Jenny Heslop, right, at the NSW Health Awards. Jenny was part of the Dried Blood Spot Validation Study team which won the Innovation award.

Life-changing, award-winning projects honoured

Oct 31, 2024

A big congratulations to the Manager HIV and Related Programs Jenny Heslop and her team for being part of the award-winning NSW Dried Blood Spot Validation Study, recipient of the Health Innovation category of last week’s NSW Health Awards.

Mid North Coast Local Health District partnered with NSW Health Pathology, NSW Health, Justice Health and the Forensic Mental Health Network to validate the Dried Blood Spot (DBS) test for diagnosing hepatitis C (HCV).

The project aims to move HCV DBS testing from research to everyday use and, if successful, will change how this testing is provided to priority groups in Australia.

Importantly, the test will improve accessibility to HCV testing and help NSW Health to eliminate HCV as a public health issue by 2028, in line with both state and World Health Organization targets.

Also a finalist was the Daalbirrwirr Gamambigu (Safe Children) model of care and Lymphoedema Prevention and Early Intervention Program.

The Safe Children model of care was a finalist in the Excellence in Aboriginal Healthcare Award for their work in providing culturally safe care to Aboriginal children and their families.

Our local health district was also part of the statewide Lymphoedema Prevention and Early Intervention Program that was a finalist in the Keeping People Health category.

The NSW Health Awards celebrate exceptional programs, projects, initiatives, and individuals who enrich health in millions of ways every day.

Congratulations to our teams on the amazing achievement of being named state finalists and recipients!

If you missed the live ceremony, you can watch it on the NSW Health website and view the full list of recipients.