The Personal Injury Educational Foundation handed out 12 awards for excellence at its conference in Geelong last week.

The group recognised individual and team contributions across the personal injury and disability management industry.

The winners in each category were:

• Collaboration in injury and disability management – EML’s police and ambulance Bondi attack response leadership team
• Education and training program design – Suncorp Queensland CTP claims academy
• Excellence in customer service – Gallagher Bassett
• Excellence in injury and disability management (return to work/community) – EML career transition service
• Excellence in injury and disability management (serious injury/significant disability) – Penelope Kirkright, TAC
• Excellence in mental health and psychological wellbeing – Department of Veterans’ Affairs staff social work team
• Excellence in injury and disability rehabilitation – Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service injury management team
• Excellence in diversity and inclusion – Sarah Anderson, Sarah Oxford, Faye Forbes, Batool Moussa, Nicola Wojcik – Institute for Safety Compensation and Recovery Research; WorkSafe Victoria; Migrant Workers Centre
• Innovation in injury & disability management – Katie Mackenzie, Suncorp
• Outstanding leadership – Jodie Dowling, Allianz
• Outstanding contribution by a team – NSW CTP programs and innovation team, Allianz
• John Walsh Memorial Award for outstanding contribution by an individual – Mary Wyatt, RTW Matters and It Pays to Care

Suncorp commercial and personal injury CEO Lisa Harrison welcomed the insurer’s wins, saying: “Our personal injury teams show incredible care in supporting injured drivers and workers, not just to return to the road or work, but often to reclaim their lives.

“These awards shine a light on the vital work our people do, not only to support better outcomes today, but to find new and innovative ways to improve injury recovery into the future.”