Nine applicants will share in $60,000 worth of seed funding for health-based research projects.
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The 2019 Pitchit Western NSW program was aimed at doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and managers who work in the Western NSW Local Health District.
After an initial 45 applications were submitted, nine were chosen to pitch for funding at an event in Orange last week.
The successful applicants were from Orange and across western NSW.
Kerrie O'Neill and Belinda Berryman from Western Cancer Care Dubbo received the largest sum, $11,000, for their A Virtual Tour project.
Gail O'Brien was awarded $10,000 toward a project to reprocess dialysis water to reduce volume and costs.
Tania Elseley and Catherine Jarvis were awarded $5000 toward their project Rescue and Recycle SUMIs (metal stitch removers) and won the 2019 Pitchit ACI Research and Innovation prize.
We have so many natural innovators that have great ideas about how they and their teams/facilities can improve the health system.
- Dr Alice Munro, director of research WNSWLHD
WNSWLHD director of research Dr Alice Munro said Pitchit aimed to encourage a culture of research and innovation among staff.
She said the seed funding, provided by Newcrest's Cadia Valley Operations, would enable research projects to get started and allow researchers to later apply for more funding.
"In our first year we were delighted to have had 45 very strong applications submitted," she said.
"We have so many natural innovators that have great ideas about how they and their teams/facilities can improve the health system, better the patient experience, enhance the delivery of healthcare and minimise waste."
The other successful pitches included Ben Medbury and Andrew Skimmings who received $3000 toward upgrading a 3D printer.
Gabrielle McNamara and team received $7900 toward a project to encourage fitness among older people with mental health problems called Fit For Your Life - Redefining mental health treatment in rural Australia.
Christine Stevens received $3000 toward a project to support child care for staff while John Gregory and Andrew Muldoon received $6000 toward being able to measure the patient experience of Indigenous patients.
Pitchit offered funding of $1000-$20,000 for each successful project.
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