A team of "incredible" nurses and midwives who help care for COVID patients at home have been recognised by the health district.
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The COVID Care in the Community Team and Remote In-Home Monitoring Team has been named as the Western NSW Local Health District's Nursing/Midwifery Team of the Year.
The announcement was made on Thursday as part of International Nurses Day.
The WNSWLHD Nursing/Midwifery Team of the Year is based on three criteria: the team's demonstration and commitment to the Living Well Together values, a commitment to the nursing profession and the demonstration of leadership in the provision of nursing quality care.
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WNSWLHD executive director of quality, clinic safety and nursing Adrian Fahy said the team, which is comprised of 13 different nursing disciplines, is the first of its kind in western NSW.
It is no exaggeration to say that without this team, the impact of COVID-19 in our district would have been significantly worse," Mr Fahy said.
Mr Fahy said the team formed "rapidly" in August 2021 in response to the escalating pandemic. The goal of the team was to provide care and support for COVID-positive patients and their families in their own homes.
Since then more than 9000 patients have been through the program, with an average of 500 to 600 in the team's care each day.
"Being able to provide the right care to people in their home significantly eased the burden on local and regional health facilities, allowing those hospitals and staff to continue providing the best care possible for all patients, not just those with COVID-19," Mr Fahy said.
The executive director said there ere too many nurses to name individually, but he thanked every one who was part of the team.
"After the pressure of the initial Delta wave, many of those staff continued to step up throughout the Christmas period as the Omicron variant emerged and continue with the program today, caring for patients with the highest risk of serious illness from COVID-19," Mr Fahy said.
"We simply don't know how many people could have ended up in hospital as a result of COVID-19 had the CCiC program not been formed, or our incredible staff not stepped up to support.
"Through their dedication, commitment and care, the district's rate of hospital admissions as a result of COVID-19 stayed and remains low. Not only that, the experience those staff members have gained will be invaluable going forward."
Mr Fahy offered his congratulations to the entire team, as well as the "amazing finalists" and "our entire workforce".
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