IN recognition of her dedication and initiative in establishing a sustainable cardiology service for the Goulburn Valley, Dr Jennifer Coller, Consultant Cardiologist at Connected Cardiology has been honoured at the 2023 Victorian Rural Health Awards (VRHA) on Wednesday, June 28.
An event aimed at recognising individuals and teams across eleven categories, showcasing their dedication and innovation in delivering healthcare services, the VRHA aims to inspire excellence, and highlight the significance of rural healthcare workforce development.
Receiving the Outstanding Contribution to Rural Outreach Provision Award, Dr Coller who is based in Shepparton, was acknowledged for her outreach services to both Numurkah and Cobram as well as for initiating an echocardiography service to these centres.
“I was absolutely delighted when I found out I had won the Rural Outreach award – as it is wonderful recognition of the work that my colleagues and I have devoted to improving heart health in the Goulburn Valley in recent years,” said Dr Coller.
Working to ensure comprehensive cardiological care through the development and maintenance of these services, Dr Coller also gained strong support in the townships for interdisciplinary and interagency collaboration resulting in the growth of cardiac nurse practitioners in Shepparton to provide care within the practice.
In addition to these significant achievements Dr Coller has also fostered collaborations between Goulburn Valley Health and Kyabram District Health Service, actively participated in the Safer Care Victoria Heart Failure Collaborative and provided educational support to GP Visiting Medical Officers at Kyabram District Health Service.
Dr Coller spoke of the positives this has brought to the community,
“Through my work at GV Health and through Connected Cardiology, there has been a huge transformation in the support available for patients living with heart conditions in the area. More people are seen closer to home at outreach clinics in Shepparton, Numurkah, Cobram and Rushworth and more testing and procedures are available locally, avoiding long trips to Melbourne. We have developed strong communication lines with community nurses and general practitioners to co-manage patients with heart failure and other issues,” said Dr Coller.
