, Dileep Kumar, Bradford Busoy, Marco Chan and Dr. Michael Legg.

Big Bang Events, Scion Audio, Exotic Lilly, Corporate Cookie Co and Fisheye.

Panel 3

Smart Salary – Bronze sponsor Aware Super – Bronze sponsor

Finally, thank you to everyone for watching at home!

Click here to watch the 2021 NSW Health Pathology Awards

www.pathology.health.nsw.gov.au

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