Enlighten Me: Finalists in the 2025 Patients Australia Awards

Enlighten Me Named National Finalists in the 2025 Patients Australia Awards

Something powerful happens when we stop trying to fit patients into rigid systems, and instead, design systems around the needs of people.

This week, we’re proud to share that Enlighten Me has been named a national finalist in two categories at the 2025 Patients Australia Awards:

 🏆Outstanding Patient Education
 🏆Outstanding Digital Health Service

It’s a moment of deep gratitude, not for the trophies or titles, but for what this recognition represents.

A Shift Towards Person-Centred Care

When Dr. Angela Kwong founded Enlighten Me, it was to address a familiar story she saw time and again in clinic: people navigating weight loss alone. One appointment here. A script there. Long nights spent scrolling through forums, unsure who or what to trust.

Patients weren’t failing. They were being failed — by a system that was siloed, reactive, and often stigmatising.

Enlighten Me was created to change that. As a GP-led, digital weight management program, it wraps around the whole person — not just their weight. Grounded in a biopsychosocial model, the program combines clinical integrity with education, empathy, and sustained support.

The goal is to reduce shame, increase clarity, and make high-quality care accessible, no matter where someone lives or what they’ve been told about their body.

Why These Nominations Matter

These two award nominations hold special meaning because they reflect our foundational beliefs:

Outstanding Patient Education
At Enlighten Me, education isn’t an afterthought. It’s a cornerstone. Our video modules provide patients with clear, evidence-based grounding before they even meet a clinician. This ensures appointments focus on meaningful decisions, not repeating basics. It’s about empowering people to understand their bodies and treatment options, so they feel informed, not overwhelmed.

Outstanding Digital Health Service
We believe human care can be delivered at scale when technology, clinical leadership and compassion come together. With over 22% of our patients living in rural or remote areas, our digital model ensures access to multidisciplinary care where it would otherwise be out of reach. From PCOS to perimenopause, insulin resistance to sleep apnoea, we treat the whole person, not just the number on the scale.

Results That Speak for Themselves

The program’s outcomes continue to show what’s possible when education, access and empathy intersect:

• 15–18% average weight loss in just 4 months
• 70% of patients continue beyond their initial program
• CPAP machines retired, medications reduced, and energy levels improved

But perhaps the most powerful metric of all? Improved quality of life.

As one patient shared:
“For the first time, I wasn’t overwhelmed. I knew my options. I had a team. And I felt like I could do it.”

A Thank You — To Those Who Make It Possible

To our patients, thank you for your trust.

To our team, thank you for proving that evidence and empathy are powerful partners.

To Patients Australia, thank you for recognising that education and access are not extras. They’re essential.

This nomination is not the destination. It’s a milestone. A reminder that when we design care around people, everything changes.