Recognising excellence in health innovation and improvement
The APAC Forum is Asia Pacific’s premier healthcare conference and will this year take place over 23 to 25 September at
Auckland’s SKY City. Set to attract a capacity delegation of 1,700, attendees include CEOs, senior managers, policy
makers, clinicians and quality improvement specialists from around the world.
Ko Awatea, the organisation behind the conference, has recently announced the conference’s programme and, with it the
big name speakers they’ve attracted from around the world including comedian Ruby Wax, leading patient safety expert
Professor Charles Vincent, and composer Itay Talgam. The APAC programme provides access to approximately 130 speakers (a
combination of the best New Zealand has to offer as well as world-renowned experts) across 42 sessions.
The Ko Awatea International Excellence in Health Improvement Awards provide the perfect opportunity to acknowledge and
celebrate excellence in health innovation and quality improvement on an international basis.
Hosting the award ceremony for the second year as part of their APAC Forum, Ko Awatea are currently calling for entries
and nominations from those proud of the work they, or their colleagues, have undertaken in improving the health and
wellbeing of patients and communities, across nine categories.
Being held on the evening of Thursday 24 September, the award ceremony will take place in Auckland’s Shed 10. A fitting
venue given it was once a cargo shed but has been transformed, repurposed and improved to become a sustainable and
prestigious event venue.
Internationally, New Zealand faces the same ongoing health system challenges; rising patient demand against tight
financial constraints. Against a backdrop of an ageing population and the complexities, co-morbidities and prevalence of
long term health conditions in our communities, we can no longer afford to continue doing things in the same way.
The good news that within the local and international healthcare arena there are many individuals and organisations
striving to make a difference; determined to innovate, transform and improve health systems for the betterment of the
health and wellbeing of our populations – and they are making a difference.
ends