media release
8 April 2025
Finalists announced for 2025 HESTA Australian Nursing & Midwifery Awards
Nine finalists have been named in the 2025 HESTA Australian Nursing & Midwifery Awards, comprising three nurses, three midwives, and three organisations.
The finalists include a midwife from Victoria who pioneered a Midwifery Group Practice model, helping drive improvements in care for pregnant women; a nurse from New South Wales who has helped reduce the stigma around seeking mental health support; and an organisation recognised for offering ‘Birthing on Country’, a model that delivers culturally safe maternal and family healthcare for First Peoples.
This year marks the 19th year of the awards, honouring the vital contributions made by Australia’s nurses, midwives, nurse educators, researchers, and personal care workers, who improve health outcomes for our community through exemplary care and support.
More than 140 nominations showcased some of the leaders in a critical sector, with industry experts from across the health sector selecting the finalists.
HESTA CEO Debby Blakey commended the finalists for their accomplishments.
"Congratulations to all nine of our incredible nursing and midwifery awards finalists – HESTA is proud to help celebrate their significant achievements” Ms Blakey said.
“Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the nurses, midwives, and organisations across Australia for their significant contributions to healthcare. The high-quality nominations highlighted the unwavering dedication of so many in the sector and we owe them a great deal for their deep commitment.
ME, a subsidiary of Bank of Queensland (BOQ), is generously contributing a $30,000 prize pool, to be split equally between the winners of the three categories - Nurse of the Year, Midwife of the Year, and Outstanding Organisation.
BOQ Group Executive of Retail Banking Greg Boyle congratulated the finalists.
“ME expresses gratitude and recognition to all finalists for their relentless contributions to healthcare. Recent years have vividly demonstrated our healthcare system’s profound reliance on nurses, midwives, personal care workers and their educators,” he said.
The winners will be announced at a celebratory dinner on Wednesday, May 14.
Introducing the 2025 HESTA Australian Nursing & Midwifery Awards Finalists:
Midwife of the Year
Carli Beange
Royal Perth Bentley Group
Bentley WA
Carli, a dedicated midwife since 2006, is the inaugural Midwifery Manager of Australia's first publicly funded Midwifery Birth Centre. Carli leads a team promoting continuity of care and empowering birthing choices, with each midwife caring for up to 35 women annually.
Colleen White
Peninsula Health
Frankston, VIC
Colleen is recognised for driving improvements in care for pregnant women through various initiatives, including the Midwifery Group Practice model, homebirth programs, and health initiatives for First Nations people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she aided in developing the Hospital in the Home programs, resulting in more families receiving health care at home and helping expand the nurses’ skill sets.
Vanessa Page
Gateway Health
Wodonga, VIC
Vanessa is recognised for leading the Endorsed Midwife Care Program at Gateway Health. The program provides bulk-billed continuity of midwife care to pregnant people with complex needs in the Albury and Wodonga areas, mainly benefiting culturally and linguistically diverse clients. Since the program’s inception in 2021, around 240 clients have accessed the service.
Nurse of the Year
Ty Simpson
The Alfred
Melbourne, VIC
Ty is recognised for his significant contributions to nursing education and patient care in Chimeric Antigen Receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy. Ty’s work has been transformative, helping equip nurses to handle cutting-edge therapies, benefiting patients and the nursing profession.
Laura Sadler
Royal Adelaide Hospital
Adelaide, SA
Laura is recognised for her commitment and excellence in nursing as the South Australia Lung Transplant Nurse Consultant/Coordinator. Her initiatives reduce patient stress, improve clinical outcomes, and enhance patient experience, including reducing travel burdens, making her a respected mentor and asset to the healthcare community.
Amanda Butt
NPathy
Sydney, NSW
Amanda is recognised for helping revolutionise mental health care with her clinic, NPathy, which offers accessible services, particularly for vulnerable and underserved populations. Amanda's initiatives have improved patient outcomes and fostered a more inclusive healthcare system.
Outstanding Organisation
Cabrini Women’s Mental Health
Cabrini Health
Elsternwick, VIC
Cabrini Women's Mental Health (CWMH) is recognised for its pioneering role as Australia's first private women-only mental health service. Since 2021, it has supported more than 1,000 women. CWMH addresses the diverse needs of women experiencing mental ill health, empowering women to reclaim their identities and achieve lasting recovery.
First Peoples’ Health and Wellbeing
Frankston, VIC
First Peoples' Health and Wellbeing’s ‘Birthing on Country’ model delivers culturally safe maternal and family healthcare for First Peoples’. This model has reduced premature births, increased breastfeeding rates, and improved engagement with services, fostering a culturally safe environment for First Nations families to thrive.
Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre
University of South Australia
Adelaide, SA
The Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre is recognised for educating nurses in rural and regional Australia to perform skin checks, screening over 500 people in rural areas at Australia's first free nurse-led skin cancer screening pop-up clinics, using cutting-edge AI technology and providing training for rural nurses.
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