Professor Caroline Homer, Burnet Institute Co-Program Director, Maternal and Child Health

Burnet Institute Co-Program Director, Maternal and Child Health, Professor Caroline Homer AO has been appointed to the Victorian Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity.

The Council reviews all cases of maternal, perinatal and paediatric mortality and severe acute maternal morbidity in Victoria and plays a critical role in monitoring the quality and safety of services provided to pregnant women and children across the state.

It also makes recommendations to help health services and medical practitioners improve clinical practice and systems of care, and advises the Minister for Health on strategies to improve clinical performance and avoid preventable deaths.

Professor Homer, who joined Burnet in early August from University Technology Sydney where she was Distinguished Professor of Midwifery, said she was honoured to be appointed to the Council, which has helped to improve services for all Victorians.

“Reviewing deaths of mothers and children and also instances where women and babies have become very ill is really important to understand why such events happen and how the health system can learn and improve,” Professor Homer said.

“Improvements come from this careful process of review, recommendation and action.

“The learnings are also really important across Australia and into our region where there are fewer resources but many similar issues.”

Professor Homer’s appointment is for three years.

Find out more about Burnet’s maternal and child health projects and research.