Deanne Mitchell, Gympie Hospital nursing director wins top health award

Gympie Hospital nursing director has been given a top award in health for her outstanding work during the 2022 floods.

Deanne Mitchell won a top health award for her contributions to managing and preparing Gympie Hospital during the major floods of 2022. Picture: supplied

Gympie’s nursing director has won a prestigious hospital recognition award for her role in managing the Gympie Hospital during the 2022 floods. 

Deanne Mitchell has been an awarded the prestigious Dr H H (Barney) Moy Memorial Award for her “exceptional local insight, forethought and early decisive actions” during the major floods in 2022.

Born and bred in Gympie, Ms Mitchell always wanted to be either a nurse or a police officer, so when she just missed out on the police force, she pursued nursing.

The Gympie Hospital team serves food during the 2022 floods. Deanne Mitchell has been honoured with a top health award for her work during the 2022 Gympie floods. Picture: supplied

She worked in Queensland and New South Wales hospitals before returning to Gympie to work at the hospital, where she has been for the past 15 years.

Being a “local girl” meant that she had experience in the nuances of how floods affect Gympie, and how “once it floods, you can get cut off from all directions, we’re like a little island and we need to be very self-sustainable,” she said.

“There was a lot of prior planning, making sure we had enough linen, enough oxygen, medications, we knew what staff were available to come to work and stay at work,” she said.

Ms Mitchell displayed a “can do” and “roll up your sleeves” attitude while working to co-ordinate staff for wards, organise housing for those who couldn’t get home, and even cooking meals, said a statement from SCHHS.

“Ms Mitchell showed resilience and provided innovative leadership in very difficult circumstances while working in a rural setting under extreme pressure,” SCHHS Chief Executive Dr Peter Gillies said.

The awards acknowledge stand-out individuals who go above and beyond in their role within the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service.

“I was very surprised and incredibly humbled to win a prestigious award.” Ms Mitchell said.

“I’ve always admired the people that have won it in the past.”

The Dr H H (Barney) Moy Memorial Shield is in memory of Dr Moy, a consultant urologist at Nambour Hospital from 1989 to 1992.

He had a strong commitment to the hospital and in his memory his family established a bequest to enable the Barney Moy Shield to be awarded annually to a member of staff nominated by their peers.