Media Release

19 September 2005

New category introduced to top health awards

The New Zealand Health Innovation Awards will be opened up in 2006 to include a new category to acknowledge and reward excellence in business process.

The New Zealand Health Innovation Awards showcase excellence in treatment and rehabilitation, services that benefit all New Zealanders. The awards were initiated by the Ministry of Health and ACC in 2003.

In previous years a number of entries have been more process oriented than innovative. In light of this, the 2006 awards will be split into two streams; innovation and process improvement.

The process improvement category provides an opportunity for health providers to demonstrate improvement in their business processes by showing how their products and/or services have delivered value to customers and key stakeholders and possibly improved their financial position.

Entries are now open for the 2006 awards. The date for Expressions of Interest has been extended to October 28, 2005, to enable more health providers to take account of the new category and to submit entries.

Applications are invited from groups and organisations within the health, disability and rehabilitation sectors.

There are two categories:

• Innovation
• Process

Within each category there are two sections, based on the number of people responsible for the entry:

Small to medium – 1- 20 people
Large group – 21 plus people

The winner of each category receives a cash prize of $8,000.

Category winners are also eligible for the Supreme Award which carries a grand prize of $15,000. A Popular Choice Award of $5,000 is also presented.

The New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation manages the independent judging process, using international criteria and evaluation processes.

The winners will be announced at a gala Awards Dinner and presentation in Wellington in June next year.

Further information about the awards and entry forms are available online at www.healthinnovationawards.co.nz.

For more information contact:

Peter Abernethy
Communications Manager
DDI: 04 496 2008
Cellphone: 021 366 111
email peter_abernethy@moh.govt.nz

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Related information

Ministry of Health media releases

Health Innovation Awards