Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) was today announced as a finalist in the 2013 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards.
The Awards celebrate outstanding leadership, excellence and innovation in Victoria’s public healthcare system.
DHSV was nominated for achieving a highly capable and engaged workforce through its Indigenous Dental Assistant Trainee Program and will be judged alongside Austin Health’s ‘Nurse Endoscopy Service Initiation Team’, Alfred Health’s ‘Allied Health Assistant Leadership Team’, and Alfred Health & Monash Health’s combined ‘Advanced Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Competency Team’ for the top honour.
DHSV chief executive, Dr Deborah Cole, said becoming a finalist was great recognition for the hard-working staff involved in driving the Indigenous trainee program.
“Through the traineeship program, which started in August 2012, we’ve recruited six trainee dental assistants who now work with other dental professionals to treat and educate patients, provide administrative support, and help to maintain dental equipment – all while making the hospital setting more culturally appropriate for their fellow community members,” said Dr Cole.
“The twelve-month traineeship includes ongoing training, professional support and a paid RMIT course with study assistance to achieve Certificate III in Dental Assisting.”
Dr Cole said the program is helping to ‘close the gap’ between the health outcomes of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in our community.
“Since the implementation of the program, the number of clients identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander who are accessing care at The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne has increased by 30.9%, and state-wide by 14.9%,” she said.
The eighteen winners of the Victorian Healthcare Awards will be announced by the Premier of Victoria, Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health, and the Department of Health Secretary at a ceremony on Wednesday 20 November 2013.