Northern Health Graduate Midwife, Jess Permezel, received the award for ‘Patient Experience’ at our inaugural Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards.

Unaware that she was nominated, and on leave in Canada at the time, Jess was wondering why she was receiving calls from work.

It wasn’t until she received a text message asking her to answer her phone that she found out about the award.

Midwifery Unit Manager, Nicole Carlon, nominated Jess and says, “her approach is always patient-centred, and this was highlighted during her care of an Aboriginal patient with a complex social situation.”

“Jess’ calm, compassionate care of this whole family was outstanding, and the family particularly appreciated her understanding and sensitivity towards Aboriginal culture and practices,” Nicole continues.

Jess has a background in community development and social work, making her equipped to deal with complex cultural cases such as this.

“I looked after an Indigenous woman and her family while she was in labour. There were social issues surrounding her and she also had a big family with some pretty intense family dynamics,” Jess says.

“It was a demanding but wonderful day, and a lovely birth. The family sent me a glowing thank you email and I felt so proud of myself.”

On winning the award, Jess says, “when you’re a graduate, you can feel like you’re getting a lot of things wrong and that’s fine, it’s all about learning, but it was really nice to have some acknowledgement that I’m getting things right!”

When asked what she enjoys most about working at Northern Health, Jess says, “I love the community, the people who visit this hospital and the demographic – it’s so culturally rich.”

“I’m learning things every single day about migrant and refugee populations, and that’s where my heart and my passions lie – that’s what I love most,” she continues.

In the future, Jess would like to work in a case load program focussing on one-to-one midwifery within communities of need.

Sponsored by Maxxia and BankVic, our Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards have been designed to formally recognise outstanding contributions by our employees and celebrate staff excellence. Nominations for the next Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards are now open. To nominate a staff member or team, please click here.