Award Winners

2011 VIC Award Winners

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Telstra Victorian Business Woman of the Year

Shelly Park

Southern Health, Clayton

“Health workers enter a very privileged place in peoples' lives and have the absolute responsibility to deliver high-quality care, often during times of adversity.” – Shelly Park.

When former nurse Shelly Park was appointed Chief Executive of Victoria’s largest public health service, Southern Health, in 2006, she realised she needed to grow funding, better manage demand and provide more healthcare for less. She has spent the past five years setting a clear direction and accountabilities to build morale among the service’s 13,400 employees, improve care outcomes and enhance the service’s reputation. Under Shelly’s leadership, care funding has increased by 44 per cent, allowing one third more patients to be treated and 54 per cent more emergency patients to be seen. In addition, the average hospital stay has shortened by 14 per cent. Shelly has overseen improvements in mental health care, increasing post-discharge contacts and reducing re-admission rates. The lift in service delivery and outcomes helped reshaped the service’s reputation - Southern Health now earns three times the positive media coverage it received three years ago.

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Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award

Kylie El-Sheikh

Tristar Medical Group, Mildura

“I want to see the day where there is no shortage of GPs and comprehensive medical services in regional and rural areas.” – Kylie El-Sheikh.

When Kylie El-Sheikh decided eight years ago to help fix Australia’s critical rural doctor shortage, plenty of critics doubted she could lure general practitioners to country towns. Now, as CEO of Tristar Medical Group (TMG), Kylie runs 27 medical centres in Victorian and NSW towns, some of which had not had a GP for two years. Married to a GP, but with no medical qualifications herself, Kylie matches doctors to communities by supplying career opportunities and the necessary infrastructure and support to run a successful practice. Based in Mildura, TMG has created 230 health-related rural jobs, 80 of them for doctors. Beyond GP consultations, the medical centres give residents access to practice nursing, registered midwives, mental health care and pathology, plus the benefits of extended opening hours and in-home reviews. So highly regarded is the system run by Kylie, there is now a waiting list for doctors to join a TMG centre.

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Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award

Margie Hepner

Stanhope Healthcare Services, Ashburton

“I believe that being a nurse has given me an advantage as a manager in the health care field because I know what staff are talking about and what is reasonable to expect.” – Margie Hepner.

As former CEO of Stanhope Healthcare Services, Margie Hepner helped provide more than one million hours of in-home care to more than 8,000 elderly and disabled Australians. Starting her career as a nurse and midwife and working her way into management roles, Margie later undertook a degree in Commerce and a Masters in Business Administration. She then combined her insights and expertise to lead Stanhope’s 1200 nurses, personal care attendants, home care workers and administration staff across six states. Over the past five years, Margie transformed the organisation from a cottage business that was losing money into a highly regarded, leading home health care provider. Her business acumen has helped her develop rigorous business plans and accountabilities to improve efficiencies and reduce costs, and lead the organisation to ISO certification, which has helped secure ongoing contracts with government agencies. Not only has Margie’s leadership reversed the financial losses, but Stanhope’s EBITA has increased nearly seven fold.

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White Pages Community & Government Award

Shelly Park

Southern Health, Clayton

“Health workers enter a very privileged place in peoples' lives and have the absolute responsibility to deliver high-quality care, often during times of adversity.” – Shelly Park.

When former nurse Shelly Park was appointed Chief Executive of Victoria’s largest public health service, Southern Health, in 2006, she realised she needed to grow funding, better manage demand and provide more healthcare for less. She has spent the past five years setting a clear direction and accountabilities to build morale among the service’s 13,400 employees, improve care outcomes and enhance the service’s reputation. Under Shelly’s leadership, care funding has increased by 44 per cent, allowing one third more patients to be treated and 54 per cent more emergency patients to be seen. In addition, the average hospital stay has shortened by 14 per cent. Shelly has overseen improvements in mental health care, increasing post-discharge contacts and reducing re-admission rates. The lift in service delivery and outcomes helped reshaped the service’s reputation - Southern Health now earns three times the positive media coverage it received three years ago.

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Nokia Business Innovation Award

Jane Hunt

Fitted for Work, Melbourne

“Our main difference is that we treat women as customers, not welfare recipients.” – Jane Hunt.

Jane Hunt saw a need for a more personal approach to help disadvantaged women secure and retain employment. As CEO for Fitted for Work, she provides a unique approach to address some of the self-esteem issues that she felt were overlooked by mainstream job services. Fitted for Work skills women for job interviews and dresses them professionally in high-quality, second-hand clothing in a boutique environment, boosting their confidence to approach employers. The service also provides transition-to-work programs, work experience and mentoring programs. Another key difference is that the service is offered through volunteers. According to Jane, this helps instil value in clients, who appreciate someone is helping because they want to, not because they are paid. To help support the service financially, Jane established a vintage retail boutique, Dear Gladys, in Northcote, and is now launching an online outlet. So far, Fitted for Work has dressed 6500 women.

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marie claire Young Business Women’s Award

Marnie Tewksbury

CareChoice (AUST) Pty Ltd, Clayton

“It’s important everyone in the organisation understands why the company was created in the first place and sees every client as a VIP who deserves their full attention.” – Marnie Tewksbury.

Social worker Marnie Tewksbury moved back in with her parents at age 29 to help fund the organic growth of CareChoice, a care provider for Melbourne’s aged and disability sector. She and business partner Brigitte Rahhali started the business after seeing a lack of professional and personalisation in the care provided to vulnerable people. The pair worked from home on policies and procedures, and actually recruited staff before going to market and opening their Melbourne based office. Now 33, Marnie has helped grow CareChoice into a leading provider of attendant care services, with a reputation for responsive, professional and a tailored business approach. CareChoice employs around 300 carers, providing care either directly to people at home or through relief staffing for aged and disability care organisations. As one of the youngest people leading an aged and disability organisation, Marnie is proud of the reputation she and the CareChoice team have forged for personalised service in an increasingly competitive and corporatised sector.