News & Events: Media Releases

Mole Patrol Takes Out National Award For Innovative Practice

22 June 2011

The Mole Patrol, a Ramsay WA skin cancer prevention campaign managed to save lives and win hearts recently when it was acknowledged as a national winner for community awareness.

Hollywood Private Hospital and Joondalup Health Campus’ Mole Patrol campaign was announced the winner of the Marketing and Community Awareness Initiatives category of the Innovative Practice in the Private Sector Awards in Brisbane on Monday 20th June 2011.

The two WA hospitals, owned by Ramsay Health Care, competed against three other finalists in the category to take out the award. The Mole Patrol campaign was also announced overall runner-up of the awards over four categories ahead of sixteen finalists.

The awards now in its eighth year, is hosted by the Private Hospitals Association of Queensland (PHAQ) and HESTA Super Fund and recognise innovative practice in the private hospital sector.

“This was the first year we had a Marketing and Community Awareness Initiatives category and it was great to see such quality submissions. Hollywood Private Hospital’s and Joondalup Health Campus’ Mole Patrol campaign was voted the winner by over 110 healthcare professionals attending the conference,” said Lucy Fisher, Executive Director of PHAQ.

The Mole Patrol campaign, which ran over eight weeks in summer and was aimed at promoting skin-cancer awareness among the Perth community, provided more than 2,000 people with free-skin checks conducted by a team of highly-skilled specialists including plastic surgeons.

Penny Tassone, State Manager of Marketing and PR, Ramsay Health Care WA said contribution to the community is a key value that underpins the work of Hollywood Private Hospital and Joondalup Health Campus.

 “Mole Patrol provided the opportunity for the Perth community to receive a free skin cancer check where an appointment at a mole clinic would cost around $70 and often involve a long wait. The response from the public was overwhelming. At some events we were screening up to 600 people within a few hours. Over 2,000 Western Australians were checked for free over the course of the promotion by highly skilled medical specialists from the team at RediMed, aptly named the Mole Patrol ‘spot team’.”

“Over the campaign one in ten people screened were referred on for biopsy and follow up testing and at least ten serious skin lesions were detected, two of which were confirmed Melanomas.”

“Feedback from visitors was that they found it challenging to get a quick skin cancer check in Perth and were frustrated with the lengthy processes. Mole Patrol allowed them the convenience of being checked on the spot by a team of specialists and for free, “ said Ms Tassone.