Orthogeriatric team wins award for the best performing hip fracture management service in Australia.

Concord Hospital’s Orthogeriatric team have won the 2023 Australian and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry’s Golden Hip award for the best performing hip fracture management service in Australia.

Concord has won the award this year after being an award finalist in both 2021 and 2022.

The award was received by Geriatrician Dr Nargis Shaheen, Concord’s Orthogeriatric Service Co-Lead, a role shared with Dr Paul Della Torre.

“We are really happy to have received this award. It does further encourage others to improve patient care,” she said.

“It’s a team effort, I don’t think we could have done it without the team.”

Every single one of the team’s 150 patients in 2022  was assessed by a geriatrician and almost all of them received surgery within 48 hours.

Dr Shaheen recognised efforts by colleagues from across the hospital in accepting the award, including the excellent pain management by the emergency department, endocrinology specialists, the Anaesthetic Department, and orthopaedic surgeons who make operations possible within the predicted 48 hours.

In her aged health division, the award could not have been won without colleagues in orthopaedic geriatric care who support patients from admission to discharge and the outstanding nursing and allied health staff .

Clinical Associate Professor John Cullen, District Aged Health, Chronic Care and Rehabilitation Clinical Director, is proud of the team’s achievement. 

“The Concord team is a worthy winner of the 2023 Golden Hip award. The team’s sustained good practice, record of innovation and continuous improvement approach have been appropriately recognised and is the benchmark against which other services will be judged.

“Congratulations to all members of the team.” 

People who suffer hip fractures are often very frail and vulnerable, and have a variety of co-morbid conditions. A key purpose of the multidisciplinary management which is delivered by the team is to assist the patients to achieve the highest level of function possible, thereby maximising their levels of independence.

“Suffering a hip fracture is a devastating event for any older person,” said Professor Cullen.  

“Attaining the best possible outcome for our patients with hip fracture requires the delivery of coordinated, efficient, committed, multidisciplinary, patient focused care, by skilled clinicians, across all stages of the patient’s clinical journey.”

Associate Professor Roger Garsia, Neurosciences, Bone and Joint, and Trauma Clinical Director, said the Concord team’s service set the benchmark for others to aspire to throughout the nation. 

“Most importantly, the model of care they have established is robust and transferable to other hospitals,” he said.

Congratulations must go to all those in the team servicing the patients with hip fracture.”

The Golden Hip Award recognises and promotes high-quality hip fracture care against 16 indicators within the national Hip Fracture Care, Clinical Care Standard.