Celebrating outstanding success at the 2026 Sydney Excellence Awards
- Courtney West
- Jul 23
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 24
The Institute for Musculoskeletal Health is proud to celebrate an outstanding achievement at the 2026 Sydney Excellence Awards, with four of our projects recognised for their innovation, impact and commitment to improving healthcare.
From advancing patient safety and transforming emergency care to embedding physical activity into routine healthcare and reimagining fracture management, these projects demonstrate the breadth and quality of research and implementation led by our teams in partnership with clinicians, researchers and health services.
Having four projects recognised at the 2026 Sydney Excellence Awards, including two winners and two highly commended projects, is a remarkable achievement for the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health. These awards recognise not only excellence in research, but also the dedication of the clinicians, researchers, consumers and health service partners who work together to translate evidence into meaningful improvements in healthcare.
Congratulations to everyone involved in PROTECT, RESHAP-ED, PROMOTE-PA and RECITAL. Your work is making a real difference to the lives of patients and helping shape the future of healthcare.
Winner: PROTECT Fall Prevention Program
Category: Patient Safety First
The PROTECT Fall Prevention Program is a District-wide initiative designed to reduce hospital falls through tailored, ward-based prevention strategies. Rolled out across 12 wards, it supports multidisciplinary teams with quality improvement training, staff education and clinical facilitation to implement locally relevant interventions. The initiative has achieved reductions in patient falls, improved patient satisfaction and strengthened staff engagement while maintaining a focus on patient mobility and independence.
This recognition highlights the power of collaborative, evidence-based implementation to improve safety while supporting patients to remain active and independent during their hospital stay.
Winner: RESHAP-ED
Category: Health Research and Innovation
RESHAP-ED evaluated a physiotherapist-led model of care for patients presenting to emergency departments with musculoskeletal conditions across five NSW hospitals. The trial demonstrated that workforce redesign can improve emergency department efficiency and patient experience while maintaining safety, clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness.
The award reflects the growing evidence that innovative models of care can deliver better experiences for patients while helping health systems meet increasing demand.
Highly commended: PROMOTE-PA
Category: Keeping People Healthy
PROMOTE-PA brings physical activity into routine outpatient care, addressing a long-standing gap where physical activity is often overlooked despite strong evidence it prevents and manages chronic disease. Using a co-designed approach, the program supports clinicians with practical tools, training and clear referral pathways, making it easier to have brief, effective conversations during standard appointments and connect patients to community-based activity.
This recognition celebrates the team's commitment to making physical activity a routine part of healthcare and supporting healthier communities.
Highly commended: Randomised Trial of a 'Virtual' Fracture Clinic Pathway for Patients with Simple Fractures (RECITAL)
Category: Health Research and Innovation
RECITAL was the first international randomised controlled trial to evaluate a virtual fracture clinic pathway for patients with simple fractures. The study demonstrated that physiotherapist-led virtual care achieved comparable clinical outcomes to traditional in-person fracture clinics, while improving patient experience and supporting more sustainable, scalable models of care.
The project showcases how research can drive practical innovations that benefit both patients and healthcare systems.
Images provided by Wendy Xia and the Sydney Local Health District Media Team.
