Nominees will display exceptional capability in all 3 areas of excellence. A written response of how the nominees meet the criteria will be required. This response should be supported by specific examples or stories.
The areas of excellence for each category are listed below.
The Allied Health Professional of the Year makes an outstanding contribution to clinical excellence, leadership, education, and culture. They advocate for evidence-based practice, focus on value-based health care, and provide safe, quality, and compassionate patient care. They actively support a positive culture in line with the NSW Health CORE values.
This allied health professional shows commitment to supporting, empowering, and upskilling those around them. They passionately advocate for better patient outcomes through allied health services and collaborate across professions and services to achieve this. The individual is recognised by peers for their outstanding professionalism and the continuous demonstration of pride to be an allied health professional within NSW Health.
The areas of excellence for the Allied Health Professional of the Year are:
A written submission, addressing the reason for nomination (maximum 200 words) and the three areas of excellence (maximum 300 words each) is required in the nomination.
The Allied Health Leader of the Year has continuously exhibited excellence in leadership, focusing on the values of teamwork, innovation, service, quality, compassion, and integrity. They show exceptional skills to support, mentor, and coach staff.
The Allied Health Leader of the Year is a visionary. They drive quality improvement in patient care, service delivery and a commitment to value-based health care. They are leaders of a positive culture across professional groups in line with NSW Health's CORE values. They are proud to be an allied health professional working in NSW Health.
The nominee does not have to be working in a management/senior role.
The areas of excellence for the Allied Health Leader of the Year are:
The Early Career Allied Health Professional of the Year has shown exceptional potential during their first two years of practice. They are committed to supporting a positive culture in line with the NSW Health CORE values and are proud to be an allied health professional working in NSW Health.
This early career allied health professional demonstrates passion and commitment to the provision of quality, safe and compassionate care to patients and their family/caregivers. They are committed to seeking continuous learning opportunities and are driven to demonstrate emerging clinical excellence for their discipline.
The nominee must be less than 2 years post-graduation at the time of nomination to their District Allied Health Awards.
The areas of excellence for Early Career Allied Health Professional of the Year are:
The Aboriginal Allied Health Professional of the Year demonstrates exceptional commitment, professionalism, and compassionate care to all patients. They are committed to improving and advocating for the culturally appropriate health care of Aboriginal peoples and communities and are proud to be an allied health professional working in NSW Health.
The Aboriginal Allied Health Professional of the Year demonstrates their leadership through passionate advocacy for their profession by contributing to the growth and development of the Aboriginal allied health workforce in NSW Health.
The nominee must identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person.
The areas of excellence for the Aboriginal Allied Health Professional of the Year are:
The Allied Health Assistant/Technician/Support Person of the Year consistently provides exceptional and high-quality support for allied health professions and allied health services.
They actively support a positive culture in line with NSW Health's CORE values and are proud to be an Allied Health Assistant/Technician/Support Person working in NSW Health. This individual demonstrates a commitment to elevating the human experience by being the backbone of the allied health service for their organisation. They show professionalism and are a proven team player.
The nominee must have a dedicated Allied Health Assistant, Technician and/or Support Person role, which may include providing administrative support.
The areas of excellence for the Allied Health Assistant/Technician/Support Person of the Year are:
The Allied Health Researcher of the Year has made exemplary contributions to research to enhance allied Health practice and services. Their activities have been impactful and can be translated into practice, and they are proud to be an allied health professional working in NSW Health.
The Allied Health Researcher of the Year holds a clinical or clinical leadership role and may or may not have protected research time. They may hold a conjoint academic appointment in addition to their clinical role, but this is not their primary role. They may be a higher degree by research student who is achieving at a high level and meets the criteria set out below. They contribute to building capacity to conduct and translate research in allied health services, for example by supervising research students, leading research teams, or mentoring novice researchers.
This Award is open to early and experienced researchers. Applications will be assessed based on the impact of their research in NSW Health and how they are supporting clinicians to implement research in clinical practice as well as build research capacity.
The areas of excellence for the Allied Health Researcher of the Year are:
The Allied Health Educator of the Year has made exemplary contributions to the education of others to improve allied health services. This could include teaching of allied health professional peers, students, other health disciplines, patients, or the general public. They are proud to be an allied health professional working in NSW Health.
Their activities have been impactful to improve the practice standards of allied health professionals, the knowledge of specific health conditions or the understanding of allied health services. Education provided can be part of a formal teaching role or in an informal capacity.
The areas of excellence for the Allied Health Educator of the Year are: