2025 Research and Quality Showcase
Summary
On Monday 24 November during Bendigo Health Week, we proudly celebrated the exceptional achievements of our staff in advancing the care and health of our communities through research, innovation and improvement. The day opened with an inspiring address from Professor Carol McKinstry, Bendigo Health Board member and Deputy Dean of the La Trobe Rural Health School, who reflected on the power of strong regional partnerships across health and academia. Her message set the tone for a day focused on shared purpose, collaboration and the collective impact we can achieve when we work together.
Our keynote speaker, Professor Nik Zeps, Clinical Research Platform Lead at Monash Partners, delivered a thought-provoking presentation on Bridging Research & Quality in Healthcare: Collaboration as the Foundation. Nik challenged traditional thinking around the ethical and legal intersections of clinical care, quality improvement and research, encouraging us to reimagine how these domains can align to better serve patients.
New Chair of Clinical Research
One of the day’s most exciting moments came when Professor McKinstry was joined by Dr Seema Bagia, Executive Director Medical Services, to announce that Agnico Eagle’s Fosterville Gold Mine will sponsor a new Chair of Clinical Research at Bendigo Health. This pivotal role will help establish Bendigo Health as a regional research hub, expand our research capacity, and attract more clinical trials to address the needs of our regional community.
A dynamic panel of six clinicians, facilitated by Dr Sally Lima, showcased the breadth of work underway across quality improvement, regional workforce initiatives and clinical trials. Together, they explored the opportunities the new Chair and research hub will unlock for future innovation and advancement.
What a Showcase!
Across the day, more than 75 Showcase attendees enjoyed 10 rapid-fire presentations and 12 oral presentations highlighting the diverse research, innovation and improvement projects driven by our passionate clinicians. A vibrant poster display added further energy, giving attendees the chance to connect with colleagues and vote for their favourite. The Best Poster Award went to Tara Bewley for Exploring Feasibility and Inclusivity: Flourish Pilot 2, an exercise and education program for people with advanced cancer.
Tara received a $200 Amazon voucher generously sponsored by Wolters Kluwer who also had an information stand for staff to visit and learn about the latest solutions, software, and services that support clinical decision making and evidence-based care.
Joint winners for Excellent Care ...
Five finalists were recognised for the Excellent Care Award, with Jodie Cornelius and Adam McLean announced as this year’s winners for their work implementing a podiatry service model in the community dialysis unit.
... and another ‘joint’ winner
The Evan Stanyer Innovative Health Research Award went to physiotherapist Daniel Atkinson for his project on enhancing joint-replacement recovery by integrating psychosocial factors into discharge prediction. The day’s celebrations underscored the passion, talent and collaboration that drive our organisation’s research efforts. We look forward to building on this momentum as we strengthen our research focus and shape a healthier future for our regional community.
View the Sessions from the 2025 Research and Quality Showcase here:
2024 Research Week
2024 Research Week Showcase (playlist)
100 Barnard Street, Bendigo, VIC, 3550
03 5454 6000
