Maroochydore’s Sunny Street took out the Outstanding Organisation Award at the 17th HESTA Australian Nursing and Midwifery Awards in Sydney.
Sunny Street is recognised for its work providing primary healthcare ‘outside the box’ for Australians experiencing homelessness and poverty.
Chief executive officer and Sunny Street co-founder Sonia Martin started the service out of the boot of her car.
Since these early beginnings in 2018, the service has grown to have more than 30,000 conversations and consultations with vulnerable Australians, reducing presentations and associated costs for local hospitals and health services.
Ms Martin said, “It is an honour and privilege to have the incredibly impactful street work of Sunny Street – a nurse-driven service – recognised nationally.
“We are proud to be formally recognised as exceptional, vital contributors to the Australian healthcare system. I’d like to thank my incredible team for their dedication, discipline and determination.
“We plan to use the prize money to build a comprehensive social prescription program for vulnerable people, aimed at improving their overall wellbeing by addressing both psychological and physical health concerns,” she said.
The awards recognise the nurses, midwives, nurse educators, researchers and personal care workers who are improving health outcomes by providing outstanding care and support for Australians in need.
HESTA chief executive officer Debby Blakey congratulated this year’s winners and finalists, acknowledging the significant impact they’ve made for communities around the country.
“I am incredibly proud of all our winners and finalists for their important contributions. Their impact is so widespread, spanning from cities to remote communities,” Ms Blakey said.
“It’s such an honour to help share their stories and celebrate their wonderful achievements. The lasting impact our winners have made on our communities is astounding, and the humble nature of their work continues to inspire us.”
The winners will each share in a $30,000 prize money pool to be used for professional development or to improve workplace services or processes, courtesy of longstanding awards’ supporter ME.
ME chief executive officer Martine Jager said, “ME is proud to congratulate the truly outstanding nurses, midwives and personal care workers recognised at these Awards. Your exceptional work in helping our community deserves to be celebrated. On behalf of ME, thank you for your dedication, passion and care.”
