Bass Coast Health (BCH) was named the Premier's Medium Health Service of the Year at the Victorian Public Healthcare Awards in Melbourne on November 19.

Acting CEO Shaun Brooks said the award was a fabulous achievement for the health service and the community, and a credit to BCH staff and volunteers for their tireless commitment to providing first-class public healthcare.

"The judges noted that while we provide quality care to our community, what sets us apart was our strong community partnerships - our desire to involve our community in our activities and to work with them to ensure we're providing the services they need where possible and bring them along the journey to achieving our service growth aspirations," he said.

"Our partnerships are vital, and there is no doubt we could not have achieved what we have if we didn't enjoy the exceptional collaboration and support that we do."

Member for Bass, Jordan Crugnale congratulated BCH on its achievement.

"Bass Coast Health is so deserving of this recognition as it reflects the dedication, care and professionalism of our entire healthcare team who work tirelessly to provide high quality of care and support to our community.

"Whether it is in the ED, on the wards, at the front desk, behind the scenes, hospital in the home, residential care, specialist care like cancer and dialysis, the smile squad in our schools and the many other services and programs they offer."

She said along with the community, she was so grateful for the service and commitment of the BCH team to keeping everyone healthy.

She also thanked the many volunteers, businesses and community groups that supported the health service.

Judges

BCH's strong organisational purpose and commitment to stay the course during a high demand and high growth period was also a key feature for how the award was judged.

The award acknowledged BCH:

•   enhanced quality and safety and reduced risks to patients through various patient-centred care initiatives
•   strengthened the capacity of individuals, families and communities through effective prevention and health promotion
•   had safety and quality of care as highest priority and excellent care was recognised via a series of external accreditation reviews undertaken during the last 12-18 months
•   staff showed versatility in response to the major storms, outages, and multiple infrastructure and system upgrades
•   improved the work environment, grew staff numbers, and maintained the culture where the "We Care" values guide them to optimise wellbeing of consumers and staff; deliver equitable care; lead with compassion; be accountable for what they do; respect each other's differences; and aim for excellence.

The other finalists in the Medium Health Service of the Year category, were Bairnsdale Regional Health Service and Echuca Regional Health.

BCH was also a finalist in the category of 'Partnering in healthcare', recognising its clinical collaborative partnership with Alfred Health. That section was won by Austin Health and Swan Hill District Health.