Project Energize wins big

Project Energize was the big winner in the 2012 Waikato District Health Board Best of Health Awards.

Project Energize, a collaborative programme run by Sport Waikato and funded by Waikato DHB, took out the top prize at the awards ceremony at the Wintec House Atrium last night.

They took home $4500 for winning overall and the patient outcome award.

Project Energize is a project for Waikato primary schools to improve children’s physical activity and nutrition, thereby reducing obesity rates and cardiovascular risk factors.

A total of 44,000 primary and intermediate school children, at 244 Waikato schools, are now part of Project Energize.

The Best of Health Awards, not held since 2008, were first introduced in 2003 to recognise and reward the excellent health initiatives that had taken place across Waikato.

This year, the awards received 36 entries from throughout the Waikato health sector – including primary care, Waikato District Health Board and nongovernment organisations. Other winners include: Innovation - won by Population Health for their project ‘‘Opportunities Taken: The need for, and effectiveness of secondary care opportunistic immunisation’’.

Patient outcome - won by Sport Waikato for their entry ‘‘Project Energize’’.

Process improvement - won by Waikato Hospital for their project ‘‘The Waikato Hospital delivery and capacity planning project’’.

Collaboration - won by Midlands Health Network for ‘‘ereferral best practice generic template rollout to Waikato DHB general practices’’.