A FRANKSTON nurse has received national recognition from her work in the sexual and reproductive health space. Cathy Halmarick from Peninsula Health was named the nurse of the year at the HESTA Australian Nursing & Midwifery Awards earlier this month. She received the award for her work setting up the Sexual and Reproductive Health Hub.
Halmarick has been a nurse for 25 years. She said “being recognised in the 2024 HESTA Nursing and Midwifery Awards has been a lovely surprise. I appreciate the acknowledgement and support from my colleagues and organisation.”
“Sexual and reproductive health is an area of an individual’s health that is often overlooked for various reasons, including time and financial constraints, lack of knowledge, and clinic availability,” she said. “Our service aims to guarantee that women from diverse backgrounds and age groups have choices regarding their sexual health. The service provides adequate time for consultations and after-hours clinics to help mitigate barriers.”
The award winners shared $30,000 in prize money for professional development or to improve services. HESTA CEO Debby Blakey said “we had hundreds of outstanding nominations for the nursing and midwifery awards this year. It’s fantastic to highlight the sheer dedication and high calibre of work taken on by nursing and midwifery professionals around Australia.”
Skye Stewart from Red Nose Australia was named midwife of the year, and the Healthy Communities Foundation Australia won the organisation of the year award.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 29th May 2024