The Victorian Public Healthcare Awards recognise leadership and excellence in the provision of publicly funded healthcare in response to established and emerging community needs.
The award categories reflect the Victorian Government's healthcare priorities and focus on the sector's ability to drive change and improve health outcomes for all Victorians.
We also celebrate our health volunteers as part of the awards.
Many well-known categories remain; however, this year the former Excellence in public sector residential aged care services (PSRACS) category has been broadened to allow recognition of Transition Care Programs and Aged Care Assessment Services, in addition to PSRACS with the category renamed Excellence in aged care.
The Premier's Health Service of the Year categories will include some additional criteria questions to ensure we are recognising those organisations who truly demonstrate excellence and leadership in all areas of public healthcare.
We will acknowledge achievements in 16 categories across three types of awards:
Achievement eligibility
This year's entries should relate to achievements in the last 12 months before nominations opened - from 30 March 2025 – 29 March 2026 . The initiative may have started earlier, but the achievements highlighted in the entry must have occurred within this period.
General awards
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This award recognises outstanding initiatives that protect and promote the health, wellbeing, and safety of Victorians through accessible, community-based care. This category honours programs that take a proactive approach to preventing poor health outcomes and delivering high-quality care where people live — whether at home, in local settings, or through virtual and outreach services.
Read more about the Care in the community award criteria:
General award criteria category 1: Care in the community -
This award recognises initiatives that work to deliver a modern, safe and sustainable healthcare system that meets the needs of all Victorians now and into the future, with a particular focus on environmental sustainability.
Read more about the Creating a sustainable and climate resilient health system award criteria:
General award criteria category 2: Creating a more sustainable and climate resilient health system -
This award recognises mental health and wellbeing initiatives that advance the Royal Commission's vision of creating a compassionate mental health system based on lived experience leadership, holistic treatment, and support for all Victorians.
Read more about the Excellence in mental health and wellbeing award criteria:
General award criteria category 3: Excellence in mental health and wellbeing -
This award celebrates outstanding work in Victoria’s publicly funded aged care sector including Public Sector Residential Aged Care Services, Transition Care Program and Aged Care Assessment Services that meet the needs of the increasing number of older Victorians (does not include Support at Home).
Read more about the Excellence in aged care award criteria:
General award criteria category 4: Excellence in aged care -
This award recognises organisations that are delivering the outcomes that matter most to people and populations through the principles of value-based healthcare.
Read more about the Excellence in value-based healthcare award criteria:
General award criteria category 5: Excellence in value-based healthcare -
This award recognises initiatives that improve the health and well-being of Victorian women. Of particular focus will be health promotion, disease prevention and early intervention initiatives specific to women, maternity services, sexual and reproductive health.
Read more about the Excellence in women’s health award criteria:
General award criteria category 6: Excellence in women’s health -
This award recognises innovation in health service delivery that is culturally responsive, promotes inclusion, advances Aboriginal self-determination and, above all, delivers improved health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal people in Victoria.
Read more about the Excellence in Aboriginal health and wellbeing award criteria:
General award criteria category 7: Excellence in Aboriginal health and wellbeing -
This award recognises organisations that have taken initiative to provide equitable and inclusive healthcare for Victoria’s diverse communities. These initiatives have worked towards improving health and wellbeing outcomes for diverse communities, such as LGBTIQA+ people, culturally and linguistically diverse people and/or people with disability, and their families and communities.
Read more about the Excellence in diversity, equity and inclusion award criteria:
General award criteria category 8: Excellence in diversity, equity and inclusion -
This award recognises initiatives that improve employee experience, safety and wellbeing; build workforce capacity and capability; or advance future roles and capabilities including advancing models of care through technology.
Read more about the Celebrating a strong and sustainable workforce award criteria:
General award criteria category 9: General Celebrating a strong and sustainable workforce -
This award recognises outstanding collaboration between services delivering public healthcare, to achieve better outcomes for their patients. The focus of this award is on how the partnership is enabling services to genuinely work together to address common problems and improve outcomes.
To be eligible for this award, at least one party must be a health service. Partnerships may be between health services or between a health service and another organisation (i.e. Public Health Network, community health, local Government, etc).
Read more about the Partnering in healthcare award criteria:
General award criteria category 10: Partnering in healthcare.
Premier's Health Service of the Year Awards
The Premier's Health Service of the Year Awards are Victoria's most prestigious accolade to which a health service can aspire. These awards recognise leadership and excellence in the provision of publicly funded healthcare for the Victorian community.
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11. Premier’s Primary Healthcare Service of the Year
Criteria category 11: Premier's Primary Healthcare Service of the Year12. Premier’s Small Health Service of the Year
Criteria category 12: Premier’s Small Health Service of the Year13. Premier’s Medium Health Service of the Year
Criteria category 13: Premier's Medium Health Service of the Year14. Premier’s Large Health Service of the Year
Criteria category 14: Premier’s Large Health Service of the Year
Volunteer Awards
We continue to celebrate our health volunteers as part of the Victorian Public Healthcare Awards.
This gives more prominence to how we recognise our volunteers and show that they are not separate to our healthcare sector, but an essential part of how we care for Victorians.
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15. Health Volunteer Team of the Year
Recognising outstanding contributions from volunteer teams.
Criteria category 15: Health Volunteer Team of the Year16. Health Volunteer Honour Roll (this category is not judged).
Criteria category 16: Health Volunteer Honour Roll (not judged)Recognising and celebrating our volunteers with 30 or more years of service. Inductees will feature on our website and receive a special commemorative pin in honour of their service and commitment to the Victorian community.
Reviewed 06 April 2026