HCF Hurstville recognised for support to local community in business awards

Sydney, 9 June 2016 – HCF Hurstville, a local branch of Australia’s largest not-for-profit health fund, has been recognised for its strong commitment to serving the local community.

Staff at the Hurstville branch won the “Excellence in Service and Accessibility Award” at the 2016 Hurstville City Council “Excellence in Business Awards”. The awards ceremony was held at the Marana Auditorium at the Hurstville Entertainment Centre on Friday, 3rd June.

Militsa Markoulli, Branch Manager at Hurstville, says she is proud her team is being honoured for the high level of personalised support they provide to local residents.

“We serve an incredibly diverse community, including many people who are elderly, disabled and those who do not speak English as a first language. While many members now use their phone or tablet to file claims and access information, many others prefer or need to have face-to-face assistance. If a visitor to the branch is new to Australia, they also may need help understanding how the healthcare system works,” said Markoulli.

Markoulli says her team speak multiple languages, including Cantonese, Mandarin, Greek, Macedonian, Hindi and Arabic. The branch is also physically accessible with desks at low heights to accommodate visitors in wheelchairs.

She continued, “Our consultants spend whatever time is needed to ensure our members receive the support and information they need. This has helped us build very strong relationships with local residents. We often serve multiple generations of families who have been coming into the branch since the 1970’s.”

Staff at Hurstville also assist members with using HCF’s many digital tools and online resources, including health management programs such as “My Health Guardian.” This HCF-exclusive service provides tools to help members improve diet, health and fitness, as well as manage chronic health conditions.

HCF is also the only health fund to operate a Dental and Eye Care centre in Hurstville, where eligible members can receive 100% no gap coverage for a variety of services.