This morning, Northern Health hosted the Bi-Annual Awards, virtually coming together to honour the exceptional contributions of our staff.
The ceremony, sponsored by BankVic, was hosted by Debra Bourne, Chief Executive, Northern Health, and Becc Hodges, Chief People Officer.
“Northern Health has thousands of staff who work across a range of areas, departments and sites, dedicated to providing outstanding care to our community each and every day,” said Debra Bourne, Chief Executive.
“Among our award winners today are staff who demonstrate a strong and positive workplace culture, live Northern Health’s values of safe, kind and together, and show a genuine commitment to their patients.”
The ceremony celebrated winners from July 2025 – December 2025 in seven categories, with each award matched against Northern Health’s values and strategic priorities.
“I am delighted to be here today to celebrate and award the staff who demonstrate excellence in their care and work at Northern Health,” said Becc Hodges, Chief People Officer.
“I feel proud to work in an organisation where staff are collaborative and kind and turn up to work every day to provide such incredible care to our patients and community – we thank you all for your hard work.”
Hung Lam, Business Manager, won the Innovation Award. Hung was nominated by Jimmy Jacob.
“Since joining Northern Health Finance team six months ago, Hung has consistently demonstrated a level of capability, initiative, and maturity well beyond their career stage and being new to the health sector. They have quickly developed strong technical expertise in Mental Health Finance, while also showing an impressive ability to understand the broader organisational context and strategic objective,” Jimmy said in his nomination.
The Patient Experience Award was presented to Cassie MacAlpine and Meghan Burkett, Coordinators, Housing Pathway Teams. The pair was nominated by Jennifer Williams.
“Cassie and Meghan have demonstrated exceptional dedication and compassion in their work supporting some of our most vulnerable consumers – individuals living with enduring mental health challenges, who often fact significant barriers in accessing safe and secure accommodation,” Jennifer said in her nomination.
“They work collaboratively with a wide range of external services to strengthen pathways into housing, ensuring consumers are not navigating these complex systems alone.”
Wendy Nicol won the Excellence in Leadership Award. She was nominated by her colleague Snezana Velevski.
“I am nominating Wendy in recognition of her consistently outstanding support, guidance and leadership across Support Services. Wendy leads with integrity, empathy and clarity, and she creates an environment where staff feel supported, respected, and motivated to perform at their best,” Snezana said in her nomination.
The Education Award was presented to Dr Prakash Kamath, Consultant Psychiatrist. Dr Prakash was nominated by Yang Yun.
“Dr Prakash is an exceptional consultant psychiatrist at the Hotham St Clinic whose passion for education and mentorship profoundly inspires those around him. His visionary leadership in co-establishing a dynamic fortnightly lecture series for the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists trainees within the mental health division of Northern Health, launched in February 2025, and has truly transformed the junior registrars training experience,” Yang said in their nomination.”
Sarah Hales, Nurse Practitioner, was awarded the Clinical Excellence Award. She was nominated by Menaka Thapa.
“As a senior clinician and nurse practitioner, Sarah consistently demonstrates advanced clinical knowledge, sound clinical judgement, exceptional commitment to delivering high-quality patient-centred care, and an unwavering dedication to improving health outcomes for diverse populations,” Menaka said in their nomination.
“Her practice extends far beyond routine clinical duties – she promotes preventative health, fosters trust with patients and families, and serves as a reliable source for both medical and psychosocial support.”
The Excellence in Safety Award was presented to Belinda Pitts, Emergency Management Advisor. Belinda was nominated by Jason Amos.
“Since joining the Emergency Management team in 2024, Belinda has gone above and beyond in supporting Northern Health’s journey towards creating a safe, inclusive, supporting workplace for our staff and community,” Jason said.
“Belinda has been instrumental in increasing compliance of mandatory face-to-face Area Warden training with over 50% within 12 months, to a current compliance rate of 90% across all NH campuses. Belinda actively participates in the Northern Hospital Emergency Controller role and has supported Incident Management Teams for major Code and business continuity incidents.”
Lastly, Nadrah Asghar, Nuclear Medicine Technologist, took home the Rising Star Award. Nadrah was nominated by Caroline Nassima.
“Nadrah consistently demonstrates exceptional kindness and compassion, not only towards patients and their families, but also towards her colleagues. Even on days when her primary role is performing nuclear general scans, Nadrah takes the initiative to check on and assist colleagues in the PET department during quieter times,” Caroline said.
“This willingness to offer support is beyond her formal duties and reflects her genuine awareness of others’ needs and her commitment to fostering a caring, supporting environment. Nadrah’s kindness and compassion truly exemplify the values we strive for.”
Congratulations to all the award winners.