2025 HRICS Service Improvement Grants Program - Year in Review

HRICS Michael Kalimnios Memorial Service Improvement Grants Program (known as the MK Grants Program)

Established in honour of Michael’s advocacy for cancer services in our region, replaced our 2024 Small Grants Program. The refreshed program continues to support small, time-limited improvement initiatives while expanding opportunities for staff training, education and service redesign. Through leadership, mentoring and project support from HRICS, the program strengthens project skills across the workforce and drives sustainable improvements in oncology care.

In it’s first year, four projects were funded across the region in the first half of the year, each delivering meaningful workforce, system and patient impacts:

–          Palliative Care Packs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People – AWHAS

Introduced culturally connected palliative care packs to support transition into the Dreamtime. Implemented across two sites, with 55 clinicians trained.

–          Prostate Centre Clinical Placement – AWH*

Built local capability to deliver comprehensive supportive care for prostate cancer patients. Knowledge and resources gained through clinical placement have been integrated into workflows and patient consultations.

–          Enhancing Consumer Experience of Endoscopy Procedures – NCN Health

Developed and embedded new resources and processes to improve patient preparation, understanding and follow up for endoscopy procedures. Resources are now accessible within clinical software.

–          Ultrasound Guided IV Cannulation Implementation – Ramsay Health

Advanced local expertise in ultrasound guided IV access for patients with difficult venous access. Clinical placement completed and a centre-wide framework is in development.

A Project Showcase on 24 July brought together more than 20 clinicians and executives from across the Hume region to share project outcomes, learnings and early impacts.

Across the four initiatives the program has:

–          Strengthened partnerships within and between health services

–          Built capability in service improvement and project methodology for clinicians

–          Embedded culturally meaningful palliative care practices at two services

–          Delivered education on initiatives to a wide range of clinicians

–          Increased access to specialist skills locally through targeted clinical placements

–          Improved clinical processes, resources and patient information provision

An additional project funded in August 2025, a project in partnership with Yarrawonga Health (YH) to support the scoping of exercise model of care for implementation of Cancer Council Victoria’s Cancer Wellness & Exercise Program within their service.

The 2025 MK Grants Program is already demonstrating tangible benefits for our workforce, services and patients. Laying strong foundations for continued improvement in cancer care across the region.

For more information, please contact HRICS Project Manager Virginia Mitsch, virginia.mitsch@gvhealth.org.au.

*AWH Clinician Kylie pictured.

                                                                                                                                            Last updated: November 2025