NORTHERN SYDNEY LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT NSLHD News NEWS NORTHERN SYDNEY LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT
Exceptional People Awards 2025
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Art of lived experience takes centre stage Page 6
researcher driving cancer innovation wins state award Page 7
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Message from the chief executive Adjunct Professor Anthony M. Schembri AM
Dear colleagues, It was a pleasure to attend the 2025 Exceptional People Awards at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Across eleven categories, we celebrated staff and volunteers who are delivering exceptional care, driving innovation and strengthening connections with our patients, families and communities. I was privileged to present Associate Professor Brian Burns with this year’s Chief Executive Commendation for his leadership in emergency medicine and trauma research. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate a colleague or team. We had a record 265 nominations this year which is a true testament to the extraordinary work taking place every day. You can see all the photos from the night, as well as view videos about our winners on the intranet here: https://bit.ly/EPAs-2025. I was thrilled to present NSLHD eServices librarian Katie McKnight with the district’s very first Emblem of Kindness. The Emblem of Kindness program launched across NSW Health celebrates the small acts of kindness happening across the health system. Katie is known to many staff members and visiting researchers as someone who constantly goes above and beyond to help others and make a positive impact – congratulations Katie.
In other great news, the district announced that Jennifer McConnell has been appointed permanently to the position of General Manager of Ryde Hospital. Jenny has held a number of senior leadership roles throughout the district and has been acting as the General Manager of Ryde Hospital since 2023, where her commitment to staff and patient care have shone through. Jenny will continue to help guide the hospital through the incredibly exciting $526.8 million redevelopment, which will be a major benefit to the Ryde community. The ‘Raise It’ public awareness campaign has been launched to help promote and support the implementation of a statewide phone number (1800 777 333). ‘Raise It’, formerly known as REACH, empowers patients, carers and family members to speak up if they notice concerning changes in a patient’s condition. It offers a clear and consistent process for all NSW public hospitals and health services, helping ensure concerns are escalated quickly and the right care is provided without delay. I would like to thank the team involved in assisting with the implementation of ‘Raise It’ across our health services and sharing the new materials with our patients and their loved ones. Warm regards, Anthony Schembri Chief Executive Northern Sydney Local Health District
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Professor Sarah Glastras Research to offer generational change
Kolling Institute investigators are launching research to transform pregnancy care in Australia through early identification and treatment of gestational diabetes, potentially improving outcomes across two generations. The research has been made possible by generous funding from the prestigious Balnaves Foundation, which says it is proud to partner with the Kolling’s Professor Sarah Glastras to improve health outcomes for both mother and baby. The University of Sydney and Royal North Shore Hospital will also be key collaborators. One in six Australian women find their pregnancy journey disrupted by a diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus – a condition with serious risks including birth trauma, low blood sugar in newborns, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes for both mother and child. It is the fastest growing type of diabetes in Australia, and contributes to a cycle of chronic disease. Building upon existing research, Professor Glastras and her team will build, test and refine a risk prediction model to identify women most at risk and offer access to a tailored lifestyle intervention program. The model will use a simple blood test to spot early signs of gestational diabetes and
then intervene before symptoms appear. Professor Glastras said this approach will deliver better health outcomes for mothers, such as increased muscle, steady blood sugar levels and reduced neonatal stress, while also reducing anxiety and improving engagement. “Intervention at this critical stage in the lifespan will help lower rates of childhood obesity, improve maternal mental health, and prevent chronic health conditions in the next generation,” she said. “Importantly, it will reduce the risk of women and their babies developing type 2 diabetes. “Women identified as high-risk will not simply receive a diagnosis, they will gain access to a tailored lifestyle program, shaped by multi- disciplinary care and cultural responsiveness. “The personalised support will help mothers stay healthy and give their babies the best start in life.” The program has the potential to lay the foundation for a new national standard in antenatal care. The research team is grateful for the philanthropic support from the Balnaves Foundation and looking forward to capturing more women with this condition, making life- long improvements to their health, and the health of their baby.
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Exceptional People Awards The 2025 Exceptional People Awards took place on 31 March to honour and acknowledge the outstanding contributions of staff and volunteers throughout the district. Congratulations to all the nominees, finalists, and winners, whose exceptional efforts make a meaningful impact on people’s lives every day. Safe and Connected Care Presented by Secretary of NSW Health, Susan Pearce AM
Individual Award Rebecca Grouse
Team Award _________ North Shore Ryde Mental Health Service
Consumer Nominated Award Virtual Care Service and Hospital in the Home
CORE Values and Behaviours Presented by Executive Director People and Culture, Kerrie Pryke and Exectuive Director, Operations, Lee Gregory
Team Award Ryde Assertive Outreach Team
Volunteer Award Christina Lee
Consumer Nominated Award Kathleen Green
Individual Award Jeanette Danser
Partnering with Consumers and Carers Presented by General Manager, Ryde Hospital, Jennifer McConnell and Executive Director Clinical Governance and Patient Experience Mark Zacka
Individual Award Catherine Osborn
Team Award _________ School-Link, Child and Youth Mental Health Service
Consumer Nominated Award Severe Burns Injury Unit
A big thank you to our sponsors for 2025
Gold Sponsor
Bronze Sponsors
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Youth Achievement Award Presented by Youth Advisory Board Co-Chairs Eamon O’Callaghan and Dee Sharma
Leadership Presented by Deputy Board Chair Mary Chiarella AM and Chief Executive Anthony Schembri AM
Sustainability and Planetary Health Presented by Executive Director Finance and Corporate Servicess, Jacqueline Ferguson and Executive Director of Population and Planetary Health Paul Klarenaar
Individual Award David Russell
Team Award NICU Green Team
Natasha Riddoch
Renae MCarthy
Research, Innovation and Digital Health Presented by Executive Director, Research, Associate Professor Naomi Hammond and Executive Director, Strategy and Office of the Chief Executive Simon Radmore
Engaged and Supported People Presented by Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery Claire Harris and Hornsby Hospital General Manager Amanda Green
Team Award BreastScreen NSW Northern Sydney Central Coast
Individual Award Charles Tian
Individual Award Katpaham Kasipillai
Team Award INSPIRE – RT
Individual Award Rebecca Tinker
Healthy and Well Communities Presented by Executive Director Mental Health Drug and Alcohol, Andrea Taylor and Director of PARVAN Services Rachel Wolf
Board Commendations Presented by Board Chair Trevor Danos AM
Royal North Shore Hospital staff for the response to the Bondi attacks
Northern Beaches Hospital Transition Team
Team Award Anchored in Respect Working Group – PARVAN
Individual Award Zion Park
Chief Executive Commendation Presented by the Chief Executive
Awarded to Associate Professor Brian Burns
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Art of lived experience takes centre stage A group exhibition at Macquarie Hospital’s Inside Out Mental Health Art Gallery is bringing together the work of 37 consumers
privileged and honoured to be able to share these artists’ stories,” said Jasmine. The show also features works by consumers from Cornucopia Art Group, Western Sydney Local Health District and Royal North Shore Hospital’s Child Youth Mental Health Service. Peer workers from across the Northern Sydney Local Health District also contributed. The gallery operates as a commercial gallery and usually presents two exhibitions each year. A common thread is they feature artists in the community and from Macquarie Hospital with lived experience of mental health issues. “Some of the past exhibitions have been quite dark and grim, but I feel like it’s the gallery’s role to hold space for all of those feelings — sometimes they can also be really light, and sometimes really hopeful,” said Jasmine. “Mostly I feel like I’m like a caretaker for the gallery space, and a caretaker for these artworks, because they’re often a holding space for the traumas and the experiences and the stories of our wonderful consumers.” The Inside Out Mental Health Art gallery is located in the Northern Sydney Education Conference Centre at the Macquarie Hospital campus. It is open to the public Monday to Friday. The Taking Steps exhibition is on until late April. Any enquiries please contact Jasmine at NSLHD-InsideOutGallery@health. nsw.gov.au.
and peer workers from across Sydney. The show, Taking Steps: A Mental Health Month Exhibition of Lived Experience, features 67 artworks, making it the largest group exhibition the gallery has hosted in more than a decade. Jasmine Steven, Inside Out Gallery Manager and Curator, and arts worker at Macquarie Hospital, said the exhibition explores the many ways people take steps toward recovery. “Each artwork reflects a personal journey, capturing moments of growth, resilience and hope,” she said. A team of art and music therapists work in the hospital’s rehabilitation program and for this exhibition, Jasmine worked closely with consumers over a two-year period, running open studio sessions. “We talked about the theme of ‘taking steps’ and would use the time to reflect and make art. We had an ongoing conversation. All the staff were so invested, all the consumers were so invested and passionate.” Jasmine said many of the consumers took a risk in making art in the first place as it wasn’t something that came naturally to many of them. One artist, Michelle, had her work featured on the exhibition’s invitation and catalogue. “When I hung this exhibition, I felt hugely
Art exhibition Jasmine Steven InsideOut Gallery Curator and Manager
Peer worker Paula Hanlon and artist Michelle Horsey
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State honour for researcher driving cancer care innovation Radiation therapist Meegan Shepherd has been named Allied Health Researcher of the Year at the NSW Health 2026 Excellence in Allied Health Awards, recognising her significant contribution to advancing cancer care through research and innovation. patient outcomes across the district and beyond. “The positive impact research has on patients, and their families is what matters most.”
Two additional clinicians were also recognised at the awards, with RNSH pharmacist Jessica Bui named a finalist in the Allied Health Professional of the Year category, and Ryde Hospital allied health assistant Taiyo Orino recognised as a finalist in the Allied Health Assistant of the Year category.
Based at Royal North Shore Hospital, Meegan has been recognised for her work advancing radiotherapy through research, education and emerging technologies, supported by her three master’s degrees and upcoming doctoral studies. Her research has been published in local and international journals and translated into practice, supporting workforce credentialing, new models of care and improved patient outcomes. Meegan, who has worked across NSW Health for nearly two decades, said the recognition reflects a collective effort across the district and she feels honoured to have made a difference. “It’s a real honour and reflects the work we’ve been doing at the Northern Sydney Cancer Centre in radiotherapy research, clinical trial and workforce development,” she said. “Seeing research translate directly into clinical practice and building research capacity within the team has been incredibly rewarding, leading to real improvements in
Meegan received her award from Dr Jean-Frédéric Levesque, Chief Executive of the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation, and the Deputy Secretary, Clinical Innovation and Research at NSW Health
Restoring a Northern Beaches landmark A $3.8 million conservation project to maintain the striking Dalwood House in Seaforth marks a major investment by the Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD) to preserve the heritage-listed site. The project will restore the iconic Northern Beaches’ sandstone building, which for more than a century has played a vital role in the community.
The current works are wide-ranging, and include stone repair and replacement, façade cleaning, timber restoration and repairs to the iconic Dalwood Home metal lettering. The NSW Government Stonework Program is managed and delivered by heritage architects in NSW Public Works and traditional trade practitioners at NSW Heritage Stoneworks.
Dalwood House sits on land first purchased in 1883 by Theodore Thomas Gurney, who built the Victorian Gothic stone mansion overlooking Middle Harbour. The estate originally included a caretaker’s cottage and stables, both of which survive today. Philanthropist Albert Edwin Dalwood purchased the site in 1922 and later donated the home to the Trustees of the Food for Babies Fund, which cared for mothers and babies from disadvantaged families. The site continues to be used by the NSLHD to support children and their families. A 2024 study into the condition of Dalwood House revealed significant deterioration and a need for comprehensive conservation work.
Restoration work is underway at Dalwood
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NSW Health
Worried you or a loved one is getting worse in hospital? Raise It
Your instincts can save a life. Use the Raise It process to escalate your concerns in any NSW public hospital or health service. We are here for you.
Scan to learn the steps or visit health.nsw.gov.au/RaiseIt
© NSW Ministry of Health 2026. SHPN (SCE) 260190
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