This week, Albury Wodonga Health is celebrating Patient Experience Week (April 27 – May 1), a time to recognise the people, ideas and everyday moments that shape care across our health service.
At the heart of that is Pitch for PX — an initiative that turns frontline insight into real change.
Now in its second year, Pitch for PX invites staff from across AWH to put forward practical ideas to improve the patient experience.
The twist? They pitch their ideas in a Shark Tank-style format to a panel of judges made up of staff and consumers.
The strongest proposals are then backed to move from concept to reality, backed by funds raised through AWH’s Op Shops, along with additional support from the AWH Foundation.
This year’s six winning projects show just how powerful those ideas can be. From improving communication in Emergency Departments to supporting families, cultural care and safer environments, each initiative tackles a real challenge faced by patients and staff every day.
The winners are:
Supporting patients with dementia
In the Acute Ward at Wodonga Hospital, Nurse Unit Manager Alice Driver is introducing door decals designed to reduce distress for patients with dementia and delirium.
By disguising exit doors with familiar, homelike imagery such as bookcases and pot plants, the initiative aims to reduce agitation and wandering behaviours, creating a calmer, safer environment for patients, families and staff.
Making the Emergency Department less overwhelming
Dr Meg Bailey’s project focuses on one of the most stressful parts of the patient journey - waiting in the Emergency Department.
A new QR code-enabled video in the waiting rooms of both Albury and Wodonga EDs will help patients understand how the ED works, what to expect and why delays happen – helping ease anxiety during what can be a daunting experience.
Helping patients be heard
In Palliative Care, Occupational Therapist Mitch Brown is introducing personal hearing amplifiers. These simple devices worn around the patient’s neck connect to headphones to make conversations clearer and more comfortable for everyone involved. No need for shouting, and far less frustration on both sides.
For patients with hearing loss, especially at end of life, this means being able to stay connected, informed and involved in decisions about their care.
Making care safer and more comfortable
Dietetics Manager Helen Still’s project focuses on something simple but essential in patient care: being able to weigh patients safely and comfortably.
Weighing patients is essential for medication dosing, nutritional assessment and monitoring fluid status. However, for patients with limited mobility, this process can currently involve a hoist, which can be traumatic for the patient and time-consuming for staff.
By introducing a transfer board with an integrated scale, patients can be weighed as part of a normal transfer, thereby reducing discomfort and preserving dignity, while also making the process safer and more efficient for staff.
It’s a powerful change that removes a significant burden for some of our most vulnerable patients.
Building confidence for families at home
Through our PATCH (Paediatrics at the Child’s Home) program, AWH helps children receive care where they feel safest – at home, with their families.
For parents learning to manage feeding tubes, that care can come with a lot of pressure. Until now, many have had to practise these skills on their own child for the first time.
PATCH nurse Nicole Varman’s project introduces a paediatric feeding mannequin, giving families the chance to practise inserting nasogastric and gastrostomy tubes in a safe, supported environment.
This helps parents build confidence, reduce anxiety, and make the transition to home care much smoother.
Strengthening cultural connection from the very beginning
Midwife Amanda Foster and AWH Aboriginal Liaison Officers Kaneesha and Marley Maksymow are expanding the use of cultural identity blankets for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies.
Building on an existing practice within maternity services, the initiative will ensure more families can receive culturally meaningful wraps to welcome their baby. The blankets incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags and artwork, reflecting identity and connection.
It’s a simple but powerful gesture, creating a sense of belonging from the very beginning, strengthening the connection between families, community and care, and supporting a more culturally safe and inclusive experience at AWH.
Turning ideas into action
Together, these initiatives reflect what Patient Experience Week is all about: listening, improving, and putting patients at the centre of care.
They’re small ideas, grounded in real moments, and they’re already making a big difference to the people we care for every day.