Upcoming Events

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is common in the general population – experienced by 1 in three families in the first ten years of motherhood. Join Deirdre Gartland, Senior Research Fellow at Intergenerational Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne to discuss her research and how we can better support families experiencing violence.

The Birmingham symptom-specific obstetric triage system (BSOTS) was co-produced in 2013 by midwives and Obstetricians from Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and researchers at the University of Birmingham. In November 2019, the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s at Western Health were the first maternity unit in Australia to implement BSOTS into their maternity assessment centre. Join Grace Crowe, Senior Project Lead and the team from Joan Kirner to discuss their experience.

Existing employee support services within HNELHD are challenged to consistently provide the early response that is needed for staff who experience traumatic events or acute incidents, particularly after hours. AIR Support includes timely peer-support responses provided by AIR Delegates, following acute incidents, to prevent ongoing psychological trauma. Join Lucinda Matheson, Safety Culture Coordinator for Hunter New England Local Health District to discuss professional development and education, staff wellbeing, organisational culture and quality improvement.

Leslie Arnott, co-founder of Lamaze Australia will demonstrate that by educating the maternity health care sector through consumer-led initiatives, a paradigm shift towards woman-centred, culturally appropriate, evidence-based care can be achieved.

The Preventing Neurological Injury in Preterm Infants (PINI) program has directly led to the improved use of evidence-based practices and better perinatal care outcomes. Join the team from Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide to discuss this SA Health Safety and Quality Award 2020 winning program.

Person-centered care strategies and programs help organizations make their caring visible, especially during difficult times. The presentation will highlight how organizations can work with patients, families and communities while prioritizing staff well-being.  The results are a lived experience of empathy and compassion that nurtures and honours all.

The aim of the PIPE-MC program is to strengthen the capacity of health professionals to care for women with perinatal mental health concerns by co-designing, implementing and evaluating a simulation-based, interprofessional training program. This project is funded by Commonwealth Government Emerging Priorities in Perinatal Mental Health and wellbeing over 3 years.

This presentation will draw on survivor and practitioner voices and global evidence to discuss the way that health settings can change to enable a trauma informed response to domestic and family violence. Join Kelsey Hegarty, professor of Family violence prevention, Safer Families Centre, University of Melbourne to discuss how to identify domestic and family violence in primary care settings, early intervention and practical and sustainable programs and tools to assist.

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid and radical changes to the way maternity care was provided in Australia and around the world. Changes to the way care was provided has impacted both those who have received and provided maternity care during this time. Insights gained are useful as we seek to emerge from the pandemic and consider innovative ways to provide evidence-based maternity care.

Creating Exceptional Experiences Strategy is the cornerstone of Melbourne's Royal Women’s Hospital's 2016-2020 Strategic Plan and the Chief eXperience Officer is responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of this strategy. Sherri Huckstep will share their 5 year journey in creating an organisational culture that ensures the Women’s realises its commitment to put patients and consumers at the heart of everything they do.

Women from migrant and refugee backgrounds are at increased risk of suboptimal perinatal outcomes and experience inequities in access. The importance of services meeting their needs is recognised internationally as a public health priority. South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD) responded with the implementation of the CCW (Cross Cultural Workers) Service in late 2017. Join Helen Rogers, Early Parenting Program Coordinator to learn about this unique initiative that supports these women and families to navigate maternity, child and family health, and community-based services, enabling early and ongoing engagement.

Clinicians think scientifically every day. Join Dr Zoe Bradfield, Senior Midwifery Research Fellow, Curtin University and King Edward Memorial Hospital WA in this discussion, as she highlights the natural links between clinical care and research to show how and why research is increasingly being led by clinician scientists.